2.

Types of consumers buying behavior are determined by: Level of Involvement in purchase
decision. Importance and intensity of interest in a product in a particular situation. Buyer’s level
of involvement determines why he/she is motivated to seek information about a certain products
and brands but virtually ignores others. High involvement purchases--Honda Motorbike, high
priced goods, products visible to others, and the higher the risk the higher the involvement.
Types of risk: personal risk, social risk, and economic risk.

The consumer decision process has two parts: the process itself and the factors affecting the
process. There are five steps in the process: problem awareness, information search, evaluation
of alternatives, purchase, and post-purchase behavior. The consumer decision process does not
end with the purchase. After buying a highly priced good or service, a consumer may engage in
post- purchase behavior, which falls into the post purchase category. After using the product, the
consumer compares the level of performance with expectations and is either satisfied or
dissatisfied. Satisfaction occurs when the consumer’s expectations are either met or exceeded;
dissatisfaction results when performance is below expectations. The post purchase evaluation
process is important because the feedback acquired from actual use of a product will influence
the likelihood of future purchases. Positive performance means the brand is likely to be retained
in the evoked set and increases the likelihood it will be purchased again. Unfavorable outcomes
may lead the consumer to form negative attitudes toward the brand, lessening the likelihood it
will be purchased again or even eliminating it from the evoked set.

The latter situation (dissatisfaction) may result from cognitive dissonance. This is the feeling of
psychological tension or post purchase doubt that a consumer experiences after making a
difficult purchase choice. Dissonance is more likely to occur in important decisions where the
consumer must choose among highly priced alternatives (especially if the unchosen alternative
has unique or desirable features that the selected alternative does not have). A consumer may
regret that the purchase was made at all or may wish that another choice had been made.
Consumers experiencing cognitive dissonance may use a number of strategies to attempt to
reduce it. They may seek out reassurance and opinions from others to confirm the wisdom of
their purchase decision, lower their attitudes or opinions of the unchosen alternative, deny or
distort any information that does not support the choice they made, or look for information that
does support their choice.

To overcome cognitive dissonance and dissatisfaction, the marketer must realize that the
decision process does not end with a purchase. After-care (by phone, a service visit, or E-mail)
may be as important as anything a retailer does to complete the sale. When items are expensive
or important, after-care takes on greater significance because the person really wants to be right.
Also, the more alternatives from which to choose, the greater the doubt after a decision is made
and the more important the after-care. Department stores pioneered money-back guarantees so
customers could return items if cognitive dissonance occurred.

Realistic sales presentations and ad campaigns reduce post-sale dissatisfaction because consumer
expectations do not then exceed reality. If overly high expectations are created, a consumer is
more apt to be unhappy because performance is not at the level promised. Combining an honest
sales presentation with good customer after-care reduces or eliminates cognitive dissonance and
dissatisfaction.
An important source of supportive information is the use of personal contacts instead of
advertising as most buyers believe that advertisers stretch the truth about their products in their
advertisements. Marketers can send follow-up letters and brochures to reassure buyers and
reinforce the wisdom of their decision. Many companies have set up toll-free numbers or e-mail
addresses for consumers to call if they need information or have a question or complaint
regarding a product. Some marketers also offer liberalized return and refund policies and
extended warranties and guarantees to ensure customer satisfaction.