Largely unexplored, a free service trial may be defined as an offer to the consumer to
experience, at no monetary cost, all or part of a core, augmented or facilitating service
from a provider that the consumer does not currently use. Free service trials are worth
studying for two reasons. First they are one of the important examples of inequitable
exchange between supplier and purchaser – one that is likely to lead to a sense of
obligation among those who adopt the trial offer. Second, they are a very common
promotional device. This paper proposes that free service trials are more problematic than
tangible product trials. The value of what is offered may be limited by time, the scope of
trial, or because only a partial, facilitating or augmented service is offered. Judgments
about the perceived value of the complete service in its paid form will also contribute to
the evaluation of the trial offer. In deciding whether they accept the trial, the paper
proposes that consumers make attributions about the motives of the service trial provider
and the consumer’s consequent obligations if they accept it. Obligations are likely to be
felt more acutely where the trial is interpersonal (e.g. a facial massage) rather than
impersonal (e.g. anti-virus service). Such evaluations are also likely to be affected by past
experience with the service category, consumer skepticism and personal norms of
reciprocity. A program of research is proposed which would systematically examine the
consumers’ evaluations of free trial offers. |