Complaint behavior of mothers and daughters in Pakistan: Transmission and differences between generations

Despite the abundance of marketing literature on consumer complaint behavior, little research has been conducted to explicate such behavior from a generational perspective. I therefore investigated the complaint behavior of 2 generations in Pakistan, namely, mothers and daughters. I used a qualitative interview approach with 5 pairs of dyads. All interviews were transcribed and content analysis was performed. Findings showed that the mothers would most likely seek redress in person, would complain to others verbally, or would take no action. The daughters tended to seek redress in person and to tell others about the problem using electronic media. There was similarity between mothers and daughters in seeking redress and showing anger. The study thus serves as a precursor to future investigation of complaint behavior by different generation cohorts in the same family and of the potential transmission of behavioral values.