Why do dissatisfied consumers remain loyal? The role of switching barriers in online shopping

TL;DR: Switching barriers in online shopping prevent dissatisfied consumers from switching brands.

Abstract: The existence of e-commerce has two sides of the coin for marketers. E-commerce can be very effective in marketing products or services. On the other hand, it also makes it easier for consumers to switch their choice to competing brands due to the ease of features in comparing prices and quality. Therefore, maintaining consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the online shopping experience is very important for companies to retain their consumers. This study explores the relationship between dissatisfaction and switching behavior in e-commerce. The research was conducted qualitatively using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) to achieve this goal. Informants in this study were consumers who experienced dissatisfaction when making online purchases in the last six months. The results show that even though consumers experience dissatisfaction, they persist in not switching behavior. The existence of switching barriers in online shopping in the form of ease of use of technology, time efficiency, convenience, and variety seeking are why consumers continue using e-commerce platforms even though they have experienced disappointing services.