Evaluating User Satisfaction with a Consumer Protection Hotline
The authors thank the staff of the Consumer Protection Division of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection for their assistance. This research was supported by funds granted to the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, pursuant to the provisions of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.
Abstract
The consumer complaint-handling literature characterizes users of toll-free Hotlines, but satisfaction with this consumer service has not been evaluated. A telephone survey was conducted of callers to a Wisconsin consumer protection Hotline in an effort to assess user satisfaction. When filers of complaints and inquiries were compared, it was found that complainants were more likely to have used the Hotline more than once or to have recommended it to others, while inquirers expressed greater satisfaction with the agency. As expected from previous research, users were generally satisfied with the Hotline and related services; high-status groups were most satisfied; and low-status persons were less likely to have used the Hotline.
