Vol. 6 No. 3 (2021): Turkish Journal of Marketing
Articles

Customer complaints encountered in the online food retail during the COVID-19 intermittent curfew period

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  • Kübra Göksu Köstepen Özbek,
  • Seda Özcan,
  • Fatmanur Avar Çalışkan
Kübra Göksu Köstepen Özbek
Lect., Manisa Celal Bayar University, Kırkağaç Vocational School, Department of Logistics, Manisa, Turkey,
Seda Özcan
Res. Assist., İzmir University of Economics, Department of Logistics Management, İzmir, Turkey,
Fatmanur Avar Çalışkan
Lect., İzmir Kavram Vocational School, Department of Foreign Trade, İzmir, Turkey
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30685/tujom.v6i3.129

Published 12/24/2021

How to Cite

Köstepen Özbek, K. G., Özcan, S., & Avar Çalışkan, F. (2021). Customer complaints encountered in the online food retail during the COVID-19 intermittent curfew period. Turkish Journal of Marketing, 6(3), 223–238. https://doi.org/10.30685/tujom.v6i3.129

Copyright (c) 2021 Kübra Göksu Köstepen Özbek- Seda Özcan- Fatmanur Avar Çalışkan

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Almost everything has changed fundamentally with the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. The pandemic has adversely affected the retail industry and the global economy. After detecting COVID-19, customers’ shopping preferences have moved to popular platforms like online shopping websites. Meanwhile, due to inadequate distribution structures and decentralized supply chain networks of businesses, customers have experienced many failures in service encounters. This study employed a document review method to analyse customer complaints covering common logistic service failures in the food sector during the three months (March, April and May 2020) intermittent curfew period. In addition, using content analysis, “şikayetvar.com” complaints were classified according to the service quality gap model. Since disruptions in the food industry are critical with their stimulating effects on supply chains, this industry has been analysed in detail. In terms of practical contribution, the study introduces an insight to enhance the customer service capabilities of private shopping sites. Furthermore, the theoretical background of the study reveals the service quality dimensions prioritized by customers in the pandemic environment and their critical role in service quality gaps.

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