The effect of pre- and post-service performance on consumer evaluation of online retailers

This study examines the effect of consumers' pre- and post-service encounter performance (SEP) on their satisfaction and repurchase intention in online markets. Specifically, we suggest that, in an online context, the different service performances: pre- and post-Service over time, affects consumer evaluation (i.e., overall satisfaction and repurchase intention) of a vendor. We introduce the experience–dissonance process in this research by integrating cognitive consistency theory as well as expectation–confirmation theory in order to investigate the consumer satisfaction formation processes in online transactions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

► Online consumers perceive service encounter performance (SEP) in two different stages, when evaluating their satisfaction.
► When dissonance between pre- and post-SEP exists, the degree of consumer satisfaction was affected by the level of dissonance.
► Consumers tend to focus on post-SEP to justify their vendor choice.
► Consumers tend to focus on post-SEP to adjust their evaluation, based upon the recency effect.