Expectation-disconfirmation
Satisfaction depends on performance relative to what was promised, so beating a modest promise satisfies more than missing an ambitious one.
Five of the eight page areas.
It also applies sitewide, on every page. See everything at work on Post-purchase pages
Three ways to use it, and two to avoid.
- Quote a conservative delivery estimate and arrive early.
- Keep imagery and “what to expect” emails to promises the operation can beat.
- Audit the promises that are routinely missed.
- Avoid: promising faster delivery without changing real speed, which raised sales in a field experiment but also raised returns and cut retention.
- Avoid: inaccurate delivery claims: misleading delivery times are an unfair commercial practice.
Satisfaction depends on the promise. Promising faster delivery raised sales but cut retention.
Promising faster delivery at the same real speed raised sales, but also raised returns and cut retention.
Schiebler and colleagues' meta-analysis of 168 studies (N = 58,597) found satisfaction tracked disconfirmation closely, though higher expectations also went with higher satisfaction. In a field experiment by Cui and colleagues, promising delivery a day sooner at the same real speed raised sales slightly but also raised returns and cut retention.
Three sources, each checked.
Last reviewed
Delivery claims must be accurate; misleading delivery times are an unfair commercial practice.
This is simply a pointer to check, not legal advice. Seek legal advice before you put this principle into action.