Consumer complaints in the Internet forum have posed as a big threat for companies. However, little attention has been given to this issue so far. The users in the Internet forum can be categorized into three groups: complainers, repliers to the messages, and observers who only read the complaints or replies. This study explores how a company's response to complaints online affects the evaluation of the company by the observers, who are major users of the Internet forum. More specifically, this study examines how a company can select a response strategy to protect its reputation according to the context of the complaint.

Psychology and Communication on the Internet

Content Analysis of Web site

Conceptual Model and Hypotheses

Study 1

Study 2

Managerial Implications and Recommendations