18A – Create a Customer Avatar

My avatar is a 22 year old college student who enjoys hanging with friends, going out and doing exercising with the time he has left when he is not studying or working. He is single and has no kids, but wants to one day. He wishes he had more leisure time but definitely enjoys working as much as he can, it feels as though working and keeping busy gives him more purpose rather than just sitting at home doing nothing, which he thinks is how one's mindset should be in a productive lifestyle. He doesn't follow politics too much, and has little strong opinions, making him open to learning new things and keeping an open mind about topics that he may consider divisive.

Conclusion
I believe that I have a lot in common with the avatar that I created in my mind. I like to think that most of the ways that my customer thinks are the ways I think, and the things I want are outlined in the things that my customer wants. I do not think this is a coincidence, considering that I outlined the main characteristics for the person, and coming from my mind I would want to relate to them in a way to better reach them when finding a solution to a problem.

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Introduction
      I used two of the same people that I interviewed for the last assignment while choosing a third new individual who also fits the same market segmentation that I used for the last assignment.

Alternative Evaluation
      Out of the three people I interviewed, all of them stated that price and quality matters when buying a product, however one of the three people, that being of the younger market segment, stated that she may choose price over quality only when it is a matter of convenience or time is of the essence. All of them however did not see style as a large factor when buying products that they need or enjoy using, however I was not really asking questions that regarding "fashionable" items that would be purchased, mostly just talking about necessities or things they buy regularly.

How? Where?
      Two of the people I interviewed were close to my age range, and they said they do most of their shopping online, however needs are done out of convenience in-stores. They both said that they only use cash when they have it, but mostly use cards. The other person I interviewed is 42 years old, and does most of their shopping in stores, and only finances when it is something expensive. The two younger people I interviewed do not buy many things in which they needed to finance for.

Post-Purchase Evaluation
      This question was pretty unanimous in that my interviewees all agreed that they are very mindful when they purchase items and most of their thought process is based on need and saving their money, which I think is a "rightful" way to go about spending anyways. However, they also stated that when a purchase was a "bad idea", it is when they bought something that was expensive, not good quality, and not something that they needed at all.

Conclusion
      Considering that my market segment is quite broad, I thought that these interviews helped narrow down the age ranges of the segment. The younger customers pay more attentiveness to what they are spending and how much they are spending, while the older customers have the money the spend so spend a little more freely every now and again. I think that this makes sense since some college students are focused more on money and saving it, and other adult middle-class citizens who have full-time careers feel the right to treat themselves more.

14A – Halfway Reflection

1) Some behaviors that I have used to keep up with the assignments in this course are discipline and scheduling. Considering that most of the assignments are due at 12pm I have to remind myself that they are not due at 12am, so this requires me to never sleep in, especially on days that assignments are due.

2) In the past two months, I have not really felt like giving up, however I have been a little discouraged when I miss one or two assignments accidentally, but it is up to me to learn from my mistakes and do better next time when assignments are due. I feel like these experiences have allowed me to learn and to know better for the next time so I will not allow them to happen again.

3) Three tips I would offer to next semester's students would be to manage your time efficiently, don't worry if you are late on one or two assignments, and do not give up if you are feeling discouraged in not only this class but any other class you are taking.

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

1)  What surprised me most about the Wright Brothers is that they were in their mid-30s when they began on their quest to build the first aero-vehicle, and it took them ten years to do so. What I most admired about them was their determination and perseverance even after so many years of working. There were not many flaws I could think of with the Wright Brothers. They had encountered adversity and failure, but in these tough times they picked themselves back up and kept on going.

2) Both of the brothers loved the idea of aviation, and both were extremely intelligent, which made them such experts in their field. Knowledge and determination is what allowed them to achieve their goal.

3) In the book, I did not understand why government officials were unresponsive to the Wright Brothers, as they had such a brilliant idea but no one would really take them seriously enough.

4) What sparked the idea to create the world's first vehicle that can travel in the air? What kept you from giving up after all of these years and failures? I believe these questions are imperative to ask because it is so inspirational how these two men thought of the idea in the first place, let alone stayed determined after a countless amount of failures.

5) I believe that the Wright Brothers believed that hard work was solely based on whether or not you believed you succeeded or not, but somewhere down the road they needed to everyone else to believe in them too. I believe in this philosophy, however I also believe that it is enough to just try and succeed on your own and if you fail to get back up again and do not give up.

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Pick a Segment: In order to segment my market, I decided to demographically separate my potential customers by age and by circumstance. In this case, I will choose people broadly from ages 18-45 that go out on a regular basis to local restaurants in the United States.

Interviews: I interviewed three more people, from ages 18-45 that go out frequently and are current residents in the United States.

Out of the three people I interviewed, I made sure that each of them had the unmet need I described in my previous posts. From here, I moved on to ask questions about the setting in which each of these people find that their need is being unmet, and with all three cases, I learned that they find themselves at an establishment that requires them to tip or suggests them to tip the workers. All three of the people I interviewed go out to dinner often, so their time of day was afternoon to later at night.

Surprisingly, the first thing that the younger people I interviewed said they do when they find themselves in the uncomfortable gratuity situation, they usually just tip approximately 20% to their server. The older person I interviewed (45) stated that when they find themselves in this situation they just do not tip altogether, which is OK, but obviously leaves the server not satisfied and bitter. The younger people I interviewed usually just find a place in which they don't have to tip as much so they look online via a maps app to find such an environment. The older person I interviewed simply continues to not tip when they feel uncomfortable. This situation makes the friends and family uncomfortable, leading to both sides being unhappy at all times.

Findings: What I have learned from these interviews is that although the younger members seemed to be more courteous and subjective to the tipping environment, they still had the need and were unhappy when the situation became uncomfortable or if they felt that they were being disrespectful had they not tipped enough. On the other hand, the older person I interviewed seemed to stand their ground more, and not be upset as much, but this is a perfect example for why the servers are the ones who receive the short end of the stick in this situation because they are not getting paid. These three people obviously do not represent all of the American population, but we could make an inference that they represent some if not most.

Conclusion: After reflecting and summarizing what I have learned from my interviews, I can say that this specific market segmentation is appropriate for my current opportunity. I could specify more on age, but I believe that all ages and opinions are a major factor when it comes to whether or not the customer or worker is experiencing an unmet need. When these interviewees search for information to help ease the pain of their situations they find themselves in at gratuity establishments, they probably do not find much helpful information considering that most of the American restaurant industry involves tipping and lowering the wages of servers. This is also why I believe that this opportunity still holds strong for the most part, although it may be too broad and I may need to specify my market segmentation more, or even change my opportunity altogether.

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

I believe that this idea could work not only because customers have a need for a great dining experience and a comfortable environment to spend time with their loved ones in, but because servers are desperate for a consistent wage rather than a waxing and waning one that relies heavily on gratuity. This idea, however, could face a downfall not only because there could be potential competitors that I am unaware of, but most national restaurants pay their services below minimum wage, and most customers that come to America and see this find it unnatural and uncomfortable. Also, some servers may enjoy the tips they receive at their current establishment and not want to risk that, but from what I have learned, there is a necessity on both ends of the spectrum.

10A – Elevator Pitch No. 1