This book investigates customer perceptions and expectations of complaint channels. In addition to the conventional channels, the adequacy of online social networks as new complaint channel is analysed. The managerial recommendations to improve customer satisfaction are based on a survey and reveal critical determinants of customer channel choice and their expectation and perception of each complaint channel.

Across the global economy, customers' expectations are continually rising - but many companies fail to deliver against those expectations. With the rise in social media, customers are becoming more vocal in expressing any dissatisfaction, which can both lose existing customers and alienate potential new ones. Complaint Management Excellence provides practical advice, tools and techniques for managers to adopt when managing any complaints that come into their organisation. In order to arrive at a culture where complaints are welcomed, the underlying values, processes, structure, strategy and people within an organization all need to be aligned with, and respect, customer needs. Not only does this improve the long-terms prospects for the company itself, but can have a tremendous knock-on effect in terms of boosting employee morale and engagement. With case studies from companies as diverse as John Lewis, Waitrose, DHL, Hilton Hotels, the Starwood group (including Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton hotels) and BT, Complaint Management Excellence explains what customers are really looking for when they make a complaint, how to avoid conflict and how managers can lead culture change to ensure the best experience for all customers and clients.

This practice- and research-based book caters to the needs of executive managers who see customer satisfaction as their primary goal. The authors identify the need for an effective complaint management strategy that prevents the loss of dissatisfied customers. Dissatisfied customers are at risk of migrating; accordingly, neglecting professional complaint management poses a considerable threat to customer relationships, sales and profits. The book offers a comprehensive management concept, which emphasizes direct contact with the complainant by employing complaint stimulation, acceptance, processing and reaction. Further, it discusses the relevant ‘backstage’ tasks involved in using complaint information to achieve quality improvements and cost reductions through complaint analysis, controlling and reporting.

This research handbook provides a comprehensive, integrative, and authoritative resource on the main strategic management issues for companies within the e-business context. It covers an extensive set of topics, dealing with the major issues which articulate the e-business framework from a business perspective. The handbook is divided into the following e-business related parts: background; evolved strategic framework for the management of companies; key business processes, areas and activities; and, finally, emerging issues, trends and opportunities, with special attention to diverse Social Web-related implications. The articles are varied, timely and present high-quality research; many of these unique contributions will be especially valued and influential for business scholars and professionals interested in e-business. Many of the contributors are outstanding business scholars who are or have been editors-in-chief of top-ranked management and business journals or have made significant contributions to the development of their respective fields.

In today’s society, the utilization of social media platforms has become an abundant forum for individuals to post, share, tag, and, in some cases, overshare information about their daily lives. As significant amounts of data flood these venues, it has become necessary to find ways to collect and evaluate this information. Social Media Data Extraction and Content Analysis explores various social networking platforms and the technologies being utilized to gather and analyze information being posted to these venues. Highlighting emergent research, analytical techniques, and best practices in data extraction in global electronic culture, this publication is an essential reference source for researchers, academics, and professionals.

A modern, comprehensive treatment of latent class and latent transition analysis for categorical data On a daily basis, researchers in the social, behavioral, and health sciences collect information and fit statistical models to the gathered empirical data with the goal of making significant advances in these fields. In many cases, it can be useful to identify latent, or unobserved, subgroups in a population, where individuals' subgroup membership is inferred from their responses on a set of observed variables. Latent Class and Latent Transition Analysis provides a comprehensive and unified introduction to this topic through one-of-a-kind, step-by-step presentations and coverage of theoretical, technical, and practical issues in categorical latent variable modeling for both cross-sectional and longitudinal data. The book begins with an introduction to latent class and latent transition analysis for categorical data. Subsequent chapters delve into more in-depth material, featuring: A complete treatment of longitudinal latent class models Focused coverage of the conceptual underpinnings of interpretation and evaluationof a latent class solution Use of parameter restrictions and detection of identification problems Advanced topics such as multi-group analysis and the modeling and interpretation of interactions between covariates The authors present the topic in a style that is accessible yet rigorous. Each method is presented with both a theoretical background and the practical information that is useful for any data analyst. Empirical examples showcase the real-world applications of the discussed concepts and models, and each chapter concludes with a "Points to Remember" section that contains a brief summary of key ideas. All of the analyses in the book are performed using Proc LCA and Proc LTA, the authors' own software packages that can be run within the SAS® environment. A related Web site houses information on these freely available programs and the book's data sets, encouraging readers to reproduce the analyses and also try their own variations. Latent Class and Latent Transition Analysis is an excellent book for courses on categorical data analysis and latent variable models at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the social, behavioral, and health sciences who conduct latent class and latent transition analysis in their everyday work.

In the rapidly evolving digital era, businesses undergo profound transformations requiring strategic adaptation and optimization. Digital Business and Optimizing Operating Strategies delves into the intricate interplay between digital technology and business strategies, exploring various facets such as management, marketing, finance, human resources, and more within the digital market structure. This comprehensive book critically examines enterprises' skills, productivity, and adaptability in response to technological advancements and customer expectations. Covering a wide range of sub-topics, this book addresses the management of social media applications, the technological capabilities of human resources, digital sustainability, and the integration of artificial intelligence technology. By highlighting opportunities and challenges, the book serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners across diverse disciplines, offering novel perspectives and cutting-edge practices in the digital business landscape. This book is designed to resonate with a diverse audience, and will appeal to researchers, marketing managers, metaverse enthusiasts, website designers and developers, e-commerce practitioners, social media users, consumer behavior and marketing researchers, and brand experts. It is an essential resource for both undergraduate and graduate students while also serving as a valuable reference for professionals in the field.

Interactive marketing, as one of the fastest growing academic fields in contemporary business world, is the multi-directional value creation and mutual-influence marketing process through active customer connection, engagement, participation and interaction. Contemporary interactive marketing has moved beyond the scope of direct marketing or digital marketing, as the market is becoming a forum for conversations and interactions among connected actors or participants in platform ecosystems. The advancement of mobile technology with interactive content and personalized experience makes interactive marketing the new normal in the business world. This handbook contains the most comprehensive and cutting-edge knowledge in the interactive marketing field. The 41 chapters that are divided into eight sections cover all aspects of contemporary interactive marketing realm, including social media and influencer marketing, big data and machine learning in predictive analytics, mobile marketing and proximity marketing, interactive digital marketing and Omnichannel marketing, AI, VR and AR in business applications. With a focal point on interactive marketing, this handbook takes a multidiscipline perspective, from new technology innovations, social media and platform application, economic and cultural impacts, social and psychological analysis, and management and information system. This book provides a timely and comprehensive textbook companion and/or course project resource for college educators and students used for variety of graduate and undergraduate marketing courses, such as Digital Marketing, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing, New Media Communication, Marketing Analytics and Marketing Management, etc. It offers valuable references for academic researchers who are interesting conducting and publishing in interactive marketing research. The state-of-art review and emerging new trends presented in the book are particularly useful for research idea generation and conceptual development. The book also putts forward insightful guidelines and practical tools for business management in the application of new interactive marketing strategies and applications in the real world practices. Chapter 41 “Ethical Considerations in Gamified Interactive Marketing Praxis” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book focuses on the concept of “brand hate” and consumer negativity in today’s digital markets. It explores the emotional detachment consumers generate against valued brands and how negative experiences affect their and other consumers' loyalty. It is almost impossible not to run into hateful language about companies and their brands in today’s digital consumption spaces. Consumer hostility and hate is not hidden and silent anymore but is now openly shared on many online anti-brand websites, consumer social networking sites, and complaint and review boards. The book defines consumer brand hate and discusses its dimensions, antecedents, and consequences as well as the semiotics and legality of such brand hate activities based on current brand dilution arguments. It describes the situations which lead to anti-branding and how consumers choose to express their dissatisfaction with a company on individual and social levels. This newly updated edition discusses recent research findings from brand hate literature with new cases and extended managerial analysis. Thus, the book provides strategic perspectives on how to handle such situations to achieve better functioning markets for scholars and practitioners in marketing, psychology, and consumer behavior.

Traditional marketing approaches must be more effective in a digital world where consumers seek more immersive and personalized experiences. Businesses need to help to engage with their target audience and to understand their evolving needs and preferences. This disconnect hinders their ability to create impactful marketing strategies that resonate with consumers and drive meaningful interactions. Consumer Experience and Decision-Making in the Metaverse offers a solution by exploring how the metaverse transforms consumer behavior and marketing practices. The book provides insights into immersive consumer experiences, virtual brand presence, data-driven personalization, and more through a collection of research. It equips readers with the knowledge and strategies to adapt to this new digital landscape and engage with consumers in innovative ways.