Impact of customer incivility on shippers in Ho Chi Minh City and the moderating role of peer support


Authors

  • Nguyen My Phuc University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City
  • Ngo Quang Huan University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City
  • Nguyen Viet Bang University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City
DOI: https://doi.org/10.57110/vnu-jeb.v5i5.428

Keywords:

Customer incivility, service performance, service sabotage, revenge

Abstract

In a competitive environment, customer incivility increasingly exerts adverse effects on both organizations and employees. Research within the delivery service sector demonstrates that such behavior elevates employees’ revenge motivation, fosters service sabotage, and diminishes the job performance of delivery personnel. Colleague support plays a critical role in alleviating stress and moderating negative responses, thereby sustaining a positive work environment and enhancing service quality. Findings from a survey of 609 delivery workers in Ho Chi Minh City, analyzed using SMART PLS, suggest that managers should actively promote a culture of internal support to mitigate the detrimental impacts of customer incivility, reduce retaliatory and sabotage behaviors, and consequently improve overall service performance.

References

Al-Hawari, M. A., Bani-Melhem, S., & Quratulain, S. (2020). Do frontline employees cope effectively with abusive supervision and customer incivility? Testing the effect of employee resilience. Journal of Business and Psychology, 35(2), 223-240.

Auh, S., Menguc, B., Thompson, F. M., & Uslu, A. (2024). Conflict-solving as a mediator between customer incivility and service performance. The Service Industries Journal, 44(5-6), 342-377.

Balaji, M. S., Jiang, Y., Singh, G., & Jha, S. (2020). Letting go or getting back: How organization culture shapes frontline employee response to customer incivility. Journal of Business Research, 111, 1-11.

Bani-Melhem, S., Quratulain, S., & Al-Hawari, M. A. (2020). Customer incivility and frontline employees’ revenge intentions: interaction effects of employee empowerment and turnover intentions. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(4), 450-470

Bảo, Q. T., Thị, T. N., Ngọc, K. N., Thu, P. N., Ánh, T. N. T., Khánh, T. D., & Minh, H. N. (2024). Yếu tố nào tác động đến chất lượng dịch vụ giao hàng chặng cuối trong đô thị-Trường hợp nghiên cứu của Grabfood ở Hà Nội. Tạp chí Khoa học Giao thông vận tải, 75(5), 1707-1721.

Boukis, A., Koritos, C., Daunt, K. L., & Papastathopoulos, A. (2020). Effects of customer incivility on frontline employees and the moderating role of supervisor leadership style. Tourism Management, 77, 103997.

Brislin, R. W. (1970). Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of cross-cultural psychology, 1(3), 185-216.

Cheng, B., Guo, G., Tian, J., & Shaalan, A. (2020). Customer incivility and service sabotage in the hotel industry. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 32(5), 1737-1754.

Gao, W., Weng, Q., Popelnukha, A., & Sungu, L. J. (2024). Their bad experiences make me think twice: Customer‐to‐colleague incivility, self‐reflection, and improved service delivery. Applied Psychology.

Hair Jr, J. F., Matthews, L. M., Matthews, R. L., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). PLS-SEM or CB-SEM: updated guidelines on which method to use. International Journal of Multivariate Data Analysis, 1(2), 107-123.

Hair Jr, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L., & Kuppelwieser, V. G. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): An emerging tool in business research. European business review, 26(2), 106-121.

Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: a new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American psychologist, 44(3), 513.

Hwang, Y., Wang, X., & Guchait, P. (2022). When observers of customer incivility revisit the restaurant: roles of relationship closeness and norms. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(11), 4227-4244.

Hu, H. H. H. S., Lai, H. S. H., & King, B. (2020). Restaurant employee service sabotage and customer deviant behaviors: The moderating role of corporate reputation. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 44(7), 1126-1152.

Hur, W. M., Shin, Y., & Shin, G. (2022). Daily relationships between customer incivility, organizational control, self-efficacy, and service performance. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 69, 103092.

Kuriakose, V., & Sreejesh, S. (2023). Co-worker and customer incivility on employee well-being: Roles of helplessness, social support at work and psychological detachment-a study among frontline hotel employees. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 56, 443-453

Sliter, M., & Jones, M. (2016). A qualitative and quantitative examination of the antecedents of customer incivility. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 21(2), 208–219.

Sliter, M., Sliter, K., & Jex, S. (2012). The employee as a punching bag: The effect of multiple sources of incivility on employee withdrawal behavior and sales performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(1), 121-139.

Susskind, A. M., Kacmar, K. M., & Borchgrevink, C. P. (2003). Customer service providers' attitudes relating to customer service and customer satisfaction in the customer-server exchange. Journal of applied psychology, 88(1), 179.

Walker, D. D., Van Jaarsveld, D. D., & Skarlicki, D. P. (2017). Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can also hurt me: The relationship between customer verbal aggression and employee incivility. Journal of applied psychology, 102(2), 163.

Wang, Y., Wang, T., & Gui, C. (2022). A meta-analysis of customer uncivil behaviors in hospitality research. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 31(3), 265-289.

Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2007). The role of personal resources in the job demands-resources model. International journal of stress management, 14(2), 121.

Yang, F. X., & Lau, V. M. C. (2019). Evil customers, an angel boss and coopetitive coworkers: Burnout of frontline employees. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 83, 1-10.

Zhan, X., Guo, Y., Yang, Y., Li, Z., & Li, X. (2023). Why can customer incivility be contagious in the service context? A resource scarcity perspective. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 109, 103418.

Zhu, J. N., Lam, L. W., & Lai, J. Y. (2019). Returning good for evil: A study of customer incivility and extra-role customer service. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 81, 65-72.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Published

25-10-2025

Abstract View

7

PDF Downloaded

How to Cite

Nguyen My Phuc, Ngo Quang Huan, & Nguyen Viet Bang. (2025). Impact of customer incivility on shippers in Ho Chi Minh City and the moderating role of peer support. VNU JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS, 5(5), 85. https://doi.org/10.57110/vnu-jeb.v5i5.428

Issue

Section

Original Article