Stop being so rude! How customer reprimands attenuate the impact of customer mistreatment

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of reprimanding mistreating customers as a solution to mitigate the negative effects of customer mistreatment on frontline employees’ well-being. While previous research has focused on employee responses to mistreatment, there has been limited attention to what organizations can do to directly address customer mistreatment.

Design/methodology/approach This paper presents two studies. Study 1 is a qualitative investigation based on in-depth interviews with employees and managers, aimed at gaining initial insights into the effectiveness of customer reprimands. Study 2 is an experimental study that tests the causal impact of customer reprimands on employee and bystander satisfaction, examining whether this relationship is mediated by deontic justice.

Findings Study 1 offers initial evidence for the effectiveness of a customer reprimand and identifies several antecedents (organizational, individual and situational factors) and reprimand characteristics (linguistic style, severity and communication mode) that seem to influence this effectiveness. Study 2 provides causal support for the effect of reprimanding a mistreating customer, executed by a manager, on employees’ and bystanders’ deontic justice and satisfaction.

Originality/value This paper offers a novel approach to addressing customer mistreatment directly through reprimands, a topic that has been underexplored in the literature. It contributes valuable insights on the potential of reprimands as an intervention for organizations to support their frontline employees.