INTENTIONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF TOURIST COMPLAINTS

Abstract

Consumer complaints are an important factor for service providers; effective handling of consumer complaints can be a key to acquiring loyal customers. However, despite the abundance of studies on customer complaints regarding goods and service products of hotels and restaurants, there is a lack of research on customer complaints regarding tourism destinations. Aiming to specifically focus on customer complaints about a tourist destination, researchers of this text investigated (1) what types of complaints foreign tourists have, (2) how they tend to report their complaints and to whom, and (3) what sorts of practical measures they recommend to resolve their own complaints. To achieve this, an on-site self-administered survey was undertaken on foreign charter tourists visiting the southwest part of Turkey during the summer of 2004. Results showed that tourists had several complaints and several suggestions about resolving their complaints, mostly with monetary compensation. The article includes managerial implications and future research suggestions.