Surprise... Surprise..., an Empirical Investigation on How Surprise is Connected to Customer Satisfaction

Abstract

This research investigates the specific influence of the emotion of surprise on customer transaction-specific satisfaction. Four empirical studies-two field studies (a diary study and a cross section survey) and two experiments-were conducted. The results show that surprise positively [negatively] influences satisfaction directly and indirectly (via the amplification of positive [negative] emotions), even when disconfirmation is taken into account in the model. The amplification property of surprise and the How-do-I-feel-about-it? heuristic are believed to explain this influence. Some results also show that surprised customers display higher levels of satisfaction and dissatisfaction than non surprised customers.

Keywords: surprise, satisfaction, disconfirmation, delight, experiment

JEL Classification: M, M31, C44, M39, D12