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Unit 3: The Service Marketing Mix and Purchase Process
Notes
Task Identify any three major courier service providers and evaluate them based
on following parameters:
(a) Delivery time
(b) Customer service
(c) Price
(d) Areas covered
(e) Ease of process
3.3.6 Decision
With the overall evaluation as decision-making criteria, the customer takes either of the two
decisions: to buy or not to buy. The decision to buy would include the offer, the most preferred
brand, method of purchase (buying a book on the net, through catalogues, offline in a book-
store or from the pavements) and payments (cash, by cheque, credit cards or through a loan).
3.3.7 Purchase Action and Other Decisions
What other decisions can possibly be left for the consumer after the decision to buy or not to
buy? There is the purchase action and other decisions. In retailing, this may take the form of
available colours and sizes of, say, apparel. A customer might take a decision to go for a movie
or a concert but the experience and enjoyment would depend on getting the desired category of
seats in the desired theatre.
Installations at home and usage could be other decisions.
Example: For a telephone connection service, a customer would have to take such
decisions as to whether the telephone set should be placed in the bedroom or drawing room.
Who will be authorized to use the long-distance telephoning facility would be a usage decision.
Decision Makers in India
Case Study
ven today, only 16 per cent of Indian professionals are women. Therefore, consumer
decision-making in all areas ranging from what cars to buy to what clothes
Emanufacturers to patronize is dictated by men when it comes to the most upscale
market segment in India.
Horizon 2003, a study by BBC World, BBCs 24-hour international news and information
channel, using the latest census as a base, gives some startling insights into the attitudes
and activities of Indias leading consumers and decision makers. The research, conducted
by market research agency NFO-MBL across six top metros and profiling 380,000 people,
will greatly help media planners, agencies and advertisers to understand this particular
horizon professional:
1. Life insurance was found to be the biggest financial investment for most Indians,
followed by the stock markets.
Contd...
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