Working Paper
Does IT Lead to More Equal Treatment? An Empirical Study of the Effect of Smartphone Use on Customer Complaint Resolution
Jul 13, 2023
Analysis of data from Boston’s 311 system shows that service complaints originating in more highly educated census blocks are likely to be resolved more quickly than complaints from lower education neighborhoods. Mobile technology at least partially eliminates that advantage in complaint resolution by providing a standardized communication tool. Importantly, researchers use an instrumental variables approach to address endogeneity in mobile app use.