Online shopping delivery delay: Finding a psychological recovery strategy by online consumer experiences

Abstract

We propose a new type of psychological recovery strategy (i.e., online consumer experiences, OCEs) for online shopping delivery delay. We developed 4 types of OCEs based on the interactivity concept (low machine interactivity with low person interactivity, MIL–PIL; high machine interactivity with low person interactivity, MIH–PIL; low machine interactivity with high person interactivity, MIL–PIH, and high machine interactivity with high person interactivity, MIH–PIH). We conducted 2 studies, and 1078 online shoppers participated in this study. The results indicate that when consumers meet a delivery delay, proving them with OCEs could increase satisfaction and reduce complaint intention. Cognitive dissonance (CD) from inconsistency between OCEs and direct experience also moderates OCEs effects on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and complaint intention. Finally, desire for control (DC) and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII) moderate the OCEs effects on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and complaint intention: consumers with low DC and low CSII prefer MIL–PIL; consumers with high DC and low CSII prefer MIH–PIL, consumers with low DC and high CSII prefer MIL–PIH, and consumers with high DC and high CSII prefer MIH–PIH.