Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how and when used by employees influences witnessing customers’ willingness to spread positive word of mouth (WOM).

Design/methodology/approach

This research used a qualitative method to develop a typology of necessary evil using two pilot studies and an experimental study to test the theoretical model.

Findings

The results show that the necessary evil used by employees to manage dysfunctional customers positively influences witnessing customers’ perceptions of distributive, procedural and interactional justice and their subsequent deontic justice perceptions, resulting in their willingness to spread positive WOM. Moreover, the positive influence of necessary evil on witnessing customers’ responses is strengthened when dysfunctional customer behavior (DCB) targets another customer as opposed to an employee.

Practical implications

This research offers service providers a better understanding of how to manage DCBs.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the existing literature by introducing necessary evil to the service literature, proposing a new typology of employee response strategies to DCB based on necessary evil and examining how necessary evil drives positive customer responses. Additionally, it is among the first to examine the relationship between deontic justice and traditional justice mechanisms.

中文翻译：

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必要之恶：管理功能失调的客户行为的策略

目的

本文的目的是调查员工如何以及何时使用影响见证客户传播积极口碑 (WOM) 的意愿。

设计/方法/方法

本研究采用定性方法，通过两项试点研究和一项实验研究来开发必要之恶的类型学，以测试理论模型。

发现

结果表明，员工用于管理功能失调的客户的必要邪恶对见证客户对分配正义、程序正义和互动正义的感知以及随后的道义正义感知产生积极影响，从而导致他们愿意传播积极的口碑。此外，当功能失调的客户行为 (DCB) 以另一位客户而不是员工为目标时，必要之恶对见证客户反应的积极影响会得到加强。

实际影响

这项研究让服务提供商更好地了解如何管理 DCB。

原创性/价值

本文通过将必要之恶引入服务文献，提出了一种基于必要之恶的 DCB 员工响应策略的新类型，并研究了必要之恶如何驱动积极的客户响应，从而对现有文献做出了贡献。此外，它是最早研究道义正义与传统正义机制之间关系的机构之一。