Marketer requests for positive post-purchase satisfaction evaluations: Consumer depth interview findings

The somewhat common practice of marketers asking customers for a positive post-purchase satisfaction evaluation has received very little attention in the marketing, retailing, and services literature. This qualitative study investigates consumer responses to requests for positive post-purchase evaluations using real-life experiences from consumers' actual buying stories. Depth interviews were conducted with 11 consumers who shared 14 buying stories in which each had recently been asked to provide a positive post-purchase evaluation. Interpretation of the buying stories resulted in six themes. Each of the themes is discussed with illustrative excerpts. Finally, the implications of the findings for marketers requesting positive post-purchase evaluations are discussed along with the broader concerns highlighted by the findings relative to consumer distrust of marketers in general.