Value Consonance by Secret-Keeping Shoppers

When your shopper is thinking about a secret they’re keeping from you, they become more likely to later regret purchases they make from you. The Lingnan University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University researchers who documented this tendency say that secret-keeping conflicts with the commonly held value of authenticity; the dissonance spreads into the purchase decision; and consumers regret inauthentic decisions.
     Other studies in the set found this is somewhat less likely when the customer considers a purchase decision as not due to their own personal values, such as when buying a gift for someone else. Another qualifier is that the studies show the effect occurs only when the secret is being held at the same time the purchase is being made. And there are circumstances in which the secret is about what’s being purchased, so the secret is being withheld from other people, not from the seller.
     However, when holding a secret does lead to the customer regretting a purchase, the results could readily include increased brand switching, along with decreases in repeat visits and word-of-mouth recommendations.
     The researchers propose that sellers encourage buyers to follow their true selves in making purchase decisions, such as by giving them messages like, “Unlock your true potential as you shop for your ring.” I’ll add that you could help a shopper recognize their values by asking them their reasons for selecting certain items over others.
     It’s best not to ask the questions in a “Why?” format. Many consumer decisions are made intuitively or are based on emotion. When asked, “Why did you make that choice?” some consumers get defensive, thinking you’re ridiculing their judgment.
     You’re likely to get better results and avoid jeopardizing the sale if you use a phrasing that assumes the shopper is making a sound decision: “What is important to you when choosing a product like this?” or “In what ways do you find this one to be better than the other possibilities?”
     A less conventional approach to the issue is suggested by Washington State University, Ryerson University, and Canada’s Western University researchers: They showed how post-purchase regret for all sorts of reasons is reduced if the store thermostat is lowered. When people experience regret, they perceive their bodies becoming somewhat warmer. It’s related to blushing we experience if ashamed or self-conscious. The physical and psychological discomfort are eased when we’re cooled down.

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