Post-Purchase Dissonance Understanding Consumer Behavior

¶ … Post-Purchase Dissonance

Understanding consumer behavior is a key to the success of business in many respects. Consumers are for example a potentially valuable source of word of mouth advertising. If they are satisfied with their products and services, customers will themselves also most likely return to the business in question. It is therefore vitally important not only to ensure customer satisfaction before and during the purchase, but also when the purchase has been made, and the customer evaluates the purchase. This is where post-purchase dissonance plays a potential role. Particularly with products such as cars, customers may make an emotional rather than rational choice of product. This may lead to post-purchase dissonance, when some time has elapsed between the initial excitement and the actual use of the product. Because of the negative effect of this, companies have strategies to minimize this element in the purchase process to encourage positive advertising and returning customers.

Post-purchase dissonance means that a customer is unsure whether the purchase was a good choice, particularly if he or she is not aware of other products that are also available. When learning of these only after the purchase, there is a tendency to be disappointed. In the case of a new car, a study cited by Hessel Friedlander (2008) suggests that follow-up phone calls can be used to reassure a customer that the right choice has been made.

Another strategy can be implemented prior to the actual purchase. A customer can for example be made aware of other similar products offered by the same company. In this way, the customer is left with the feeling of having made the best possible choice of all the possibilities that he or she has been shown. Such a strategy will reduce post-purchase dissonance, as competitor products will not have such a great impact.

During the purchase, when the customer has made the decision to buy, the seller can further reduce post-purchase dissonance by speaking well of the choice and highlighting the positive features of the vehicle. Performance, features and pricing could for example be highlighted. While the customer is reassured of the quality of the product, he or she will be less dissonant when taking the car home. He or she will focus on the good qualities of the vehicle and hence a greater sense of satisfaction will result.

Interaction is a vital process of the purchase process. The car salesperson particularly should never hurry or automate a customer through a purchase. As David Barrow (2006) suggests, such a strategy might sell more cars more quickly, but ultimately the merchant will lose business because of post-purchase dissonance. Instead, the car salesperson should interact with the customer in such a way that the latter feels valued. This is done by letting the customer take enough time to make careful decisions regarding the purchase, and also by highlighting both the pros and cons of each possibility until the customer has narrowed the choices down to the car he or she wants to buy. Making sure that the customer takes his or her time will minimize later regrets.

Finally, a very good strategy for avoiding post-purchase dissonance is to ensure that the customer continues to receive excellent service from the dealer. When taking the car from the premises, for example, the salesperson can show the customer the various operation controls of the car, and ensure that no questions remain regarding the purchase. The customer can be made to feel special by elements such as a small gift as congratulations with the purchase. To ensure that customers return, car services can be made special by ensuring that the vehicle is washed after each service, and by personally questioning the customer regarding the driving experience.