Deck 13: Decision Making Ii: Alternative Evaluation and Choice

Question 1

Consumer Confidence: Preparation Pays Off
Written by Mohan Menon, University of South Alabama
It's time to make a decision on a new car. Maya has been preparing for the moment when she would finally buy her own new car for the first time in her life, but she didn't want to break the news to her family until she got closer to her graduation date. She now feels that she has done her homework and is ready to discuss her choices with her family before making the purchase.
It all started about a year ago, when she was in the last year of medical school. Maya had been thinking about her residency in a city hospital, one that is well known for her specialty, neuroradiology. Along with moving away from home and fitting into the hospital culture, Maya would have to buy a car. Until now, she has been driving an older model Prius that was given to her by her dad, who bought it new. She has liked the car, but wants to upgrade to a new car when she starts her residency. She has never had a new car and believes that the transition in her life the following year would warrant one.
She feels confident in her ability to select a suitable new car. Having grown up in a family that subscribed to Consumer Reports ever since she can remember, she seems well informed about many products, including automobiles. Her parents were careful shoppers. They taught her and her older brother how to save money, spend less, and not to give in to impulses. Moreover, her dad and brother are knowledgeable about cars. Her brother, who has just started his private practice, would be of tremendous help in the process. With his extensive toy car collection from childhood, he has been a car enthusiast and is highly knowledgeable about automobiles.
However, she wanted to go through with the new car-buying process on her own with minimal help. Maya set aside time to do some serious research on cars she was considering. She had a set of basic criteria, such as miles per gallon (MPG) of 40 or more, interior (leather only), body style (4-door), no built-in GPS-Nav system, iPhone/iPad and bluetooth connectivity, ample trunk space, low maintenance, minimum 4-star safety rating, ABS system, electronic displays on the dashboard, smooth handling and ride, manual transmission, and so on. Since she is likely to move to a northern city, having heated seats would be preferable but not a must. She has also heard of other features such as independent suspension and all-wheel-drive options, but is not quite sure how they would benefit her. At that same time Maya was also sure of features or options she did not care for: acceleration/performance, V-6 engine, off-road ability, extended warranty, towing capacity, sun or moon roof, etc. She knew she would never find her ideal car and would have to compromise on a few items along the way.
Even though price was not likely to be a major factor in her decision, she had an upper limit of $35,000 for her car. But Maya is not very familiar with financing options available to her. Also, leaving the nest for the very first time, she knew she would have to buy her own car insurance. Despite her accident-free record, she was concerned about her premiums. Understanding the options with regard to financing and insurance are two areas she might need help with from her family.
Maya was anxious about starting out on her own in a new city, yet when it came to buying her own car for the very first time, she seemed to feel confident. She also had the luxury of time, since she was not planning to buy the car until after her graduation but before leaving for the residency. She found most of the information in magazines and from various websites. She watched very little TV and thus paid scant attention to the car ads. She was more interested in non-biased sources of car information. Even though she sometimes steered family conversations to include cars, she had not informed them of her intent to buy a new car before her residency begins. She would also bring up the topic subtly with her friends, who had a variety of opinions on various makes and models. She wanted to first gather information from trustworthy sources, mull over it, and possibly narrow down her options before seeking some assistance from her family.
She began with positive impressions of the Prius she had been driving and knew she wanted an environmentally friendly vehicle. Given the number of cars that fit the description, she knew she had a long road ahead. But her informal discussions with family and friends helped.
Maya considers herself to be a very logical person and thus was more interested in the functional aspects of the car. Not that she did not care for the look and feel of the car, but they were secondary in nature. Her color choices were basic: silver or black.
Yet one aspect of research she avoided at this point was visits to the dealerships. Having gone car shopping with her family in the past, she was realistic about her own experience. For instance, she is not comfortable negotiating prices or making instant decisions about certain aspects of the purchase. She planned to take her dad or brother along when visiting dealerships.
After mulling over the information she had gathered, she felt confident about four specific models: Toyota Prius V, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Ford Fiesta Hybrid, and Volkswagen TDI Diesel. Brands she rejected for one reason or the other included Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and Honda Civic Hybrid. Having been involved in her family's car buying decisions in the past, she knew that she had to also order Consumer Reports ' new car pricing reports before visiting car dealerships. Also, given how selective her dad and brother can be about cars, she wanted to narrow down her choices before seeking specific brand advice from them. She was sure that they would approve of her initial choices.
It's now a few days after the graduation ceremony. Maya and her family were preparing for her move to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for her residency. It's time to finally decide and buy that new car.
Apply the consumer decision-making process stages to Maya's actions as a consumer, or describe Maya's actions within the framework of the consumer decision-making process.

Answer 1

A consumer faces numerous decisions in a day regarding purchase of goods and material. A consumer might be required to make decision regarding purchase of milk, gasoline, or a suit, all in a day.
Some decisions making are not as demanding as others. Decisions related with purchase of milk might be easier to make as compared to decisions related with search for a new apartment by a college student.
A decision making process mainly comprises of five activities that include:
(1) Need recognition
(2) Search for information
(3) Evaluation of alternatives
(4) Choice
(5) Post-choice evaluation
In the present case a consumer MA is planning to buy a car as she would be in need of because of her shifting to a new place to start residency in a hospital. Thus, the need recognition stage of decision making is identified.
The consumer MA also searched for information about the car which she will be buying. She came to the conclusion of having attributes such as the environmental impact the car would have, the efficiency of the car and the seating capacity of the car.
She sought information from various magazines and from her father and brother who had good knowledge about cars. She also sought opinion from her friends about cars. This shows stage two of decision making process.
After searching for information she evaluated the alternatives on various attributes and left out the cars that did not fulfilled the requisite attributes. Finally she came down to a couple of alternatives about buying of the car.
This shows the third stage of the decision making process. She did not yet singled out the car which she wanted to buy. Thus, in total three stages of decision making were covered by the consumer MA in order to buy the car.

Question 2

Consumer Confidence: Preparation Pays Off
Written by Mohan Menon, University of South Alabama
It's time to make a decision on a new car. Maya has been preparing for the moment when she would finally buy her own new car for the first time in her life, but she didn't want to break the news to her family until she got closer to her graduation date. She now feels that she has done her homework and is ready to discuss her choices with her family before making the purchase.
It all started about a year ago, when she was in the last year of medical school. Maya had been thinking about her residency in a city hospital, one that is well known for her specialty, neuroradiology. Along with moving away from home and fitting into the hospital culture, Maya would have to buy a car. Until now, she has been driving an older model Prius that was given to her by her dad, who bought it new. She has liked the car, but wants to upgrade to a new car when she starts her residency. She has never had a new car and believes that the transition in her life the following year would warrant one.
She feels confident in her ability to select a suitable new car. Having grown up in a family that subscribed to Consumer Reports ever since she can remember, she seems well informed about many products, including automobiles. Her parents were careful shoppers. They taught her and her older brother how to save money, spend less, and not to give in to impulses. Moreover, her dad and brother are knowledgeable about cars. Her brother, who has just started his private practice, would be of tremendous help in the process. With his extensive toy car collection from childhood, he has been a car enthusiast and is highly knowledgeable about automobiles.
However, she wanted to go through with the new car-buying process on her own with minimal help. Maya set aside time to do some serious research on cars she was considering. She had a set of basic criteria, such as miles per gallon (MPG) of 40 or more, interior (leather only), body style (4-door), no built-in GPS-Nav system, iPhone/iPad and bluetooth connectivity, ample trunk space, low maintenance, minimum 4-star safety rating, ABS system, electronic displays on the dashboard, smooth handling and ride, manual transmission, and so on. Since she is likely to move to a northern city, having heated seats would be preferable but not a must. She has also heard of other features such as independent suspension and all-wheel-drive options, but is not quite sure how they would benefit her. At that same time Maya was also sure of features or options she did not care for: acceleration/performance, V-6 engine, off-road ability, extended warranty, towing capacity, sun or moon roof, etc. She knew she would never find her ideal car and would have to compromise on a few items along the way.
Even though price was not likely to be a major factor in her decision, she had an upper limit of $35,000 for her car. But Maya is not very familiar with financing options available to her. Also, leaving the nest for the very first time, she knew she would have to buy her own car insurance. Despite her accident-free record, she was concerned about her premiums. Understanding the options with regard to financing and insurance are two areas she might need help with from her family.
Maya was anxious about starting out on her own in a new city, yet when it came to buying her own car for the very first time, she seemed to feel confident. She also had the luxury of time, since she was not planning to buy the car until after her graduation but before leaving for the residency. She found most of the information in magazines and from various websites. She watched very little TV and thus paid scant attention to the car ads. She was more interested in non-biased sources of car information. Even though she sometimes steered family conversations to include cars, she had not informed them of her intent to buy a new car before her residency begins. She would also bring up the topic subtly with her friends, who had a variety of opinions on various makes and models. She wanted to first gather information from trustworthy sources, mull over it, and possibly narrow down her options before seeking some assistance from her family.
She began with positive impressions of the Prius she had been driving and knew she wanted an environmentally friendly vehicle. Given the number of cars that fit the description, she knew she had a long road ahead. But her informal discussions with family and friends helped.
Maya considers herself to be a very logical person and thus was more interested in the functional aspects of the car. Not that she did not care for the look and feel of the car, but they were secondary in nature. Her color choices were basic: silver or black.
Yet one aspect of research she avoided at this point was visits to the dealerships. Having gone car shopping with her family in the past, she was realistic about her own experience. For instance, she is not comfortable negotiating prices or making instant decisions about certain aspects of the purchase. She planned to take her dad or brother along when visiting dealerships.
After mulling over the information she had gathered, she felt confident about four specific models: Toyota Prius V, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Ford Fiesta Hybrid, and Volkswagen TDI Diesel. Brands she rejected for one reason or the other included Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and Honda Civic Hybrid. Having been involved in her family's car buying decisions in the past, she knew that she had to also order Consumer Reports ' new car pricing reports before visiting car dealerships. Also, given how selective her dad and brother can be about cars, she wanted to narrow down her choices before seeking specific brand advice from them. She was sure that they would approve of her initial choices.
It's now a few days after the graduation ceremony. Maya and her family were preparing for her move to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for her residency. It's time to finally decide and buy that new car.
Is Maya utilizing the affect-based or attribute-based evaluation process? Justify your answer.

Answer 2

Evaluation of alternatives is the third stage in the process of decision making by a consumer. At this stage a consumer evaluates the available alternatives on the basis of factors that are important to the customers.
The evaluation process of alternatives can be classified into affect-based evaluation and attribute-based evaluation.
Affect-based evaluation results in the evaluation of an alternative based on the feeling that an alternative arises in the customer. Mood also plays a vital role in the evaluation of the alternatives in affect-based evaluation.
Positive mood results in positive evaluation of the alternatives and negative mood results in negative evaluation of alternative. Mood also plays a role when only limited information about an alternative is available.
Attribute-based evaluation results in evaluation of alternatives on the basis of attributes that are considered relevant to the customer. A rational customer generally gathers information about the attributes that a product possesses and makes a decision based on such information.
In the present case MA who wanted to buy a car on her own gathered relevant information on the attributes that she required in the car from consumer magazines and through discussion with her father, brother and friends.
She wanted some specific attributes such as that the car should give MPG of 40 or more, the interior should be leather only, the body style should be 4 doors, there should not be GPS-Nav system, low maintenance, ample space, iPhone/iPad connectivity and a minimum of 4-star rating.
MA evaluated the alternatives based on these attributes and finally arrived at a few cars from among which she wanted to make the choice. Thus, the evaluation of alternatives was based on the attributes and hence MA followed attribute-based evaluation.

Question 3

Consumer Confidence: Preparation Pays Off
Written by Mohan Menon, University of South Alabama
It's time to make a decision on a new car. Maya has been preparing for the moment when she would finally buy her own new car for the first time in her life, but she didn't want to break the news to her family until she got closer to her graduation date. She now feels that she has done her homework and is ready to discuss her choices with her family before making the purchase.
It all started about a year ago, when she was in the last year of medical school. Maya had been thinking about her residency in a city hospital, one that is well known for her specialty, neuroradiology. Along with moving away from home and fitting into the hospital culture, Maya would have to buy a car. Until now, she has been driving an older model Prius that was given to her by her dad, who bought it new. She has liked the car, but wants to upgrade to a new car when she starts her residency. She has never had a new car and believes that the transition in her life the following year would warrant one.
She feels confident in her ability to select a suitable new car. Having grown up in a family that subscribed to Consumer Reports ever since she can remember, she seems well informed about many products, including automobiles. Her parents were careful shoppers. They taught her and her older brother how to save money, spend less, and not to give in to impulses. Moreover, her dad and brother are knowledgeable about cars. Her brother, who has just started his private practice, would be of tremendous help in the process. With his extensive toy car collection from childhood, he has been a car enthusiast and is highly knowledgeable about automobiles.
However, she wanted to go through with the new car-buying process on her own with minimal help. Maya set aside time to do some serious research on cars she was considering. She had a set of basic criteria, such as miles per gallon (MPG) of 40 or more, interior (leather only), body style (4-door), no built-in GPS-Nav system, iPhone/iPad and bluetooth connectivity, ample trunk space, low maintenance, minimum 4-star safety rating, ABS system, electronic displays on the dashboard, smooth handling and ride, manual transmission, and so on. Since she is likely to move to a northern city, having heated seats would be preferable but not a must. She has also heard of other features such as independent suspension and all-wheel-drive options, but is not quite sure how they would benefit her. At that same time Maya was also sure of features or options she did not care for: acceleration/performance, V-6 engine, off-road ability, extended warranty, towing capacity, sun or moon roof, etc. She knew she would never find her ideal car and would have to compromise on a few items along the way.
Even though price was not likely to be a major factor in her decision, she had an upper limit of $35,000 for her car. But Maya is not very familiar with financing options available to her. Also, leaving the nest for the very first time, she knew she would have to buy her own car insurance. Despite her accident-free record, she was concerned about her premiums. Understanding the options with regard to financing and insurance are two areas she might need help with from her family.
Maya was anxious about starting out on her own in a new city, yet when it came to buying her own car for the very first time, she seemed to feel confident. She also had the luxury of time, since she was not planning to buy the car until after her graduation but before leaving for the residency. She found most of the information in magazines and from various websites. She watched very little TV and thus paid scant attention to the car ads. She was more interested in non-biased sources of car information. Even though she sometimes steered family conversations to include cars, she had not informed them of her intent to buy a new car before her residency begins. She would also bring up the topic subtly with her friends, who had a variety of opinions on various makes and models. She wanted to first gather information from trustworthy sources, mull over it, and possibly narrow down her options before seeking some assistance from her family.
She began with positive impressions of the Prius she had been driving and knew she wanted an environmentally friendly vehicle. Given the number of cars that fit the description, she knew she had a long road ahead. But her informal discussions with family and friends helped.
Maya considers herself to be a very logical person and thus was more interested in the functional aspects of the car. Not that she did not care for the look and feel of the car, but they were secondary in nature. Her color choices were basic: silver or black.
Yet one aspect of research she avoided at this point was visits to the dealerships. Having gone car shopping with her family in the past, she was realistic about her own experience. For instance, she is not comfortable negotiating prices or making instant decisions about certain aspects of the purchase. She planned to take her dad or brother along when visiting dealerships.
After mulling over the information she had gathered, she felt confident about four specific models: Toyota Prius V, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Ford Fiesta Hybrid, and Volkswagen TDI Diesel. Brands she rejected for one reason or the other included Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and Honda Civic Hybrid. Having been involved in her family's car buying decisions in the past, she knew that she had to also order Consumer Reports ' new car pricing reports before visiting car dealerships. Also, given how selective her dad and brother can be about cars, she wanted to narrow down her choices before seeking specific brand advice from them. She was sure that they would approve of her initial choices.
It's now a few days after the graduation ceremony. Maya and her family were preparing for her move to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for her residency. It's time to finally decide and buy that new car.
Based on the information provided in the case, what are the determinants of the evaluative criteria that the customer is using? Explain each in detail.

Answer 3

A consumer uses a number of criteria in order to evaluate the available alternatives and make a final choice of the product. These criteria are influenced by a number of factors.
Some of the factors that influence the selection of criteria in order to evaluate alternatives are: Situational influence, Product Knowledge, Expert Opinions, Social Influence, Online Sources and Marketing Communication.
In the present case there is lady by the name of MA who is planning to buy a car on her own. She was a regular reader of a magazine that published information about various products. She was well informed about various products and that included automobiles.
Her parents used to shop carefully and they had taught her and her elder brother to not to spend much, save money and not to go for impulse buying. This made MA to research various options of the cars that were available in the market.
She took opinion of her friends, father and her brother. She gathered information from various magazines and from various websites.
This made her to lay certain criteria like buying the car that has upper limit of $35,000, the car should give MPG of 40 or more, the interior should be leather only, the body style should be 4 doors, there should not be GPS-Nav system, low maintenance, ample space, iPhone/iPad connectivity and a minimum of 4-star rating.
Thus, her upbringing as an informed consumer made her decision to select the criteria to be influenced by situations. Her researching and gathering of information from various magazines and websites also made her to have product knowledge, which also had an impact on laying of criteria for evaluation.
She also sought opinions from her friends, father and from her brother who was a car enthusiast and had vast knowledge about cars. Thus, in a way the expert opinion of her brother also helped her in selecting the criteria for evaluation.
Online sources such as websites also helped her in selecting the criteria for evaluation. She watched little T.V. and did not paid heed to the ads about cars as she wanted to gather information from trustworthy and unbiased sources. Thus, there was no influence of marketing communication on her selection of criteria for evaluation.

Question 4

Consumer Confidence: Preparation Pays Off
Written by Mohan Menon, University of South Alabama
It's time to make a decision on a new car. Maya has been preparing for the moment when she would finally buy her own new car for the first time in her life, but she didn't want to break the news to her family until she got closer to her graduation date. She now feels that she has done her homework and is ready to discuss her choices with her family before making the purchase.
It all started about a year ago, when she was in the last year of medical school. Maya had been thinking about her residency in a city hospital, one that is well known for her specialty, neuroradiology. Along with moving away from home and fitting into the hospital culture, Maya would have to buy a car. Until now, she has been driving an older model Prius that was given to her by her dad, who bought it new. She has liked the car, but wants to upgrade to a new car when she starts her residency. She has never had a new car and believes that the transition in her life the following year would warrant one.
She feels confident in her ability to select a suitable new car. Having grown up in a family that subscribed to Consumer Reports ever since she can remember, she seems well informed about many products, including automobiles. Her parents were careful shoppers. They taught her and her older brother how to save money, spend less, and not to give in to impulses. Moreover, her dad and brother are knowledgeable about cars. Her brother, who has just started his private practice, would be of tremendous help in the process. With his extensive toy car collection from childhood, he has been a car enthusiast and is highly knowledgeable about automobiles.
However, she wanted to go through with the new car-buying process on her own with minimal help. Maya set aside time to do some serious research on cars she was considering. She had a set of basic criteria, such as miles per gallon (MPG) of 40 or more, interior (leather only), body style (4-door), no built-in GPS-Nav system, iPhone/iPad and bluetooth connectivity, ample trunk space, low maintenance, minimum 4-star safety rating, ABS system, electronic displays on the dashboard, smooth handling and ride, manual transmission, and so on. Since she is likely to move to a northern city, having heated seats would be preferable but not a must. She has also heard of other features such as independent suspension and all-wheel-drive options, but is not quite sure how they would benefit her. At that same time Maya was also sure of features or options she did not care for: acceleration/performance, V-6 engine, off-road ability, extended warranty, towing capacity, sun or moon roof, etc. She knew she would never find her ideal car and would have to compromise on a few items along the way.
Even though price was not likely to be a major factor in her decision, she had an upper limit of $35,000 for her car. But Maya is not very familiar with financing options available to her. Also, leaving the nest for the very first time, she knew she would have to buy her own car insurance. Despite her accident-free record, she was concerned about her premiums. Understanding the options with regard to financing and insurance are two areas she might need help with from her family.
Maya was anxious about starting out on her own in a new city, yet when it came to buying her own car for the very first time, she seemed to feel confident. She also had the luxury of time, since she was not planning to buy the car until after her graduation but before leaving for the residency. She found most of the information in magazines and from various websites. She watched very little TV and thus paid scant attention to the car ads. She was more interested in non-biased sources of car information. Even though she sometimes steered family conversations to include cars, she had not informed them of her intent to buy a new car before her residency begins. She would also bring up the topic subtly with her friends, who had a variety of opinions on various makes and models. She wanted to first gather information from trustworthy sources, mull over it, and possibly narrow down her options before seeking some assistance from her family.
She began with positive impressions of the Prius she had been driving and knew she wanted an environmentally friendly vehicle. Given the number of cars that fit the description, she knew she had a long road ahead. But her informal discussions with family and friends helped.
Maya considers herself to be a very logical person and thus was more interested in the functional aspects of the car. Not that she did not care for the look and feel of the car, but they were secondary in nature. Her color choices were basic: silver or black.
Yet one aspect of research she avoided at this point was visits to the dealerships. Having gone car shopping with her family in the past, she was realistic about her own experience. For instance, she is not comfortable negotiating prices or making instant decisions about certain aspects of the purchase. She planned to take her dad or brother along when visiting dealerships.
After mulling over the information she had gathered, she felt confident about four specific models: Toyota Prius V, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Ford Fiesta Hybrid, and Volkswagen TDI Diesel. Brands she rejected for one reason or the other included Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and Honda Civic Hybrid. Having been involved in her family's car buying decisions in the past, she knew that she had to also order Consumer Reports ' new car pricing reports before visiting car dealerships. Also, given how selective her dad and brother can be about cars, she wanted to narrow down her choices before seeking specific brand advice from them. She was sure that they would approve of her initial choices.
It's now a few days after the graduation ceremony. Maya and her family were preparing for her move to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for her residency. It's time to finally decide and buy that new car.
In your opinion, which decision rule (compensatory or noncompensatory) is Maya utilizing in her car- buying process?

Question 5

Consumer Confidence: Preparation Pays Off
Written by Mohan Menon, University of South Alabama
It's time to make a decision on a new car. Maya has been preparing for the moment when she would finally buy her own new car for the first time in her life, but she didn't want to break the news to her family until she got closer to her graduation date. She now feels that she has done her homework and is ready to discuss her choices with her family before making the purchase.
It all started about a year ago, when she was in the last year of medical school. Maya had been thinking about her residency in a city hospital, one that is well known for her specialty, neuroradiology. Along with moving away from home and fitting into the hospital culture, Maya would have to buy a car. Until now, she has been driving an older model Prius that was given to her by her dad, who bought it new. She has liked the car, but wants to upgrade to a new car when she starts her residency. She has never had a new car and believes that the transition in her life the following year would warrant one.
She feels confident in her ability to select a suitable new car. Having grown up in a family that subscribed to Consumer Reports ever since she can remember, she seems well informed about many products, including automobiles. Her parents were careful shoppers. They taught her and her older brother how to save money, spend less, and not to give in to impulses. Moreover, her dad and brother are knowledgeable about cars. Her brother, who has just started his private practice, would be of tremendous help in the process. With his extensive toy car collection from childhood, he has been a car enthusiast and is highly knowledgeable about automobiles.
However, she wanted to go through with the new car-buying process on her own with minimal help. Maya set aside time to do some serious research on cars she was considering. She had a set of basic criteria, such as miles per gallon (MPG) of 40 or more, interior (leather only), body style (4-door), no built-in GPS-Nav system, iPhone/iPad and bluetooth connectivity, ample trunk space, low maintenance, minimum 4-star safety rating, ABS system, electronic displays on the dashboard, smooth handling and ride, manual transmission, and so on. Since she is likely to move to a northern city, having heated seats would be preferable but not a must. She has also heard of other features such as independent suspension and all-wheel-drive options, but is not quite sure how they would benefit her. At that same time Maya was also sure of features or options she did not care for: acceleration/performance, V-6 engine, off-road ability, extended warranty, towing capacity, sun or moon roof, etc. She knew she would never find her ideal car and would have to compromise on a few items along the way.
Even though price was not likely to be a major factor in her decision, she had an upper limit of $35,000 for her car. But Maya is not very familiar with financing options available to her. Also, leaving the nest for the very first time, she knew she would have to buy her own car insurance. Despite her accident-free record, she was concerned about her premiums. Understanding the options with regard to financing and insurance are two areas she might need help with from her family.
Maya was anxious about starting out on her own in a new city, yet when it came to buying her own car for the very first time, she seemed to feel confident. She also had the luxury of time, since she was not planning to buy the car until after her graduation but before leaving for the residency. She found most of the information in magazines and from various websites. She watched very little TV and thus paid scant attention to the car ads. She was more interested in non-biased sources of car information. Even though she sometimes steered family conversations to include cars, she had not informed them of her intent to buy a new car before her residency begins. She would also bring up the topic subtly with her friends, who had a variety of opinions on various makes and models. She wanted to first gather information from trustworthy sources, mull over it, and possibly narrow down her options before seeking some assistance from her family.
She began with positive impressions of the Prius she had been driving and knew she wanted an environmentally friendly vehicle. Given the number of cars that fit the description, she knew she had a long road ahead. But her informal discussions with family and friends helped.
Maya considers herself to be a very logical person and thus was more interested in the functional aspects of the car. Not that she did not care for the look and feel of the car, but they were secondary in nature. Her color choices were basic: silver or black.
Yet one aspect of research she avoided at this point was visits to the dealerships. Having gone car shopping with her family in the past, she was realistic about her own experience. For instance, she is not comfortable negotiating prices or making instant decisions about certain aspects of the purchase. She planned to take her dad or brother along when visiting dealerships.
After mulling over the information she had gathered, she felt confident about four specific models: Toyota Prius V, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Ford Fiesta Hybrid, and Volkswagen TDI Diesel. Brands she rejected for one reason or the other included Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Camry Hybrid, and Honda Civic Hybrid. Having been involved in her family's car buying decisions in the past, she knew that she had to also order Consumer Reports ' new car pricing reports before visiting car dealerships. Also, given how selective her dad and brother can be about cars, she wanted to narrow down her choices before seeking specific brand advice from them. She was sure that they would approve of her initial choices.
It's now a few days after the graduation ceremony. Maya and her family were preparing for her move to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for her residency. It's time to finally decide and buy that new car.
Based on the various perspectives of consumer decision making, what type of a shopper is Maya and why?