COMMON PROBLEMS

MET BY THE
CONSUMERS
1. Problem or Need Recognition
The first step of the buyer decision process is
the need recognition stage. Here the consumer
recognizes a need or problem and feels a
difference between the actual state and some
desired state. They try to find goods to satisfy
such needs.
At this stage, the marketer should study the buyer to find
answers to some important questions. These are:
●What kinds of needs or problems arise?
●What is the root of these needs or problems?
●How they led the buyer or customer or consumers to a particular
product?
This could be a simple as “I’m hungry; I need food.”

The need may have been triggered by internal stimuli (such

as hunger or thirst) or external stimuli (such as advertising
or word of mouth).
Need or Problem Recognition Process
 When a consumer becomes aware that there is a difference between the
desired state and an actual condition, problem recognition occurs. Every
individual has unsatisfied needs and wants that create tension or discomfort.

 Certain needs can be satisfied by purchasing and consuming goods and

services. Deciding what to buy starts when a need that can be satisfied
through consumption becomes strong enough to stimulate a person.
 Situations Leading to Problem Recognition

 There could be many situations that may lead a consumer to recognize a problem to exist.
Major situations leading to problem recognition are;

 Insufficient Stock of Goods

 Dissatisfaction or Discontentment with the Stock
 Changes in the Environmental Characteristics
 Changes in the Financial Status
 Promotional Activities
 Consumer’s Previous Decisions
 Individual Development
 Efforts of Consumer Groups and Governmental Agencies
●Insufficient Stock of Goods

The most common situation leading to problem

recognition by a consumer is the depletion of the stock
of goods that he uses. If, for example, an individual
runs out of necessities that he uses, he will identify a
problem to exist.
●Dissatisfaction or Discontentment with the Stock

If a consumer becomes dissatisfied with the goods he owns or

uses, he will recognize that he is having a problem.

A family having a ten year’s old car may be willing to buy a late
model car. Such a feeling will lead to discontent, and as a result,
the family will recognize a car-related problem.
● Changes in the Environmental Characteristics

With the change in an individual’s or family’s environmental

characteristics, the individual or the family may recognize a
problem.

For example, when a family moves from one stage of its life
cycle to another stage, it requires different types of products and
services, and as a result, problems occur.
● Changes in the Financial Status

Changes in the financial status or position of an individual or a family

may also lead to problem recognition.

For example, if an individual’s financial position improves or worsens or

anticipates an improvement or deterioration, he may recognize a problem
associated with his actual or anticipated changing financial position.
● Promotional Activities
By promotional activities, marketers try to trigger
drives in consumers. Through different promotional
activities, marketers try to create a discrepancy between
actual and desired states of consumers. Such a situation
will trigger problem recognition in consumers.
● Consumer’s Previous Decisions

Other purchases made by a consumer may also lead to problem

recognition.

For example, if an individual buys a television, it may trigger

buying an antenna or a voltage stabilizer. The purchase of a
computer may lead to the recognition of the problem of not
having a printer.
Individual Development

With an individual’s mental development and change

in outlook, he may recognize not having certain
products.
Efforts of Consumer Groups and Governmental
Agencies
Activities of different consumer interest groups and
different government agencies may also lead to
problem recognition. For example, if 
consumer groups advocate environmentally friendly pr
oducts
, they may feel the need for such products creating
problems.
If the government puts an embargo on using private
● Availability of Products

The availability of a product makes customers aware of

it, making them feel to have one of those. Such a
feeling may also lead to problem recognition.
2. Information Search
The second stage of the purchasing process is searching for information. Once the
need is recognized, the consumer is aroused to seek more information and moves
into the information search stage.

The consumer may have heightened attention or may undertake an active search
for information. The amount of searching a consumer will depend on the strength
of his drive, the amount of information he starts with, the ease of obtaining more
information, the value he places on additional information, and the satisfaction he
gets from searching.
Buyers or customers can get information about goods
from different sources.
Personal sources: This includes family, friends, neighbors, acquaintance, etc.

Commercial source: This includes advertising, salespeople, dealers, packaging, display, etc.

Public sources: This includes mass media, consumer rating organizations, etc. they also become
confidential to provide information.

Experimental sources: This includes handling, examining, using, etc. Such information
becomes decisive and confidential.
 Forexample, doctors normally learn new drugs from commercial
sources but turn to other doctors for evaluative information.

 The consumer’s awareness and knowledge of the available brands

and features increase as they get more information. In designing the
marketing mix, a company should make the target customers aware
of its brand. Buyers’ sources of information should be carefully
identified, and the importance of each source should also be
assessed.
 Nature of Consumer’s Information Search

 Consumers arrive at purchase decisions based on information gathered regarding

the product under consideration. They collect information from many different
sources.

 The effort, a consumer, will put into collecting information from external sources
depends on several factors. Once information is gathered, the consumer evaluates
them to arrive at the purchase decision.

 Understanding how consumers evaluate alternatives is essential from a marketing

point of view.
 The second step in the buying decision-making process is obtaining
purchasing related information to solve the buyer’s problem. Once the
consumer is aware of a problem or need, the consumer (if he decides
to continue the decision-making process) searches for information.

 Such a search may focus on numerous dimensions, such as brands’

availability, product features, sellers’ characteristics, after-sales
service, warranties, prices, quality, and use instructions.
3. Evaluation of Alternatives
With the information in hand, the consumer proceeds to
alternative evaluation, during which the information is used
to evaluate” brands in the choice set.

Evaluation of alternatives is the third stage of the buying

process. Various points of information collected from
different sources are used in evaluating different alternatives
and their attractiveness.
Consumer evaluation processes can be
explained with the help of some basic
concepts.
 First, it is assumed that each consumer sees a product as a bundle of product attributes. For
refrigerators, product attributes might include cooling capacity, size, space, price, and other
features. Buyers will pay more attention to those attributes relevant to their needs.
 Second, the importance of depending upon their needs and wants.
 Third, the consumer will develop a set of brand beliefs about where each brand stands on each
attribute. The set of beliefs buyers hold about a particular brand is called brand image. Based
on the buyer’s experience and the effects of selective perception, distortion, and retention, the
consumers’ beliefs may differ from actual attributes.
 Fourth, the consumer’s expected total product satisfaction will vary with the changes at the
levels of different attributes.
 Fifth, the consumer develops attitudes toward the different brands through some evaluation
procedure. Buyers use one or more of several evaluation procedures, depending on the
consumer and the buying decision.
 Sometimes consumers themselves make buying decisions. At other
times they rely on friends, consumer guides, or salespeople for
buying advice. Marketers should study buyers to know how they
evaluate brand alternatives.

 Marketers
can take appropriate steps to influence the buyer’s decision
to know what the buyers follow evaluative processes.
 The relative influence of these information sources varies with the
product and the buyer. Generally, the consumer receives the most
information about a product from commercial sources-those
controlled by the marketer.

 Themost effective sources, however, tend to be personal. Personal

sources appear to be even more important in influencing the
purchase of services. Commercial sources normally inform the
buyer, but personal sources legitimize or evaluate products for the
buyer.
4. PURCHASE DECISION
Purchase decision is the thought process that leads
a consumer from identifying a need, generating
options, and choosing a specific product and
brand. Some purchase decisions are minor, like
buying toothpaste, while other purchases are
major, like buying a house.
 Example of Purchase Decision:

For example, when a consumer is buying a car for the

first time, it's a big decision as it involves high
economic risk. There is a lot of thought on how it
looks, how his friends and family will react, how will
his social status change after buying the car, and so on.
5. POST-PURCHASE EVALUATION
The post-purchase evaluation process is the final stage
in the consumer purchasing process, one that's
sometimes ignored by marketers. After purchasing a
product, a customer will naturally evaluate it by
comparing it and the purchasing process with their
expectations.
What happens during post-purchase
evaluation?
 The post-purchase evaluation process is the final
stage in the consumer purchasing process, one
that's sometimes ignored by marketers. After
purchasing a product, a customer will naturally
evaluate it by comparing it and the purchasing
process with their expectations.