An exploration of online food delivery services and negative electronic word-of-mouth behavior

The current research aims to determine the antecedents of negative electronic word-of-mouth behavior in terms of posting ratings and reviews and posting on social media after a dissatisfactory online food delivery service encounter. Online food delivery services are a rising sector that has been getting attention in service marketing studies. A limited number of studies have investigated dissatisfaction with restaurant service after a negative online food delivery service and the consequent emotional and behavioral outcomes. This study also explores negative emotions, namely anger and regret, as outcomes of dissatisfaction and as antecedents of negative electronic word-of-mouth behavior. An online survey has been distributed, and a final sample size of n = 387 has been reached after data screening. Analyses have been made using structural equation modeling. Results suggest that customers are dissatisfied with the restaurant after a negative service encounter with an online food delivery provider. The importance of the deliverymen as frontline employees has been underlined. In addition, findings show that dissatisfaction strongly influences anger and regret, which are antecedents for posting online ratings. This study contributes to the literature by filling this gap and providing theoretical and practical implications.