Begin
with alternative evaluation. In the
last case exercise, you determined how customers sought information related to
solving their need. The outcome of this step is to produce a set of
alternatives. Customers pick from among this set of alternatives. In this step,
your job is to figure out how they do their picking. Does price matter the
most? Does quality? Does style? Is there more than one factor that is important
to your customer segment?
Price does matter to consumers. Every customer that I
interviewed, college students aged 18-23, said that price is as important as
quality. Oftentimes, it seems that young people will be hesitant to buy
products through the internet without having research done prior to the
purchase. Style is also important. Customers want to be able to buy things in
different colors, styles, cuts, etc. Not having variety seems to be a catalyst
to a purchase decision for some. It also seems to prevent a purchase from
happening too.
How/where
do they buy? Elements of
the actual transaction can help characterize your segment. Is your segment
more likely to buy online or in a store? Are they more likely to use cash or
will they finance the purchase? Etc. If this is a B2B purchase, who's involved
in the purchase decision?
They more than willing to use the internet to buy what they
need. Customers like the customer service that a store offers. However if
customer service is bad, it totally makes the purchasing experience terrible
for the customer and they'll be less likely to come back to even make a return
it seems.
Post-purchase evaluation. What matters most to your customers
when they think back on the 'rightness' of the purchase? What helps them
determine the purchase was a good idea? What sorts of things make them think a
purchase was a bad idea?
Customers like the longevity of their
products. Many people fear that their online purchases will stop working or
break down after buying it. And for a few customers, it's a hassle to return
those products. People want shipping labels or boxes or other packing materials
that makes easier for consumers to return things through using a receipt and/or
a warranty.
Report the findings. Simply summarize your
interviews.
Customer #1 said that she really values the independent
feeling she has when she buys products and service. She likes using the
Internet to buy the things that she wants and needs. For bulky and important
items, she keeps her warranty labels and purchase receipts to keep track of her
spending. She won't buy much without doing research on the web.
Customer #2 likes variety. He likes many colors, and he
wears many of them through his fashion. He likes products with different styles
and variations no matter what they are. It seemed that buying for him is
therapeutic. He does research and purchases most of his items through the
internet.
Customer #3 really appreciates customer service. He hates
spending money so he keeps a tight budget. He looks to family and friends for
research on products, and he also looks to them to help him evaluate if he made
the right purchase or not. He likes to buy from specific brands; he claims a
loyalty to Nike for athletic products. He doesn't keep many receipts, but he
keeps warranties for electronic products.
Draw conclusions. Based on what you know about this
segment and what you learned in your interviews, how would you succinctly
describe this segment in terms of alternative evaluation, purchase decision,
and post-purchase evaluation?
Customers buy products to suit their needs within a
specific timeframe. And in this day, many people seem to have less and less
time - but that won't stop them from evaluating all of their options. Modern
consumers prefer the internet for product/service research and will look to
their personal communities to help them evaluate if their decision was right or
not. Customers who are frequent shoppers seem to have a habit of holding onto
receipts, so they also look for internet stores to provide great customer
service.
