Column 9 · Satisfaction and Loyalty · Era 1, Foundations (to 1969)
Early Satisfaction
Outputs: performance · Major · Cluster IV, Customer and Brand Assets
Description
Cardozo's experiment showed that customer satisfaction depends not only on the product but on the effort expended to obtain it and the expectations held, opening the study of satisfaction as a construct shaped by the buying experience.
Managerial Implications
Satisfaction depends on expectations as much as on performance, and effort invested by the customer raises what they expect. Manage expectations explicitly: overpromising in sales and advertising creates dissatisfaction even when the product performs well. Measure satisfaction relative to what was promised, and treat the gap between promise and delivery, not the absolute quality level, as the number to manage.