Customer dissatisfaction as a negative purchase experience -results of a pilot study

Purpose: The principal objective of this paper is to present the findings of a preliminary study into the phenomenon of negative purchase experiences. The objective of the pilot study was to identify issues and research areas that could be exploited in future research. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a survey-based approach. Respondents were asked about their experiences with failed purchases, reasons for those purchases and the emotions they felt afterward. The data was processed using descriptive statistics and content analysis of open-ended questions. Findings: The most commonly experienced and strongly rated emotions after an unsatisfactory purchase were disappointment and dissatisfaction. In a large number of cases these feelings were primarily related to the attractive or promotional price of the product. Most respondents did not remain passive after a failed purchase (only 10.9% did not take any action) and drew conclusions from negative shopping experiences. Research limitations: Since it is a pilot study, the main limitation of it is the small sample size and insufficiently in-depth analysis of qualitative data. Practical implications: Future research should be focused on the strongest negative purchasing experiences: disappointment and dissatisfaction and address what actions customers take or should take to avoid these experiences. An interesting topic for investigation is relationship between an attractive price and level of dissatisfaction. Originality/value: The paper is based on own surveys and data analyses.