It is a fact that the present online technologies have empowered consumers not only to share their positive service experiences they have had with a firm on the Internet, but also to express their negative views online via multiple platforms by using varied online communication features (OCFs) (e.g. status updates, comments, chats, reviews, and feedback forms). With that, this study employed the concept of online features affordances, such as response expectation, identifiability (of complainants), and content visibility, based on a novel conceptualization through the lens of uses and gratifications (U&G) theory from a varied perspective. Hence, by modelling consumers’ motivation to complain about brand via online in conjunction with the selected OCF affordances, this study investigated their joint impact on consumers’ emotions and intentions towards the defaulting firm upon making an online complaint. The data were analysed by using correspondence analysis and structural equation modelling approaches. As a result, this study revealed that consumers’ motivation to complain and their interactions with affordances (but not the affordances themselves) exemplify a significant effect upon influencing the intention towards the (defaulting) firm after disclosing a negative service incident. In particular, content visibility and response expectation appear to display an impact on redress-seeking and egoistic complainants, respectively. These findings, hence, provide relevant insights for firms to manage their complaint channels and to address online customer feedback in a more effective manner for mutual benefits. Furthermore, this study happens to be the first of its kind to weigh in OCFs as the concerned media and further proposes a design-based affordance view of OCFs in explaining their influence on both consumers and brands.

• Yean Shan Beh(University of Auckland, New Zealand)
• Laszlo Sajtos(University of Auckland, New Zealand)