Customer gratitude
When customers see a seller investing in them out of goodwill, the gratitude drives reciprocal buying beyond what trust alone explains.
Where it applies
Two of the eight page areas.
HomepageNot typical CategoryNot typical SearchNot typical ProductNot typical CartNot typical CheckoutNot typical Post-purchaseMainly here
It also applies sitewide, on every page. See everything at work on Post-purchase pages
How to use it
Three ways to put it to work.
- Give help that looks discretionary and personal, such as a proactive fix or a free replacement part.
- Follow up soon after with a low-pressure chance to reciprocate.
- Make that chance a review, a referral or a reorder.
What the research found
Gratitude is short-lived, but its effect on sales lasts.
Gratitude is short-lived, but its effect on sales lasts.
Palmatier and colleagues found, in a lab experiment and a longitudinal field study of business customers, that gratitude for a seller’s investment was short-lived but its effect on sales growth lasted. In two store field experiments, Fombelle and colleagues found a gift on entry raised spending, partly through gratitude.
Key research
Two sources, each checked.
Last reviewed