Postswitching Negative Word of Mouth

Abstract

Previous research has extensively studied the determinants of customer loyalty and switching behavior but has given little attention to what happens after a customer has switched away from a service provider. In this article, the perhaps most important manifestation of such postswitching behavior—namely, postswitching negative word of mouth (PNWOM)—is investigated. Drawing from dissonance theory, hypotheses are developed and tested in an empirical study. Results from the telecommunications industry indicate that PNWOM is given frequently and that product involvement, market mavenism, perceived risk, satisfaction with the new provider, and the reason for switching the provider explain PNWOM. Implications for customer management are discussed.