Cognitive dissonance is a psychological theory described by Wikipedia as the perception of contradictory information, including actions, feelings, ideas, beliefs, and things in the environment. Cognitive dissonance is typically experienced as psychological stress when a person participates in an action that goes against one or more of those things.
In the context of marketing, cognitive dissonance, or post-purchase dissonance, is an internal conflict that customers can experience or feel when their differing beliefs and opinions run into each other. This mental discomfort is felt when beliefs clash with contradictory information. This is a common phenomenon experienced by everyone to varying degrees and at diverse stress levels whenever a product is purchased.
This inconsistency in perceptions between what customers believe and how they react motivates them to engage in actions that help minimise the feeling of uneasiness. Customers react in different ways, such as rejecting, postponing, explaining, and avoiding new information to combat dissonance.
To make the concept easier to understand, let us explore a simple example. A customer who purchases a refrigerator after paying the full amount to the vendor soon after the purchase inadvertently finds out that there is a similar product at a lower price from another company. He has no room to return the first purchase or request a refund. Hence, automatically, he regrets his action and subjects himself to mental stress. This is cognitive dissonance.
Reducing or eliminating post-purchase dissonance in customers is one of the most common issues faced by marketing organisations throughout the world. Cognitive dissonance can pressurise a customer to express dissatisfaction openly or even return the item purchased.
Unless managed properly, they will never return to the seller for a repeat purchase. In reality, post-purchase dissonance plays one of the most important tasks in deciding whether the customer will ever come back again to the seller.
Overpaying
There are many reasons for post-purchase dissonance that leave customers unsatisfied, uneasy, or even scared about a purchase. Here are some of them; the customer may feel that he has overpaid for the product.
He might also feel that there might be competitors who can offer a similar product at a lower price, or the competitor may have offered better features. Also, the customer may think that there is a disparity between the prior evaluation and their final purchase.
There is a clear threshold for the customer to reach the level of post-purchase dissonance that has three distinct levels. First is the tolerance level where the customer is satisfied with what they have purchased and does not experience contradictory feelings.
The second level is that they reach the inconsistency stage, where they are in a dilemma about whether the right buying decision was made. The third is when the customer regrets the purchase and feels distressed.
It is important for marketeers to realise that the customer journey does not end at the time of purchase. In particular, with today’ sophisticated information flow, customers are more informed about their options in buying products or services. Hence, marketers presently opt to engage their customers with post-purchase communications, apart from the customary after-sales service in order to influence their feelings.
Post-purchase care
Constant and continuous tracking of customers’ orders, technical support, returns, replacements, and refunds are some of the aspects marketers consider to combat cognitive dissonance.
The timely deployment of any of these actions can influence the mental imbalance a customer may experience after buying a product. A customer who accepts and is impressed by the post-purchase care is more likely to ignore the disappointments at the initial stages and continue to remain with the brand or company.
What are the causes of post-purchase cognitive dissonance? External pressure is one of the major reasons, particularly from people who are close. Opinions, comments, or ideas of others can put a customer in an uncomfortable situation.
Even the advice sought before the purchase can go awry in a post-purchase situation when contradictory choices are offered by peer groups. Most often, the customer has no option other than to go on with what was purchased. This situation can produce immense mental discomfort.
Another reason for post-purchase dissonance is the availability of a wide variety of alternative preferences to pick and choose from. No matter how deeply the customer digs in before the purchase, there are always other options if he or she analyses further. Even if the purchase is made after an evaluation, psychologically, customers may think back and re-analyse whether they have made the best decision. Impulsive buying is another extremely common situation that triggers cognitive dissonance. Almost everyone experiences it continuously throughout their lifetime. People frequently purchase things at face value, without going through the competitive information and regret it later.
The perception that surfaces on the parameters of the quality of the product exposes customers to post-purchase stress tremendously. For example, if a customer orders a product through an online platform based on the images and the limited details available on the website, they may later find out that the product does not match the expected standards. This situation can create trauma as the purchase has already been made. This frequently takes place in e-commerce transactions.
Successful marketeers adopt various strategies to counter cognitive dissonance and consider that a high priority. Correct strategies and timely interventions can boost the retention rate of an organisation. With the knowledge of key causes of post-purchase dissonance, the marketer can formulate an effective and efficient action plan.
A major cause of post-purchase stress among customers stems from the quality of the products.
Therefore, companies must pay undivided attention to product quality, durability, features, and uniqueness of the products introduced to the market.
A good approach is to adopt the concept of “under-promise, over-deliver,” where the expectations of the customers are fulfilled to their satisfaction. If the anticipated overall quality falls short, the internal conflict begins, placing the customer in a distressing situation.
Keeping the customer in the loop after a deal is closed is an immensely important task for a marketeer. Customarily, the real relationship with the customer begins with the close of a sale. Acting immediately after a sale to provide a delightful post-purchase experience can be an extremely effective way to begin a long and lasting relationship.
Crucial tool
Post-purchase communication with customers is a crucial tool in keeping a healthy business relationship with them. Marketing organisations use SMS notifications, follow-up telephone calls, e-mail thank you notes, and any other similar communication methods. Although communicating on a personal basis with many customers may seem expensive due to the physical costs, this can provide definitively positive results in the long run. Even when a customer is dissatisfied with the purchased product, constant communication by the seller can reduce post-purchase dissonance to a great extent.
A customer who has second thoughts about a purchase can have a dreadful negative impact on an organisation. It is a sign that all the techniques used to build a customer relationship go to waste. By being with the customer throughout the buying process and providing excellent post-purchase service, companies can successfully rectify cognitive dissonance.
Post-purchase distress or post-purchase cognitive dissonance can be complicated in a psychological context, yet it can be mitigated through a proper evaluation of pre and post-purchase consumer behaviour. It also plays a major role in value judgments, decisions, and evaluations. The marketeer’s ability to make more accurate decisions can be improved hugely by becoming aware of how conflicting beliefs impact the success of an organisation.