C / D paradigm

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The C / D paradigm (Confirmation / Disconfirmation Paradigm ) describes in a process-like scheme the development of customer satisfaction .

Originally created in the 1980s, it is still widely recognized and used in customer satisfaction research .

Components of the C / D paradigm

Target component

At the beginning of the C / D paradigm is the target component. It represents the customer's expectations that arise from certain norms and minimum standards that are important to the customer. These depend, among other things, on the customer's individual factors, such as values, emotions, intelligence, culture, social background, financial situation, etc. In addition, there are previous experiences with a provider or reviews from other customers or friends. In most cases, the customer also consults the provider they consider “best” or whom they prefer for comparison. Overall, these expectations describe which requirements the provider should meet for the customer. In addition to expectations of the product, most customers have other expectations, e.g. B. expert advice, friendly staff or availability of customer service. The target component is the reference point for the customer to later assess a product or service.

Actual component

The actual component describes the performance of a product or service. A distinction can be made between two types of service. On the one hand, the objective performance, which does not vary from customer to customer as it corresponds to the actual performance. On the other hand, the subjective performance, which is based on the individual perception of the customer and comes about through the different human needs. With the C / D paradigm, only the subjective performance is important, as only this later allows conclusions to be drawn about the satisfaction of the customer. The customer judges the performance based on experience, i. H. through the use or consumption of a product or the use of a service. Only with the help of this experience can the customer find out whether his expectations have been met. The actual component can be distorted:

  • the customer can, for example, change his product perception in such a way that it is more in line with his expectations (assimilation theory).
  • the customer can overreact: he rates the product or service in his perception even worse than it actually is (contrast theory).

Some customers react partly according to assimilation theory (e.g. with small differences between performance and expectation) and partly according to contrast theory (e.g. with large differences). (Assimilation-contrast theory). These subsequent changes make it difficult to precisely define the target component; they influence the later target / actual comparison and the assessment of customer satisfaction.

Target / actual comparison and customer satisfaction

The central component of the C / D paradigm is the comparison of target and actual components. It shows whether the customer's expectations have been met or not. Depending on the result, the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the customer can then be derived. If the perceived performance corresponds to the customer's expectations (target = actual), one speaks of confirmation. This is also referred to as stabilizing customer satisfaction, as the customer is satisfied and his expectations are likely to be maintained. Some individuals seek utility maximization ; for others it is enough to achieve a certain level of benefit (" satisficing "). In the past, the thesis was sometimes put forward that companies should (always) try to exceed the expectations of their customers, in particular in order to secure and possibly expand the business relationship. Today (2016) the question is more whether it pays off for a company to invest in a measure for customer satisfaction and which measure (s) are most efficient.

If the target and actual components do not match, this is a disconfirmation. A positive disconfirmation occurs when the performance exceeds the customer's expectations. Here, however, it is understandable that the level of satisfaction is significantly higher. One speaks now of progressive customer satisfaction, since the customer will have higher expectations in the future due to the exceeded expectations. So customer satisfaction is a constantly evolving and never finally achievable goal. If the performance remains below expectations, this is called negative disconfirmation and the customer is dissatisfied. This does not automatically lead to a loss of the business relationship. The customer could also switch to another product from the same provider. On the other hand, it is also possible that the customer passes on his negative experience, for example through negative word of mouth, and so other customers also switch providers.

literature

Footnotes

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Kathrin Bösener; Customer satisfaction, customer enthusiasm and customer price behavior ; Springer Gabler 2015; Pp. 14-19
  2. ↑ a b Marc-Oliver Kaiser; Success factor customer satisfaction, dimensions and measurement options ; Erich Schmidt Verlag 2005; Pp. 51-56
  3. ↑ a b c d e Kurt Scharnbacher, Guido Kiefer; Customer satisfaction. Analysis measurability certification ; Oldenbourg 2003; Pp. 7-13
  4. ^ Hermann Simon, Christian Homburg; Customer satisfaction, concepts, methods, experiences ; Gabler Verlag, 2nd edition 1997; P. 41
  5. ↑ Christian Homburg / Matthias Bucerius: Customer satisfaction as a management challenge , p. 55 (pdf)
  6. ↑ Preface to the 9th edition (pdf), table of contents (pdf)