How Are Negative Customer Experiences Formed? A Qualitative Study of Customers’ Online Shopping Journeys

Abstract

This study investigates how negative customer experiences are formed during customers’ online shopping journeys. A qualitative, in-depth dataset collected from 34 participants was employed to identify negatively perceived touchpoints that contribute to the customer experience in a negative way. The findings reveal that negative touchpoints are experienced during customers’ entire journeys, particularly after a purchase is completed. We identified 152 negative touchpoints from the data, of which 53 were experienced during search and consideration, 35 when finalizing a purchase, 33 during delivery, and 31 during after-sales interactions with the company. Within these four main categories, 20 subthemes describing the touchpoints and formation of customers’ negative experiences were identified therein. The findings highlight the importance of understanding the holistic customer experience formation, including the before- and after-purchase phases of the online shopping journey. In practice, the findings can be utilized in online service design and improvement.