Article Details
Vol. 7 No. 3 (2026): February
Complaint Handling and Satisfaction Effects on OTA User Retention in Indonesia
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of complaint handling service quality and user satisfaction on customer retention within Indonesia's Online Travel Agent (OTA) industry.
Research Methodology: A quantitative survey was conducted, collecting data from 160 OTA users with complaints. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression to assess the relationships between complaint handling and satisfaction and user retention.
Results: The results show that both complaint handling service quality (? = 0.579) and user satisfaction (? = 0.647) significantly and positively affect user retention, explaining 53.4% of its variance (Adj. R² = 0.534, p < 0.001). Effective complaint handling and high satisfaction levels are critical for sustaining customer loyalty.
Conclusion: The study concludes that OTAs must prioritize transparent complaint management, empathetic customer service, and personalized satisfaction programs to enhance user retention. These factors contribute significantly to maintaining customer loyalty in the competitive digital tourism market.
Limitations: The study is limited by the use of snowball sampling, which affects generalizability. It also relied on self-reported data, which may have introduced bias. Future research could employ mixed-methods designs and expand to cross-cultural contexts.
Contributions: This study contributes to the digital service recovery literature by integrating complaint handling and satisfaction factors to explain OTA user retention in Indonesia, offering new insights into the strategic importance of service recovery for customer loyalty.
Keywords
How to Cite
Download Citation
References
- Aguiar-Costa, L. M., Cunha, C. A., Silva, W. K., & Abreu, N. R. (2022). Customer Satisfaction in Service Delivery with Artificial Intelligence: A Meta-Analytic Study. RAM. Revista de Administração Mackenzie, 23(6), 1-29. doi:https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-6971/eRAMD220003.en
- Aman, E. E., Papp-Váry, Á. F., Kangai, D., & Odunga, S. O. (2024). Building a Sustainable Future: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovative Strategies for Destination Branding in Tourism. Administrative Sciences, 14(12), 312. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14120312
- Baptista, G., & Pereira, A. (2025). Understanding the Determinants of Adoption and Intention to Recommend AI Technology in Travel And Transportation. Tourism and Hospitality, 6(2), 54. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6020054
- Chen, Y., & Zuo, Z. (2024). Strategic Responses of Tourism Companies to Institutional Pressures in Smart Servitization. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 60, 208-216. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2024.07.007
- Ciuchita, R., Mahr, D., & Odekerken-Schröder, G. (2019). “Deal with it”: How Coping with e-Service Innovation Affects The Customer Experience. Journal of Business Research, 103, 130-141. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.05.036
- Dwita, F., Sudiantini, D., Agustine, L., Sedyoningsih, Y., & Channa, K. (2023). The Effect of Moment of Truth, Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty. Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Studies, 6(01), 137-145. doi:https://doi.org/10.47191/jefms/v6?i1?16
- Gössling, S., Scott, D., & Hall, C. M. (2020). Pandemics, Tourism and Global Change: A Rapid Assessment of COVID-19. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 29(1), 1-20. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1758708
- Harun, A., & Rokonuzzaman, M. (2021). Pursuit of Loyalty in Service Recovery: The Roles of Brand Equity and Cognitive Reappraisal as Moderators. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 62. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102601
- Hien, N. N., Vo, L. T., Ngan, N. T. T., & Ghi, T. N. (2024). The Tendency of Consumers to Use Online Travel Agencies from the Perspective of the Valence Framework: The Role of Openness to Change and Compatibility. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100181
- Hollebeek, L. D., & Macky, K. (2019). Digital Content Marketing's Role in Fostering Consumer Engagement, Trust, and Value: Framework, Fundamental Propositions, and Implications. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 45(1), 27-41. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2018.07.003
- Hwang, J. (2024). The Effects of Service Recovery Actions on Customers' Post?Recovery Responses to Online Travel Agencies (OTAs): The Moderating Role of Price. International journal of tourism research, 26(4), 1-13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2742
- Khamitov, M., Grégoire, Y., & Suri, A. (2020). A Systematic Review of Brand Transgression, Service Failure Recovery and Product-Harm Crisis: Integration and Guiding Insights. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(3), 519-542. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00679-1
- Koo, M., & Yang, S.-W. (2025). Likert-type Scale. Encyclopedia, 5(1), 1-11. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia5010018
- Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining Sampel Size for Research Activities, Educational and Psychological Measurement. NEA Research Bulletinvo l38, 30(3), 607-610. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
- Lim, W. M., Saha, V., & Das, M. (2025). From Service Failure to Brand Loyalty: Evidence of Service Recovery Paradox. Journal of Brand Management, 32, 257-281. doi:https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-025-00380-5
- Liu, X., Han, M., Nicolau, J. L., & Li, C. (2022). Online Engagement and Persistent Reactions to Social Causes: The Black-Owned Business Attribute. Tourism Management, 88. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2021.104407
- Maxham, J. G., & Netemeyer, R. G. (2002). Modeling Customer Perceptions of Complaint Handling Over Time: The Effects of Perceived Justice on Satisfaction and Intent. Journal of retailing, 78(4), 239-252. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4359(02)00100-8
- Mir, M., Ashraf, R., Syed, T. A., Ali, S., & Nawaz, R. (2023). Mapping the Service Recovery Research Landscape: A Bibliometric?Based Systematic Review. Psychology & Marketing, 40(10), 2060-2087. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21864
- Nanggong, A., & Mohammad, A. (2020). The Impact of Cultural Tourism Experience on Electronic Word-of-Mouth (e-WOM) and Destination Image. Diponegoro International Journal of Business, 3(2), 68-79. doi:https://doi.org/10.14710/dijb.3.2.2020.68-79
- Naufal, M. A., Millanyani, H., & Trianasari, N. (2024). The Influence of E-Service Quality Dimensions on E-Customer Satisfaction and its Impact on E-Customer Loyalty Tiket. Com. International Journal of Science, Technology & Management, 5(1), 118-126. doi:https://doi.org/10.46729/ijstm.v5i1.1025s
- Nindya, G., Listiana, E., & Afifah, N. (2024). Pengaruh Quality of Service dan Complaint Handling terhadap Customer Retention dengan Customer Satisfaction sebagai Variabel Intervening. Inovasi: Jurnal Ekonomi, Keuangan, Dan Manajemen, 20(3), 615-625. doi:https://doi.org/10.30872/jinv.v20i3.1811
- Ozdemir, O., Erkmen, E., & Han, W. (2023). EPU and Financial Performance In The Hospitality And Tourism Industry: Moderating Effect of CSR, Institutional Ownership and Cash Holding. Tourism Management, 98. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104769
- Pereira, M. d. S., de Castro, B. S., Cordeiro, B. A., de Castro, B. S., Peixoto, M. G. M., da Silva, E. C. M., & Gonçalves, M. C. (2025). Factors of Customer Loyalty and Retention in the Digital Environment. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 20(2), 71. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20020071
- Pradiatiningtyas, D., Dewa, C. B., & Safitri, L. A. (2025). Analisis Kepuasan Pelanggan Agen Perjalanan Online (Ota) Aplikasi Mobile di Yogyakarta: Pendekatan Kuantitatif. Jurnal Pariwisata Bisnis Digital dan Manajemen, 4(1), 55-61. doi:https://doi.org/10.33480/jasdim.v4i1.6680
- Reichheld, F. F., & Schefter, P. (2000). E-loyalty: Your Secret Weapon on the Web. Harvard Business Review, 78(4), 105-113.
- Sigala, M. (2020). Tourism and COVID-19: Impacts and Implications for Advancing and Resetting Industry and Research. Journal of Business Research, 117, 312-321. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.015
- Silalahi, H., Sitopu, J. W., & Sihite, M. (2024). The Effect of Service Quality, Customer Experience, and Customer Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty in the Service Industry in Indonesia. Sciences du Nord Economics and Business, 1(02), 109-117. doi:https://doi.org/10.58812/sneb.v1i2.37
- Simamora, H. (2004). Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia.
- Su, L., & Swanson, S. R. (2019). Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility's Impact on the Well-Being and Supportive Green Behaviors of Hotel Employees: The Mediating Role of the Employee-Corporate Relationship. Tourism Management, 72, 437-450. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.01.009
- Su, Z., & Ha, H.-Y. (2025). Longitudinal Impact of Perceived Fairness After Service Failures: Evidence from Online Travel Agencies. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 128. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104177
- Van Vaerenbergh, Y., Orsingher, C., Vermeir, I., & Larivière, B. (2014). A Meta-Analysis of Relationships Linking Service Failure Attributions to Customer Outcomes. Journal of service research, 17(4), 381-398. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670514538321
- Verhoef, P. C. (2020). Customer Experience Creation in Today’s Digital World The Routledge Companion to Strategic Marketing (1 ed., pp. 16): Routledge.
- Verhoef, P. C., Broekhuizen, T., Bart, Y., Bhattacharya, A., Dong, J. Q., Fabian, N., & Haenlein, M. (2021). Digital Transformation: A Multidisciplinary Reflection and Research Agenda. Journal of Business Research, 122, 889-901. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022
- Zhang, J. (2024). Dealing with Service Failures and Complaints on Social Media: The Role of Online Social Support in China. Journal of Social Service Research, 50(2), 175-196. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2023.2276124
- Zhengmeng, C., Malik, M., Hussain, M., & Hussain, S. (2024). Exploring Customer Retention Dynamics: A Comparative Investigation of Factors Affecting Customer Retention in the Banking Sector Using Mediation-Moderation Approach. Heliyon, 10(19), 1-21. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36919
License

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