【正文】 s bu y i n g de c is ion to d e te r min e a ll w ho inf lu e nc e th e o ff e r in g a tt r ibu t e sIn m a ny c a s e s it ma y be a ll th r e e $ A PP E AL SCo n d u c ti n g In te rv i ew s:I n d iv i d u al v s G r o u p sI n te rv i e w i n g in d i vi d u a l cu st o m e rs i n th e p r e fe rr e d m e th o d o f g a th e ri n gt h e v o i ce o f th e cu st o m e r i n th e b e st i n c l a ss co m p a n i e s.S o u rc e : B e st P r a ct i ce s S u rv e y 1 9 9 4U se o n e o r tw o cu stom e r g ro u p s to r e fin e lin e s o f inq u ir y a n d u n d e r stan dg e n e r a l iss u e s in th e m a r ke t seg m e n tC o n d u ct i n d iv id u a l in te r v ie w s to u n d e r sta n dsp e cific cu sto m e r n e e d s p re f e rr e d a p p r o a ch c o n d u ct a t cus to m e r s ite a llo w s y o u v isu a l in p u t in a d d itio n to V O C $ A PP E AL ST h e e i g h t Cu s to m e r $ AP P EA L S m o d e l c a te g o ri e s a r e e x p a n d e d i n t o fac to rs fo r e a c h c a te g o ry T e ch n o l o g yM a t e r ia l sP r o d u ctio nL a b o r C o stsO v e r h e a d sI n v e n t o r yS cr a pe tc.P ri c e Co m pa r i s on$ P r ic eR A SW a r r a n t yR e l i a b i l ityQ u a li tyS a f e t yS ta b i l ityI n t e g r i t ye tc.Fe a r s amp。 p er f orm an c e c ha racte r ist ics are w an t ed ?Ea s e o f U s eW ha t con s ti t ut es ea s e o f use, in s ta ll at io n, ad m in ist rat io n, et c . ?A v a il a b il i t ySo c i a l a c c e p t a n c eW ha t im ag e w il l f acil it at e a pu rc ha s e de c isio n an d ho w do c ust om ers acqu ire t hi s i nf or m at io n ?L if e Cy c le Co s t sHow m uch do c ust om er s ex pe c t t o pa y f or th e v al ue t he y see k ?Pe r f o r m a n c e$ P r i c ew t : . 172A v a i l a b i l i t yw t : . 031Pack agi n gw t : . 094P e r f o r m a n c ew t : . 252Ease of U sew t : . 079A s s u r a n c e sw t : . 289L i f e C y c l e C o s t sw t : . 030S o c i a l a c c e p t a n c ew t : . 053C u s t o m e r $ A P P E A L SP r o v id ed b y th e w ho le pro du c t / s erv iceA s s u r a n c e s$ Pri c eW ha t li fe c y c le cost c on s id era t io ns influenc e t he purc has e dec is ion?Pa c k a g i n gV isua l e v al ua ti on / B un dl in gCustom ers c om pl e te bu y in g e x pe rie nce i nclu di ng t he c h an ne ls t hro ug h w hi c h t he y b uyCu s to m e r $ AP P EA L S c a te g o ri e s a r e e x a m in e d fr o m a c u s to m e r p e rs p ec ti v eC u s t o m e r $ A P P E A L S F a c to rC u s to m e r $ A P P E A L S F a c t o r D e s c r i p t i o n$ P R IC ET h i s f a c to r r e p r e s e n t s t h e p r ic e c u s t o m e r s e x p e c t t o p a y f o r a s a t is fa c t o r y p r o d u c t /o f fe r in g . W h e n r a ti n g v e n d o r s a g a in s t t h is c r it e r io n , c o n s id e r t h e a c t u a l o r p e r c e iv e d v a lu e t h a t t h e c u s to m e r i s r e c e iv in g f o r t h e p r ic e p a id . T h is wo u ld i n c lu d e t h e v a lu e p e r c e iv e d f o r t e c h n o lo g y , lo w c o s t p r o d u c e r , m a t e r ia ls , la b o r c o s t s , o v e r h e a d , e x p e r ie n c e , a u t o m a ti o n , s im p li c it y , p r o d u c a b il it y e t c .A S S U R A N C E ST h i s f a c to r g e n e r a ll y r e p r e s e n t s t h e a s s u r a n c e s o f r e l ia b il it y , s a fe t y , a n d q u a li t y . W h e n r a t in g v e n d o r s a g a in s t the se cr it er ia, c on sid er ho w t he cu sto m er r at es the t ota l pr od uc t in r ed uc ing his /he r co nc er ns f or as su re d p e r f o r m a n c e u n d e r f o r e s e e a b le c o n d it io n s ? T h is c a n i n c lu d e s u c h a t tr ib u te s a s wa r r a n t y , c e r ti f ic a t io n s , r e d u n d a n c y , s t r e n g th .P E R F O R M A N C ET h i s f a c to r r e p r e s e n t s t h e d e s ir e d f u n c ti o n s a n d f e a t u r e s o f t h e o f fe r in g . W h e n r a ti n g v e n d o r s a g a in s t t h e s e cri ter ia, consider t he act ual and per ceiv ed per f orma nce of t he pr oduct w it h r es pect t o desi r ed f unct ions a nd fe a t u r e s . H o w we ll d o e s t h e p r o d u c t d o it s j o b . D o e s t h e p r o d u c t h a v e a ll t h e r e q u ir e d a n d d e s ir a b le f e a tu r e s ? D o e s it o f fe r s u p e r io r p e r fo r m a n c e , a s m e a s u r e d b y t h e c u s t o m e r s f o r s u c h a tt r ib u t e s a s s p e e d , p o we r , c a p a c it y ?P A C K A G IN GT h i s f a c to r r e p r e s e n t s t h e d e s ir e d v is u a l a t t r ib u t e s o f d e s ig n q u a li ty , p e r fo r m a n c e , a n d a p p e a r a n c e . I n a s o f tw a r e c o n t e x t , it r e p r e s e n t s t h e c o ll e c t i o n o f it e m s c o m p r is in g t h e o ff e r in g a n d p r o v id in g i t s f u n c ti o n a li t y (bu nd ling ) . W he n r atin g v en do rs on t his f ac tor , co ns ide r t he cu s t om er 39。$ A PP E AL S$ AP P E AL S Pr o c e s sO v e r v ie wNo v em be r 19 99Performance Packaging Ease of Use Availability Life Cycle Social Acceptance $ Price Assurances $ A PP E AL SCu s to m e r $ AP P EA L S P r o c e s s O b j e c ti ve sTo e s t a b lis h a c o mm