Assignment 15A-Figuring Out Buyer Behavior Pt.2

Chelsea, college student, 22

            I began by asking Chelsea if she has ever needed an alternative to the vape product she currently uses and if so how she went about finding another product to fit her needs. She responded that she normally would go to a local smoke shop and compare the different products and their prices. She also said her best source of information other than the internet is the smoke shop worker who helped her make an informative decision and answered any questions that she couldn’t find answers to online. I asked her what is the most important factor when it comes to making a decision price or quality and she said that if the quality is a lot better and the price isn’t outrageous she’s going to go with quality but she did admit that the majority of the time price is a deciding factor. Being a college student, she doesn’t have money to just blow on trivial items so for her price is most important then quality but she also said that popularity plays a factor too. Chelsea also mentioned that she liked going in person to make a purchase so she can see the product as well as other similar ones before making a decision not to mention she lives relatively close to a smoke shop. I asked her how she knows she made the right purchase and she said that this is something she usually knows as she is buying it because she has done her research and by the time she is buying a product she knows she has made the right decision.

Derrick, college student, 19

            Derrick began by explaining that he has lost his JUUL a couple of times so he had to decide to either just replace it and buy a new one or buy a vape product from a different company. I asked him what his process for learning was about other vape products and he said that he mostly looked online but also when to the smoke shop to ask more questions and get more information in person. I asked which method he preferred, and he said that in person was better because he was able to see the products and also get more information about them. Derrick said he wasn’t opposed to buying online but its just easier and more convenient to go in person. Also buying in person allowed him to see all the products and compare models before making a final purchase. When I asked him what was the most important factor when choosing an alternative he said price is probably most important but also quality because this can affect taste too while vaping. I also asked Derrick how he knows he made the “right” purchase and he said that this is something he usually figures out a couple days after the purchase and this let’s him know if he will every buy the product again.

Thomas, college student, 19

            I asked Thomas to explain his research process when considering buying an alternative product and he said that he does the majority of his research online looking at YouTube video reviews of products and just Googling products. But when it comes time to make an actual purchase, he goes in person just because its quicker and cheaper than waiting 5-7 days for a product and paying for shipping. The factor most important to Derrick is quality because he said he’d rather have a product that is dependable and reliable that costs a few extra bucks than one that is cheap and he has to replace every few weeks. I asked him how he knows he made a good purchase and like Chelsea he said this is something he knows before even buying the product. Thomas said his mind is usually made up after he has done his research.

            Looking back on the interviews I conducted I was surprised that many people prefer doing their research on a product in person. Being able to see the product and compare it to others proved to be a very important aspect for potential customers.  And that these interactions during the research stage are pivotal in their decisions because as seen multiple people from my interviews had their minds made about their potential purchase by the end of doing all their research not after buying it. Another key aspect that I learned about in these interviews was that man younger people rely heavily on product reviews to help them decide which product to buy and videos like these could ultimately end up swaying their decision.