How to Prevent Post-Purchase Dissonance

A post-purchase dissonance is a form of cognitive dissonance studied in consumer behavior. This form of purchase regret occurs when a customer prizes a specific product and completes a purchase but then experiences dissatisfaction because of the product or service quality.

This form of post-purchase behavior is prevalent in e-commerce. The customer cannot physically see, touch, or try the product in online shopping, so the decision-making process can be challenging, and the product may turn out to be different than what they expected. E-commerce brands can prepare for and mitigate the effects of this post-purchase experience, ensuring that shoppers, especially new customers, have a positive experience ordering the company products.

Buyer’s remorse is a type of post-purchase dissonance. Buyers experience dissonance when a product does not meet their expectations, but buyer’s remorse happens when the purchaser regrets their decision to buy a product. A customer may feel buyer’s remorse if they make a purchase with borrowed money, at an inappropriate time, or through unethical means. Buyer’s remorse tends to center on larger purchases (such as a car, boat, or house), while post-purchase dissonance may result from the purchase of less-expensive goods (including clothing, foods, and furniture).

To better understand how to achieve customer satisfaction and reduce dissonance, consider the following factors that can cause post-purchase cognitive dissonance:

1. 1. Poor quality: If your product does not meet the expectations set by your marketing imagery, customers may feel betrayed. Your brand’s reputation can then be at risk, and word of mouth can spread, impacting sales.
2. 2. Impulse buying: Sometimes a consumer decision or buying behavior—not a brand shortcoming—can lead to post-purchase dissonance. If a customer makes a quick purchase decision without much thought, they may not understand what they bought. This can lead to unhappy feelings when the consumer receives their product and it differs from what they imagined.
3. 3. Lack of information: Product details and measurements should let customers know what to expect; sometimes pictures do not reflect the scale of a product, so the more information you can provide, the better.

E-commerce marketers should pay close attention to consumer behavior and be proactive in their marketing to ensure the effects of post-purchase dissonance are kept to a minimum. Consider these ways to reduce post-purchase dissonance:

1. 1. Write out clear product descriptions. Marketing management can mitigate dissonance in the pre-purchase phase by clearly detailing product information. This may include precise measurements, colors, stipulations, and other necessary context that guarantees a positive customer experience. Thorough market research will help your team promote and sell the product to your ideal customers.
2. 2. Implement a return policy. For most industries, a smooth return process can make the customer feel heard and appreciated instead of scammed and scorned.
3. 3. Train customer service representatives. A positive customer service experience can save you from losing future sales by strengthening customer retention.
4. 4. Share delivery updates. Customers appreciate transactional emails with purchase confirmations and regular delivery updates. These updates can provide a package ETA based on location, and follow-up emails can alert the customer if there are changes to the scheduled delivery time.

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