1
BUYING DECISION PROCESS
Group 6
Nishu Shah (22126)
Gaurav Sapkota (22127)
Bindiya Shahukhal (22128)
Prashant Sharma (22129)
Aakriti Shrestha (22130)
The Buying Decision Process: For a Product and Service
Product
Let’s say Harry is thinking of buying a smartphone. The decision making process that he
will go through are discussed below:
1. Problem Recognition- Recognition of problem or need is the first and fundamental step in a
customer's decision-making process. Harry currently owns a Samsung A2 model. In the past few
days he has noticed some issues with the battery problems and he is also running out of storage.
So, he has decided to buy a new smart phone to overcome this problem.
2. Information Search- Now, Harry has started gathering information regarding the smartphones
that are available in the market. He turns to his information sources to learn about factors like
price, features, benefits etc. that will help him make an informed decision. He asks for
recommendations from his friends and families about the phone that they have been using. He also
looks at reviews on YouTube, the companies’ websites and their advertisements. Another element
that will help Harry is the search dynamic.
TOTAL SET
AWARENESS
SET
CONSIDERATION
SET
CHOICE
SET
·
Apple
·
Apple
·
Apple
·
Apple
·
Samsung
·
Samsung
·
Samsung
·
Samsung
·
Huawei
·
Oppo
·
Oppo
·
Oppo
·
OnePlus
·
OnePlus
·
Nokia
DECISION
?
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BUYING DECISION PROCESS
3. Evaluation of Alternatives- He will evaluate various smartphones as per his needs which is
storage and battery for now. After talking with his close friends and family and watching reviews,
he will compare different phones. He will look at storage options available like 64GBs, 128GBs,
256GBs and different battery capacities 4000mAh, 5000mAh and figure out the best option
keeping in mind the price and other extra features along the way.
4. Purchase Decision- The purchasing decision stage of the buying decision process is when the
customer makes a final decision. Here, Harry evaluated all the options available and found that the
best option which suits him is Samsung Galaxy M33 5G with 6000 mAh battery and 128 GB
internal storage available at an affordable price of Rs. 33,999.
5. Post Purchase Behaviour- The last stage of the buying decision process of the smartphone is
post purchase behaviour. Harry is well satisfied with his purchase as Samsung galaxy M33 has all
of the qualities he was looking for. As a previous Samsung user, he feels that this brand has met
his needs and fulfilled his wants. He is also likely to recommend his purchase as well as the brand
to his acquaintances.
Service
The buying decision process fluctuates from time to time because of distinctive customers'
purchasing patterns. When we talk about service, customers are very sensitive in nature and
internal satisfaction matters more than any physical satisfaction.
Let's suppose again, Ron has his birthday and he wanted to throw a party in a nice hotel.
The decision making process that will behind this planning is discussed below:
1. Problem Recognition- Ron wants to throw a grand party for his birthday, similar to another
party his other friend had thrown. He is highly influenced by external stimuli and wants to show
off to his friends. He is seeking to receive the same praise and attention his other friend received
after his party. Thus, it has determined him to avail the service of a luxury hotel.
2. Information Search- After recognition of need or problem, Ron has to identify the selection of
hotels. The information searching process can be understood through sources of information and
search dynamics Information sources: He asked his family members and friends about any hotel which they
know which has good interior decor, music, drinks, themes and delicious food. He also
looked online, visited websites, read magazines, blogs and so forth to gather information
about luxury hotels in Nepal.
 Search Dynamics: The next step in this stage involves search dynamics which has been
grouped in 5 sets: total set, awareness set, consideration set, choice set and finally decision.
Ron’s search dynamics is depicted below:
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BUYING DECISION PROCESS
TOTAL SET
AWARENESS
SET
CONSIDERATION
SET
·
Hayatt ·
Hayatt ·
Dwarika Hotel
Regency
Regency
·
The Soaltee
·
Dwarika ·
Dwarika Kathmandu
Hotel
Hotel
·
Radisson Hotel
·
The ·
The Soaltee
Soaltee
Kathmandu
Kathmandu
·
Radisson
·
Hotel
Kathmandu
·
The
Marriot Hotel
Milestone Hotel
·
Radisson
Hotel
CHOICE
SET
DECISION
·
Dwarika
Hotel
·
The
Soaltee
Kathmandu
?
·
The
Milestone
Hotel
3. Evaluation of Alternatives- Now that he has sufficient information, Ron will evaluate the
hotels on the basis of his beliefs and attitude along with the brand’s belief and will choose the one
that will meet his expectations. He needs to compare and figure out which hotel will be the best
for his birthday party. This is the time he will evaluate each option and will consider each aspect
like the price, facilities, interior decor, music system, and menu and so on.
4. Purchase Decision- He decided to throw his party at The Soaltee Kathmandu as it will meet all
of his expectations and will be a feasible location for all of his friends to attend. He seems to be
quite satisfied with the menu options and believes the party here will be a huge success.
5. Post purchase Behaviour- Post purchase behaviour is the way a customer thinks, feels and
acts after they have bought or used the product or services. If Ron’s party becomes the talk of his
college then he is likely to throw his future parties in the same place. Moreover, his friends who
share a similar attitude will likely to go to The Soaltee Kathmandu to conduct their events.