Evaluating Your Customers Evaluate Staff

1) Find three people who would fit that segment and arrange to interview them. Just like last time, these interviews, if conducted properly, should take about 10-15 minutes. Any less, and you won't be able to obtain adequate information. These three people may NOT be the same people you interviewed last time. 

1. Phillip Stekol

2. Aviv Asoulin 

3. Jared Beas

3) 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?

Philip

When buying a product, what do you look at first?

I look at how the product looks and if it is up to standard. 

So, would you say style and quality matters to you?

Yes, they both matter to me. However, I also think about how often I would use the product and if it is just a meaningless purchase.

What would you categorize as meaningless purposes?

If we look at shoes, you can purchase a multitude of black style shoes. However, if you already have a nice black dress shoe, there is no need to buy another just because it looks a little different. 

Does price matter to you?

Sometimes the price matters. I don't normally step out of my comfort zone but I wouldn't say that it necessarily matters to me. I don't even consider products that are too expensive. If I needed the product and it is expensive, then I would think it over. Products such as the iPhone, are always going to be expensive. However, that is a purchase I would follow through with. I take technology seriously. When it comes to fashion, it doesn't matter as much to me. 

Aviv

When buying a product, what do you look at first? 

I check the price tag. I like to stick to a budget. 

How often do you find yourself going outside of your budget? 

Very rarely. It is only on a need basis. For instance, If I need to purchase textbooks for a class, then I would buy the textbook. With that being said, I check Amazon for the cheaper selection. 

Do you look at the style of a product before buying?

Of course! I like to think of myself as a baller on a budget. I still value style, but I don't want to break the bank for clothes or to own the sleekest technology. Sometimes, I even DIY some of my household products. I consider myself pretty savvy. 

Does quality matter to you? And would you consider DIY high-quality products? 

When I do purchase an item, I want the quality to last me for however long it serves its purpose. My DIY inventions have outlasted some of the products I have purchased. So, I would say that DIY can be high-quality. 

Jared

When buying a product, what do you look at first? 

I check out the price tag. I find myself wanting to spend more than I have, so I have to cut myself off. 

Would you say you have had previous problems purchasing products out of your price range?

Yes. Far too often. 

If price didn't matter, what would you look for in a product? 

I am definitely a style type of guy. I like to look nice and I like to have my products working to the best of their ability. 

Do style and quality go hand-in-hand for you?

Yes. From my experience, normally the better looking a product is, the better quality it is. Also, the price comes in effect with style and quality, too. You get what you pay for. 

4) 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? 

Philip

Do you often buy items in a store or online? Do you like to use your credit card, debit or cash? Do you consult with anyone before buying a product?

It depends on what I buy. If I buy groceries, then I go to a store. If I buy technology, I like to go to the store and check it out in person, but I end up getting a better deal online. I just purchased a bulk amount of ramen on Amazon, so you can practically get anything online. I do like to go to the store to purchase my clothing. Normally, I charge it to my debit card. If I need consulting, I ask a friend. I don't normally need consulting, though. 

Aviv

Do you often buy items in a store or online? Do you like to use your credit card, debit or cash? Do you consult with anyone before buying a product?

I try to be very conscious of my purchases. I find myself looking at products in person before searching online. I can't remember the last time I bought something other than textbooks online. I don't own a credit card, so I use my debit. I don't consult with anyone before purchasing a product. 

Jared

Do you often buy items in a store or online? Do you like to use your credit card, debit or cash? Do you consult with anyone before buying a product?

I love to buy things online. You can get items for such a good deal if you do the research! I honestly rotate between my debit and credit card. Whichever account has money for me to spend. I like to get my friends opinions on the items before I buy them. I tend to not make smart purchases, so its good to get a second opinion. 

5) 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? 

Philip

Philip likes to look at style to justify the rightness of the purchase. I think he likes to feel good when he buys a product, so style matters the most. He is conscious of the price, but its not a huge issue. 

Aviv

Aviv is very money conscious. He likes to do DIY and find deals before making purchases. Money-smart decisions helps the rightness of his purchases. If the purchase is too pricey, Aviv will more than likely not purchase. 

Jared

Jared loves to spend his money. He values style and quality. It seems like he might have an issue saving his money from my findings. It might not matter to him if the product is too expensive, at least until he has no more money. 

6) Report the findings. Simply summarize your interviews. 

7) 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? 

I enjoyed learning the different types of views, methods and ideas that people have when buying a product. People go through a decision making process when it comes to spending any type of money on a product, as they should. However, different people value different aspects of the product more before they purchase.