In earlier weeks we discussed some sociocultural influences
on consumer behavior. From the textbook we learned that a consumer’s purchase
is often influenced by the views, opinions, or behaviors of others. A main
influence on a consumer is individuals known as opinion leaders. These
individuals are considered to be very knowledgeable about a particular product
or service and can have a tremendous impact on a potential customers likelihood
of purchasing that product or service.
One of the ways in which consumers learn from opinion
leaders is by means of word of mouth conversation. Word of mouth marketing
occurs when those who have already used the particular product or service in
question influence people in conversation about that particular product or
service. Often times word of mouth marketing occurs naturally and is unprompted.
It happens when a consumer has either a good or a bad experience with a
business and as a result, feels the need to share that experience with others.
This is why it is essential for businesses to pay attention to their customers
and be aware of any feedback they may have to give, because otherwise word of
mouth marketing can be very dangerous to their future success.
After a consumer has tried a product or service, there are
several different forms of evaluation that occur afterwards. In the service
industry, quality is assed by five dimensions. The first is reliability,
which is the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately.
If a service is not seemed reliable, it will most likely be forgone in the
future. The second dimension is tangibility. This refers to the
physical appearance of the facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication
materials. For example, in a restaurant customers do not want to see a dirty
table, bathroom, or kitchen because this will make them question the overall quality
of the food and detract from their experience. The third dimension is responsiveness.
Responsiveness refers to the willingness of employees to help customers and
provide them with prompt service. This is arguably the most important dimension
in the food industry. There is nothing worse than a rude waiter or waitress in
my opinion and oftentimes a negative interaction as such will result in the
customer not coming back and choosing to dine at another restaurant instead.
The fourth dimension is assurance. This refers to the
knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and
confidence to the customer. In my mind this sort of ties back to
responsiveness, because a customer does not want to deal with a rude or
disingenuous employee. The fifth and final dimension is empathy, which relates to
employees caring, individualized attention that is provided to a customer. All
five of these dimensions are integral to the success of a business and that is
why it is very important for employees to be properly trained.
The main takeaway from this post is that impressions matter
in the business world, so it is very important that a business gets it right
with a customer not only during their initial contact with the company, but
each and every time they return! Otherwise, they risk loosing not only that customer
but also any or all of those in which they decide to tell about their
experience.
I leave you with a funny piece of pop culture from the hit show Seinfeld.
That’s all for now,
-XOXO M
Sources:
Marketing, 12th Edition Roger Kerin, Steven Hartley, William Rudelius. McGraw-Hill: New York, 2015
http://www.wisegeek.org/what-does-a-waitress-do.htm
http://crea-mc.co.uk/services/customer-relations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xqkpP59UgM
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