Assignment 15A

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

1.) Picking a segment: I decided to interview three individuals associated with local businesses. One is the owner of a boutique, one is the owner of a retail clothing store, and one is the owner of a phone-repair store. These individuals all have one thing in common—they are all owners of businesses that lack wheelchair ramps and the major market where I would be selling my product.
2.) Alternative evaluation: During my interviews with these local business owners, they all expressed genuine concern about the lack of wheelchair ramps throughout their businesses. They agreed that this population of people in wheelchairs deserves to be accommodated. They asked about potential solutions. I pitched them my idea and while they envied most of the aspects, they still had concerns. One of the concerns that was universal was the lack of style of wheelchair ramps on the market. All of the business owners that I spoke with expressed that they wanted to install a wheelchair ramp but they didn't want the ramp to detract from the style of their restaurant. I rebutted and mentioned that my ramp could easily be hidden under carpeting or tile. Two out of the three business owners claimed that the price could be too expensive. I eased their minds by articulating that my product would be relatively inexpensive for the innovative technology that is included. Overall, the concerns of the business owners I spoke with were the style and price of the ramp. 
3.) How/where do they buy?: There are medical equipment companies and popular stores that sell wheelchair ramps. These popular stores include Lowe's, Wal-Mart, and Walgreen's. This product is different from other products, there wouldn't be a retail store where consumers could buy our ramp. I want to construct this business as more of a service where businesses could order their ramp online. They could input the measurements that they want the ramp to be and a style that would fit their decor. And then the ramp would be built to fit these requests and would be installed at no extra cost to the consumer. 
4.) Post-purchase evaluation: For the most part, my interviewees agreed that the most important factor of a purchase was whether or not it gets used. They said that being able to see customers in wheelchairs enter their business with no hassle would make the product useful. If they never saw the ramp in use or saw anyone defacing the ramp, then they might come to the conclusion that the purchase of the ramp was a bad idea or investment.
5.) The findings: I learned that business owners are overall empathetic to my cause and they are willing to make a change to their business to be more accessible for wheelchairs. Their main concern about purchasing my ramp, or any ramp, is the style and price. The most important part about buying this ramp would be making sure that it is put to use. 
6.) Drawing conclusions: All of my interviewees expressed that they wanted the wheelchair ramp to be stylish. The style of my product needs to align with my customer's wants. Another concern was price so the price of my ramp needs to be competitive with big brand name stores and still have innovative technology that sets it apart. Their decision to purchase my ramp would come from empathy and a passion to accommodate a whole population of customers. All of the individuals I interviewed wanted to see the wheelchair ramp in use to determine if the the purchase was a good decision or not.