The three individuals that I chose to interview were from my hometown in Tampa. During spring break, I took advantage of interviewing some restaurants I was a fan of. The restaurants I went to were popular local dine-in restaurants. I interviewed three restaurant owners in my area that fit my selected segment.
All of the restaurant owners said that the most important factors when evaluating their alternatives are price and quality. For two out of the three owners, the price is considered more important since affordable pricing is necessary since there are many expenses to consider when running a restaurant. As small business owners, their budget for extra purchases is quite scarce. However, one of the owners stated that price is relative to the quality. This owner expressed to me that if the quality of the product is satisfactory then the price is usually justifiable.
This segment is most likely to buy online or over the phone with the company. The reasoning behind this decision is to ensure that they can receive the best deals and look at the product's customer reviews and testimonials.
The determining factors for satisfaction when purchasing a product is the feedback received from the employees using it and how often it is being used. My segment believes that the longevity of the product matter when they think back on the “rightness” of the purchase. For one of the owners, if the product is not being used as much as it should be could be a factor that makes it a bad purchase. For the other two owners, if they see that there is none or little improvement on their issue by purchasing the product, that can classify it as a bad purchase.
All the restaurant owners that I interview were intrigued by my apron and shoe cover idea I was explaining to them. All three owners said that they would purchase a product like that online. I asked them if they purchased most of their supplies (like paper, pens, notepads, cleaning products, etc.) online and they all said yes. I predicted that price and quality were the most important factors but it was surprising to see how flexible the importance of the price could be with respect to the quality and overall satisfaction of the product.
Based on the information from my interviews, I would say that my segment is trying to make purchase decisions that are thoughtful and worth their money. In terms of alternative evaluations, purchase decisions, and post-purchase evaluation, I observed that the segment pays a lot of attention to all the phases of the buying behavior process since they do not have a great deal of money to spend on products that are not necessarily needed to run the business.
Hey Isabella! I enjoyed reading your blog post for this assignment. It was well-written and detailed, so it allowed me to better understand the segment you are trying to reach. I thought it was interesting that a post-purchase evaluation factor your interviewees touched upon was how often your product was being used. This was something I also came across during my interviews. In regards to alternative evaluation, my interviewees also felt that price was a significant factor in choosing a product. Overall, great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Isabella,
ReplyDeleteI really liked reading your blog post on the buying process of consumers. I really liked how you keep a focus on interviewing people in your local area so you can get an accurate representation of the market you will be selling into. I also found that all my interviewees viewed price to be a main factor when choosing an alternative. Lastly, I also that found that my interviewees also liked to purchase their products online, which is probably due to convenience. Great job!
Isabella,
ReplyDeleteIt almost always comes down to price when selecting a product or service. I experienced the same things when doing my interviews. But no matter the price, if the quality is not there, eventually the word will get out and people will stop purchasing your product. The quality of the product will address the longevity of the product that seems to be a concern. I thought it interesting that looking at customer reviews was an important factor for at least one potential customer. I use customer reviews when evaluating products to purchase.
Hey Isabella,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post! It was very organized and easy to read. I agree that price and quality are the two most important attributes when buying a product. The restaurant owners are mindful of how they're spending their money and want it to be durable so they don't waste their money and have to keep buying new aprons/covers. It's so great that the owners said that they would purchase your product!
Hey Isabella,
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your post! I also agree that price and quality are two very important aspects for your products. I definitely think buyers will want to know how successful this product will be before they buy and know it has good worth. Great interviews, it looks like you really got down to what customers wanted the most.
Hey Isabella,
ReplyDeleteYour post on consumer buyer process was very thorough and well-written. I like how there is a bit empathy to it as well; you don't just wanna sell a product to restaurants and receive a payment. You actually care about the quality and making it worth their money. I also like your initiative of kind of supporting small businesses.