The impact of flattery: The role of negative remarks

•Negative remark reduces the client's use of persuasion knowledge.•Negative remark enhances the perception of the salesclerk's trustworthiness.•Salesperson trustworthiness mediated the effect of the remarks on behavioral intentions.•Product price moderates the effect of the remarks on salesclerk's trustworthiness.

This study extends our understanding of flattery and consumers’ use of persuasion knowledge in the retail context by addressing the role that negative evaluations from a salesperson play on consumer's perceptions of store agent trustworthiness. Across two experiments, our findings show that a negative salesperson remark along with a positive remark reduces the client's use of persuasion knowledge therefore enhancing the client's perception of the salesclerk's trustworthiness. Additionally, we found a boundary condition of this effect: the price of the target product. Finally, perceptions of salesperson trustworthiness mediated the effect of the remarks on behavioral intentions.