CHAPTER 18
POSTPURCHASE PROCESSES, CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION, AND CUSTOMER COMMITMENT
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
LO1: Describe the various post-purchase processes engaged in by consumers
LO2: Define and discuss post-purchase dissonance
SUMMARY
LO1: Describe the various post-purchase processes engaged in by consumers
Purchase is followed by a number of processes including use, evaluation, and in some cases
LO2: Define and discuss post-purchase dissonance
Following some purchases, consumers experience doubts or anxiety about the wisdom of the purchase.
This is known as postpurchase dissonance. It is most likely to occur (1) among individuals with a
LO3: Discuss the issues surrounding product use and nonuse and their importance to marketers
Whether or not the consumer experiences dissonance, most purchases are followed by product use.
This use may be by the purchaser or by some other member of the purchasing unit. Monitoring
product usage can indicate new uses for existing products, needed product modifications, appropriate
LO4: Summarize disposition options and their relevance to marketers and public policy
Disposition of the product or its package may occur before, during, or after product use.
Understanding disposition behavior is important to marketing managers because of the ecological
LO5: Explain the determinants and outcomes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction
Consumer perceptions regarding satisfaction and dissatisfaction are a function of a comparison process
between consumer expectations of performance and their perceptions of actual performance. When
expectations are met or exceeded, satisfaction and is likely to result, and in some cases commitment or
loyalty is developed. When expectations are not met, dissatisfaction is the likely result. Service is a
major determinant of customer satisfaction even when the core purchase involves a physical product.
LO6: Describe the relationship between satisfaction, repeat purchase, and customer
commitment
Satisfaction results in a number of positive outcomes including repeat purchases, positive word of
mouth, and, in some cases, loyalty. Not all satisfied customers are loyal. Simply meeting expectations
(passive satisfaction in the language of Consumer Insight 18-1) is typically not enough to generate the
psychological commitment that is associated with loyalty. Repeat purchasers are also not necessarily
loyal customers. Repeat purchasing can occur out of habit (it’s what I always buy) or necessity (it is
the only option out there) and not out of a commitment to the brand. Repeat purchasers who are not
LECTURE TIPS AND AIDS
1) A good way to begin is to have each student describe in writing his or her own postpurchase
processes for three recent purchases. Selected students can then read their descriptions. Class
discussion can then focus on the factors that lead to differing postpurchase processes.
versus those that lead only to repeat purchasing.
3) Have the students describe two product categories in which they exhibit multibrand loyalty or
repeat purchasing and two in which they exhibit unibrand loyalty or repeat purchasing. Discussion
can focus on the factors (generally situational) that lead to the unibrand versus the multibrand
situation.
5) Have the students report examples of nonstandard product use. What, if any, marketing strategies
are suggested by the reports?
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What are the major postpurchase processes engaged in by consumers?
Following a major purchase, consumers are likely to experience some postpurchase dissonance.
2) How does the type of decision process affect the postpurchase processes?
Habitual decisions involve product use, disposition, and very limited evaluation, and generally
maintain a high level of repeat purchase motivation. Extended decision making also involves
product use and evaluation. However, it is likely to also involve postpurchase dissonance, a
these extremes.
3) What is postpurchase dissonance?
Postpurchase dissonance refers to an after-purchase psychological condition in which the
purchaser experiences some doubt or worry about the wisdom of the purchase just made.
4) What characteristics of a purchase situation are likely to contribute to postpurchase dissonance?
Characteristics of the purchase situation which are likely to contribute to postpurchase dissonance
include:
a. The degree of commitment or irrevocability of the decision. The easier it is to alter the
decision, the less likely one would experience dissonance.
5) In what ways can a consumer reduce postpurchase dissonance?
6) What is consumption guilt?
Consumption guilt occurs when some negative emotions or guilt feelings are aroused by the use of
a product or service.
7) What is use innovativeness?
Use innovativeness refers to a consumer using a product in a new way. Marketers who discover
new uses for their products can greatly expand sales.
8) What is a reasonably foreseeable use of a product and why is it important to companies?
Companies need to anticipate these reasonably foreseeable uses by consumers, which may take the
9) What are effective ways for a company to get at innovative product uses by customers?
Increasingly, the Internet can be used to track innovative product uses. Online observation and
10) What is meant by product nonuse and why is it a concern of marketers?
11) What is meant by the disposition of products and product packaging, and why does it interest
governmental regulatory agencies and marketers?
Disposition of a product and/or its packaging refers to how the product and/or packaging is
12) What is e-waste and why is it a growing concern?
E-waste consists of cell phones, personal computers, and various other person electronics devices.
Rapid innovation and product obsolescence are combining to create a huge volume of e-waste.
13) What factors influence consumer satisfaction? In what way do they influence consumer
satisfaction?
A consumer’s evaluation of a purchase is influenced by the purchase itself, postpurchase
dissonance, product use, and product disposition. The outlet or the product or both may be
involved in the evaluation. Consumers may evaluate each aspect of the purchase ranging from
14) What is the difference between instrumental and symbolic performance, and how does each
contribute to consumer satisfaction?
15) What is affective performance?
Affective performance is the emotional response that owning or using the product provides. It may
16) What courses of action can a consumer take in response to dissatisfaction? Which are used most
often?
When dissatisfaction occurs, a consumer can either take action or take no action. When no action
is taken, a less favorable attitude is likely to result. Action can involve: (1) complain to the store or
17) What determines satisfaction for online retailers?
Four dimensions have been identified as follows:
• Website Design and Interaction: Includes factors such as information quality, navigation,
price, merchandise availability, purchase process, and order tracking.
• Security and Privacy: Includes factors related to security such as fraud and identity theft and
18) What would marketers like consumers to do when dissatisfied? How can marketers encourage
this?
When a consumer is dissatisfied, the most favorable consequence is for the person to communicate
19) What is churn? How does it affect profits?
20) What are the sources of increased profits from longer-term customers?
21) What is the relationship between customer satisfaction, repeat purchases, and committed
customers?
Customer satisfaction with a brand or store is generally necessary for repeat purchases to occur. If
other alternatives are readily available, consumers not satisfied with a brand/store’s performance
22) What is the difference between repeat purchasers and committed customers?
Repeat purchasers continue to buy a brand out of habit, lack of choice, because it is the cheapest or
for other reasons, but they feel no attachment to the brand. A committed customer comes to
23) What are switching costs?
These are the costs involved in finding, evaluating and adopting another solution (product).
24) Why are marketers interested in having committed customers?
Loyal customers are somewhat immune to competitors’ actions and are more likely to purchase the
brand at full-price. They also tend to be receptive to line extensions and new products from the
same firm.
25) What is the Net Promoter Score?
26) What is relationship marketing? What strategies are involved?
Relationship marketing attempts to develop an ongoing, expanding exchange relationship with a
firm’s customers. In many ways it seeks to mimic the relationships that existed between
neighborhood and country stores and their customers many years ago. In these relationships, the
27) What are loyalty programs? What do most of them actually do?
Loyalty programs are intended to encouraging repeat purchases. Many are designed to generate
repeat purchases rather than committed customers.
28) What factors influence e-loyalty?
Discussion Questions
29) How should retailers deal with consumers immediately after purchase to reduce postpurchase
dissonance? What specific action would you recommend, and what effect would you intend it to
have on the recent purchaser of (gift to) the following?
a) PBS donation
b) A condominium
To discuss this question, you should first get the class to determine which products are likely to
create the greatest postpurchase dissonance. Use a matrix like the one below and rate each product
on each factor with 1 being no dissonance and 5 being maximum dissonance increase. It will
quickly be clear that dissonance is not likely for PBS donation and not very likely for microwave
irrevocability
importance
choice difficulty
PBS donation
A condominium
Dance lessons
automobile
Microwave oven
Tropical fish
30) What type of database should your university maintain on its students? In general, what ethical
concerns surround the use of such databases by institutions and companies?
The use of information is the area of most concern when dealing with ethical issues. Many may
feel harassed if frequent, unnecessary contact was made with consumers/students.
31) How should manufacturers deal with consumers immediately after purchase to reduce
postpurchase dissonance? What specific action would you recommend, and what effect would you
intend it to have on the recent purchaser of the following?
a) Cell phone
b) Expensive watch
c) Tablet computer
32) How do some companies capitalize on the concept of use innovativeness?
Companies are using contests, Web-based suggestion boxes, and social media tracking to
understand potential uses for their products and services. Liability issues are of concern and
seeking legal counsel regarding off-label uses tends to be a prudent approach.
33) Discuss how you could determine how consumers actually use the following. How could this
information be used to develop marketing strategy?
a) Microwave
b) Wrist watches
c) Online banking services
34) How would you go about measuring consumer satisfaction among purchasers of the following?
What questions would you ask, what additional information would you collect, and why? How
could this information be used for evaluating and planning marketing programs?
a) Cell phone service
b) Walmart.com
c) Car insurance
35) What level of product dissatisfaction should a marketer be content within attempting to serve a
particular target market? What characteristics contribute to dissatisfaction, regardless of the
marketer’s efforts?
This discussion question can focus on what level of consumer satisfaction is practical in serving
consumers with diverse needs, perceptions, experiences, and personalities. Discussion could first
36) Describe the last time you were dissatisfied with a purchase. What action did you take? Why?
Answers will vary. Many students will not remember a specific instance of dissatisfaction, which
indicates that most of us are satisfied with most of our purchases. Point out to the students that
they are most likely to remember an unsatisfactory purchase if they took some action in response
to it.
37) Are you a mere repeat purchaser of any brand, service, or outlet? Why are you not a committed
customer? What, if anything, would make you a committed customer?
38) Respond to the questions Consumer Insight 18-1.
The reason has to do with the underlying factors that drive consumers to engage in positive WOM
which appear to relate to having an emotional commitment (attitudinal loyalty) toward the firm or
brand.
Profits may not be as straight forward. Satisfied or even delighted customers may not always be
profitable. Only when that condition is met will NPS also be correlated with profits. If it costs
more to delight these customers than the revenues they generate, then profits will actually be lower
39) What are some of the negative consequences of “firing” customers?
Students should be encouraged to discuss their emotional responses. They likely range from
sadness to anger to rage. Push students to think of effective communications procedures for letting
customers go in a way that would minimize such emotions.
40) Are you a committed customer to any brand, service, or outlet? Why?
This is a good initial question in order to get students to think about the difference between
committed and repeat behavior.
41) Design a customer loyalty program for the following.
a) High-end hotel chain
b) Grocery store chain