Post- purchase satisfaction in consumer w.r.

to white goods of LG Electronics Author

Ms.B.Neeraja, Research Scholar, Dr.MGR University, Madhuravoyal Chennai -95. Cell No: 9283175005 E-Mail: neerajavijay93@gmail.com

Co-Author(Guide)
Dr.S.Ramalingam HOD Department of Management Studies Dr.MGR University, Madhuravoyal Chennai -95. Cell No: 9444542060 E-Mail: millianu7780@gmail.com

Introduction
The present scenario of the world, there is so much of diversity among the consumers wherein large difference exists between consumers of each state or nation in culture, values , beliefs ,language etc.Consumers make purchase decision by considering the country of origin of the brands that they assess which influences the consumer rate, quality and also the brand they select ultimately because they are aware that a particular firm or brand name is associated with a particular country(COO). Moreover they tend to have an attitude or preference when it comes to particular product being made in a particular country. This attitude might be positive or negative or even neutral depending on perception or experience of the consumer. Consumers of the present obtain different taste, life style, fashion etc. by observing various foreign movies, plays, theaters etc. When a consumer takes a decision to buy a particular product he would have crossed many steps in this regard. The manufacturer should know that from the age of buyers beware the Indian consumers is slowly but steadily moving into the era of Seller bewares. This is true not only in the case of an urban consumer even the rural consumer is able to access all the information that he needs at the click of a mouse. It should be noted that the Indian consumers are at a point where there is a multiplicative effect of income, growth aspiration to consumer and a changed consumer pattern, the growing DINK sector in Indian market has changed the buying pattern and decision process in the present day. Gone are the days that the husband / father were the buyer of the product and the mother or the woman the user of the product.

Need to study consumer behavior:

The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as how, where ,when who are their customers. The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products); The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media); The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. One "official" definition of consumer behavior is "The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society." Although it is not necessary to memorize this definition, it brings up some useful points. Behavior occurs either for the individual, or in the context of a group (e.g., friends influence what kinds of clothes a person wears) or an organization (people on the job make decisions as to which products the firm should use). Consumer behavior involves the use and disposal of products as well as the study of how they are purchased. Product use is often of great interest to the marketer, because this may influence how a product is best positioned or how we can encourage increased consumption. Since many environmental problems result from product disposal (e.g., motor oil being sent into sewage

systems to save the recycling fee, or garbage piling up at landfills) this is also an area of interest. Consumer behavior involves services and ideas as well as tangible products. The impact of consumer behavior on society is also of relevance. For example, aggressive marketing of high fat foods, or aggressive marketing of easy credit, may have serious repercussions for the national health and economy.

There are four main applications of consumer behavior:

The most obvious is for marketing strategyi.e., for making better marketing campaigns. For example, by understanding that consumers are more receptive to food advertising when they are hungry, we learn to schedule snack advertisements late in the afternoon. By understanding that new products are usually initially adopted by a few consumers and only spread later, and then only gradually, to the rest of the population, we learn that (1) companies that introduce new products must be well financed so that they can stay afloat until their products become a commercial success and (2) it is important to please initial customers, since they will in turn influence many subsequent customers brand choices.

A second application is public policy. In the 1980s, Accutane, a near miracle cure for acne, was introduced. Unfortunately, Accutane resulted in severe birth defects if taken by pregnant women. Although physicians were instructed to warn their female patients of this, a number still became pregnant while taking the drug. To get consumers attention, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) took the step of requiring that very graphic pictures of deformed babies be shown on the medicine containers.

Social marketing involves getting ideas across to consumers rather than selling something. Marty Fishbein, a marketing professor, went on sabbatical to work for the Centers for Disease Control trying to reduce the incidence of transmission of diseases through illegal drug use. The best solution, obviously, would be if we could get illegal drug users to stop. This, however, was deemed to be infeasible. It was also determined that the practice of sharing needles was too ingrained in the drug culture to be stopped. As a result, using knowledge of consumer attitudes, Dr. Fishbein created a campaign that encouraged the cleaning of needles in bleach before sharing them, a goal that was believed to be more realistic.

As a final benefit, studying consumer behavior should make us better consumers. Common sense suggests, for example, that if you buy a 64 liquid ounce bottle of laundry detergent, you should pay less per ounce than if you bought two 32 ounce bottles. In practice, however, you often pay a size premium by buying the larger quantity. In other words, in this case, knowing this fact will sensitize you to the need to check the unit cost labels to determine if you are really getting a bargain.

Consumer and His Behavior

According to oxford advanced learners dictionary the word consumer means A purchaser of goods or uses services. And In Blacks Law Dictionary, it is explained to mean one who consume individuals, who consume, individuals who purchase, use, maintain, and dispose of products and services. A member of that broad class of people, who are affected by pricing politics, financing practices, quality of goods and services, credit reporting, debt collection and other trade practices for which state and federal consumer protection laws are enacted. But the definition of the term consumer given in clause (d) of section 2(1) of the Act is comprehensive one so as to cover not only consumer of goods but also consumer of services. The definition is wide enough to include in consumer that only the person who buys any goods for consideration but also any uses of such goods with the approval of the buyer. Similarly, it covers any person who hires or avails of any services for consideration and also includes any beneficiary of such services, when availed with the approval of the hirer. Customers and their behaviors comprise of many attributes and differentials. These differences are not just associated with demographics, groups or any one particular item. There is a complex development of behaviors that exist in the consumer markets. Just by human nature, consumers can be spontaneous, unpredictable, and selfish. By these definitions, businesses, consumers and purchasers are usually trying to find the best advantageous deal around and always looking after number one (number one can be the business or themselves). What makes the customer is not always a predisposition attribute, but rather an educated or enforced protocol that has been in stowed into their mindset. In other words, we as vendors can still influence the consumer. There are ways to enhance the products as vendors and create relationships to influence the consumers to have confidence in the products. On the other hand, getting as much information about the customer can give the vendor more information to better serve the market as a whole. The marketplace is characterized by continuous changes in market composition, business practices and structure. To understand what makes up the customer is unique to every business, but there are models, such as that have some significance in the collaboration of several theories about consumer behavior.

Shift In Spending Pattern:

The spending pattern especially in the middle class segment in India has a great shift. Research has proved that the consumers community has been iconed with the middle class (McKinsey). The number as well as spending power of the consumer has been growing at a rapid pace. Availability of credit card, Credit facility, Zero payment schemes, installment facilities ahs increase the purchasing power and demand for expensive fabrics, ready made textiles, high end electronic goods, , house hold equipments for convenience etc. Analysis shows that the people in the age group of 26-30 yrs are spending the largest proposition of their incomes on consumer durables like TV, Fridge, Micro oven Air conditioner etc. Those in the age group of 35-40 are spending on apparels and furnishing. Practice of giving gifts is growing .The fastest in fact among all categories of expenditure. For many in the middle class, the new access to Credit facilities compared with relatively low interest rates has lowered the threshold limit of purchase in respect of several products.

The researcher and discussion on consumer behavior, purchase pattern Decision making has become a hot topic for academicians, marketers, researchers, etc. Earlier decision making process was as described in various books. But the process in the present day decision making has become a joint process in the family the decision making is not ore the whole and sole decision taking by the father or the husband in the family. But now a day the woman is also an active partner and is participating in the decision making .The scenario now is that the father or the husband is financier, woman is the initiator, and child is the influencer. Hence the market analysis are adopting both the `product window approach and people window `approach for getting an insight into the structure and driving cause for purchase of the product. The 1st approach deals with the perspective of ~how much of what is being bought and the latter deals with how many of what kind of people are buying. What factors are given importance while buying White goods? (W.r.to LG electronics)

Definition of White Goods: White goods are electronic goods which are given a finishing
with whither or metallic gray colour. The physical appearance would be white in colour. Examples for white goods are TV, Washing machine, Air conditioner, Refrigerator etc.

Objectives of the Study:

The basic objective to bring this paper into light is listed below: List out the factors while pure white goods. Rank the factors To study the impact of consumer influences w.r.to various factors To suggest measures for betterment in services.

Sample Size:
The data was collected by mailing questionnaire to various academicians; the size of the sample is 110 who are the faculty in various colleges in Chennai city. 22 were Professors 22 were Senior lecturers 66 were Lecturers.

Based on level of income:

The collected data was classified on the basis of income and the following information was analyzed. 68 respondents were drawing Rs.10,000 to Rs. 20,000. 27 respondents were drawing Rs.20,001 to Rs.30,000 15 respondents were drawing Rs.30,001 to Rs.40,000

In terms of literacy:

In terms of education it is said that the education also play a vital role while selecting the product. As more educated have access to more information that the illiterates. Therefore the information was assessed for the no of respondents in various categories. 76 respondents were M.B.A , M.Phil. 22 respondents were M.B.A. M.Phil,(Ph.D) 12 respondents were M.B.A. M.Phil, Ph.D.

Consumer Durables Shopping:

While shopping for durables consumer attach more importance to merchandise, referral and ambience in compared to buying a product in a paan shop they prefer to buy in a super specialty shop . They prefer to visit those stores that have depth and width and look for various varieties of products. Stores that offer good prices and discounts are also visited. Shoppers are also concerned about the quality. The effort is an indication of maximizing the value for the price paid. A good display of the products so those shoppers compare and look around , touch and feel the products. There fore preference would be given to such shops.

Analysis of Results:
Analysis is based on primary data collected from 110 respondents through E-mails . It was observed in the study that the buying patterns differed from customers to customer of different income groups. To a large extent , the frequency of buying was related to the type of product and its use in the house hold. The survey on this aspect reveals that the purchase pattern of the present generation has changed . Earlier the life of white Goods was considered to be 7 to 8 yrs.But the present generation consumer change their white goods every 4 to 5 yrs. The buying power of the middle income group consumers has given them this shift .The changeing trend and the zeal to have updated technological products by the youngsters has given a paradigm shift in buying theories and styles. Dual Income Group of people is increasing in the urban areas. The changing trend of buyers, the habits of the consumers, the impact of It industry has changed the trend of the buying behavior and buying patterns of the customer. The factors that influence the customers during the pre-purchase decision, point of purchase decision and post purchase decision are varying with great speed. People need updated products. They also see their products as their representatives Whtie Goods are considered to be their status. The goods like White goods which were once upon a time treated or viewed as luxury goods are now to be called as necessity or goods for convenience. The fast moving world do not want to waste time in silly matters, they need products of ready to use there fore time consuming process and products are not given importance. The goods which reduce time, energy, and of great preference. The ready mix generation do not want ot spend time on traditional items rather that they prefer to shell down an extra pie on the luxury goods and time saving products, like Washing machine, Storage devices like refrigerator etc. The consumers of Chennai city are different while compared to their counter parts of the rural India. They attach some preference and goodwill to the outlets and services offered by few shops. The busy segment of working class prefers fast delivery of products and services. So where they

feel convenient and comfortable.they prefer to buy goods on the base of convenience, service, delivery etc. they even try to introduce their neighbors ,collogues, children and suggest them to buy from the same shop. This intimacy often makes the shop owner t extend goods on credit basis.

Findings : Chart 1:- Showing Opinion of Respondents on White Goods.

Measure for 110

O in nA N c s it /L x r G o s p io s e e s y u u y o d
10 0 9 0 8 0 7 0 6 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 0 It is an c s ity ees go od It is alu u g o x ry o d Refrigerator If o es p a e th r le s g ed ta iv e ils

W ite G o s h od

Chart 1 Represents the opinion of the respondents. It gives a clear picture that 86
respondents who have washing machine feel it is a necessity good, and 24 respondents feel it is luxury good. 95 respondents out of 110 feel Refrigerator as a necessity good and 15 of them feel it is a luxury good.57 respondents feel Air-conditioner as a necessity good and 53 of them feel it is a luxury good. Therefore the three white goods which were luxury goods few years back are to be shifting as necessity goods by the general public.
Number of Respondents

Chart 2:- Showing the Pre-Purchase Ranking of the factors influencing purchase decision of White Goods.
P -P rc a R k go F c rs re u h se an in f a to
10 0 9 0 8 0 7 0 6 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 0

conditioner

Washing

Machine

Air

S rie e s1 Advertisement Imported good Availability of Brand Name Distance to After sales Technical Warrantee Quality Colors Latest Home Utility Price Past

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 91 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 R k ac o in to p an ed c rd g referen e c

Chart 2 Represent the order of preference as given by the respondents while deciding to buy
the product like White Goods. their first preference is to check the price of the product and next in the series comes quality followed by 80% of the respondents prefer the quality of the product should be good 85% of the respondents feel that white goods are more prestigious goods and reflect their status 75% of the respondents said they compare the prices and then refer to buy the product.

Chart 3 Showing post purchase ranking of factors.

Post Purchase Factors Ranking
14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Numbers 11 12 9 10 Series1 Advertisement Customer Warrantee Technical Home

1 Quality

2 Price

3 Utility

4 Latest

5 After sales

Availability of 7

Brand Name

9 10 11 12

Factors Ranked by Preference

Note: Ranking given on preference as 1 stands for most imporant factor and 12 factor of least importance. Chart 3 Represents the post purchase Ranking of the factors as preferred by the consumers. According to the preference given by the consumers quality has been the 1st preference in utilizing the product. Ranking of the factors has been graphically represented above.83% of the respondents said that they prefer to buy the product of their favorite brand.67 % of the respondents believe income is directly linked with purchase of white goods.81% preferred the products with after sales services.92% of the respondents preferred to buy the products which have easy availability of spare parts.77% of the respondents preferred to buy the products on the basis of technical assistance and warranty period availability. 82% respondents had influence of the past experience of the shop. 79% of the respondents selected on the range of size and colour available.

Chart 4 Showing the usage of the white goods by the respondents.

REPRESENTED IN %

U A E FP O U T SG O RDC
9 0 8 0 7 0 6 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 2 0 1 0 0

Ws in ah g Mc in ah e Medium Heavy Light user user user user Rf ig r to er ea r A - od nr ir Cn itio e Non 4

2 T P O UA E YE F S G

Chart 4 Represents the graphical data of the usage by the respondents with reference to each
White goods taken for the study. This clearly defines that people are using the white goods regularly for their work in day to day work and they have become a part of life especially in the middle income group where both husband and wife are employed. These white goods save time to the maximum extent for the couple with odd working hours.

Conclusion cum Suggestion :

The present day consumer is too smart. He is having the ready accessibiliyt of all the products with a distance of click of a mouse.The marketer and managers whould work hard to satisfy their customers. They have to have a updated information of th echanging trends and patterns of their customers.The recent study has proved that 75%of the customers have left their favourite brand as they were not convinced regarding the deficency of service and theyr were not contacted for further clarifications. |Therefore it a tough job for a marketer manager of the present generation to manage the set of customers. He shoudl have a continuois process of research and keep pdating the product with the katest techonology as expected by his customers.

Bibiligraphy:
Consumer behavior by Chunawala Consumer behavior by Leon. G.Shiffman Consumer behavior by David L.Loudon & Albert J.Della Bitta Introducing to psychology by Clifford T.Morgan, Richard A King. Research methodology by Ravilochan Research methodology by C.B.Gupta. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2003). Research Methods for Business Students (3rded.). Edinburgh Gate, Essex, England: Pearson Education Limited. Turban, E., Leidner, D., McLean, E., & Wetherbe, J. (2006b). Information Technology for Management. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Tzu, S. (2005). The Art of War (L. Giles, Trans.). The United States of America: El Paso Norte Press. (Original work published 6th cent. B.C Fornell, Claes. (1992). A National Customer Satisfaction Barometer: The Swedish

experience. Jourrral of Murkerirrg 56 (January). 6-21. Helson, Harry. (1964). Level Theocv. New York: Harper d Row ICFAI journal of marketing management ICFAI journal of brand management Advancage management GIM Journal Articles in various papers. International journal on marketing and consumer behavior.

Questionnaire
Post- purchase satisfaction in consumer w.r.to white goods of LG Electronics
Respected Sir/Madam, I am Ms.B. Neeraja Research Scholar from Dr. MGR University, Chennai. I am doing my research work on the topic Post- purchase level of satisfaction in consumer w.r.to white goods of LG Electronics. I therefore kindly request your to spend your valuable time to fill this questionnaire.

I: Personal Details:

1.Name of the Institution : _____________________________________ 2. Designation : 3. Age: ____________________________ 18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 & above

4. Marital Status: 5. Education:

Married W Widowed

S Single (never married) D Divorced or separated

High School U UG P PG P Professional course D Doctorate O Others 6. Income of the family Per month Use / X to Individual express your views Below Rs.10,000 Rs.10,001 - Rs.20,000 Rs.20,001 Rs.30,000 Rs.30,001- Rs.40,000 Rs.40,000 and above 8. Occupation: P Professional T Technical M Manager O Others Family

II : Pre-Purchase details: Answer the below questions if you are user of LG companys goods
9. When did you buy the product: Washing Machine ___ yrs Refrigerator ____yrs Air-Conditioner _____yrs. 10.What was your idea before buying the product Washing Machine
It is a necessity good It is a luxury good If others please give details

Refrigerator

Air conditioner

11.What features did you consider before buying the following: Rank them No.1 being the top most priority and No.15 as the least priority. Features
1 2 Price Quality Assurance

Washing Machine

Refrigerator

Air conditioner

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Advertisement Utility After sales services Latest Technology Brand Name Imported good (Foreign product) Availability of spare parts Colors available Technical assistance Warrantee period Home Delivery Distance to Company show room Past Experience with the shop

12. Brand Consciousness / Price Equals Quality Use / X to express your views
Washing Machine Refrigerator Air -Conditioner

1 2 3 4 5 6

I believe that the well-known brands are for me The more expensive Brands are usually my choice Higher the price, the better the quality of product Specialty stores offer me the best products I prefer buying the bestselling Brands Most advertised brands are usually my preference

13.How do you collect Information for purchasing a white good ? A Advertisement N Neighbors F Friends and relatives Dealers C Colleagues Sales representatives Others O

14.Price Conscious and expect value for my money 1 2 3

I buy when ever possible during promotional offers The lowest price products are usually not my choice I look carefully to find the best value for my money

Use / X to express your views

Washing Machine Refrigerator Air -Conditioner

15.Habits / Brand Loyalty 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Use / X to express your views

Washing Machine Refrigerator Air -Conditioner

I have favorite Brands I buy again and again Once I like the performance of the product I stick to it I go to the same shop each time I need to purchase I change Brands very regularly

SA
I Pick the same brand of product habitually I Think about the products I buy & select them as they satisfy I Look for bargains, deals, premiums, & usually compare prices I Want quality and will pay extra to get it

NI

DA

SDA

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

I Choose well advertised brands and do not take chances on unknown products or manufacturers I Keep trying new products to see what they are like I Judge brand on the basis of ingredients, weight, & package size I Never read the information on a package to find out what it contains I Am attracted to brand by its name, color , package, and its design I Usually buy what friends say is good I Pay attention to advertisements and study them to make up my mind on what to buy I do not check into low-cost items much, but do shop intelligently and compare prices for high-priced Products

I buy what I need when I need it and when a store is handy

18.Buying style:
NI= No idea

Use / X to express your views SA= Strongly Agree S

DA= Dis agree SDA=strongly Dis agree

A=Agree

19.I Am conservative and do not take chances S SA= Strongly Agree A=Agree NI= No idea
20 .I had to take a calculated risk SA= S Strongly Agree A=Agree NI= No idea

DA= Dis agree SDA=strongly dis-agree

DA= Dis agree SDA=strongly dis-agree

21.Take chances just to see what will happen S SA= Strongly Agree A=Agree NI= No idea

DA= Dis agree SDA=strongly dis-agree

22.I Plan shopping carefully with a list of needs and make an excursion out of the trip S SA= Strongly Agree A=Agree NI= No idea DA= Dis agree SDA=strongly dis-agree

IV. Post Purchase Details

23.I Am conservative and have taken chances in selecting LG products S SA= Strongly Agree A=Agree NI= No idea DA= Dis agree SDA=strongly dis-agree 24.I had taken a calculated risk and I am satisfied with the product
HS=Highly Satisfied S=Satisfied NC=No-comments DS=Dissatisfied HDS= Highly dis-satisfied 25.Would you recommend LG Products to others :

Y Yes 26.Are you satisfied with the product features

HS=Highly Satisfied S=Satisfied

N No

No Comments Use / X to express your views

HDS= Highly dis-satisfied

NC=No-comments DS=Dissatisfied

Product/Features
1 2 3 4 Price Quality Advertisement Utility

Washing Machine
HS S NC DS HDS

Refrigerator
HS S NC DS HDS

Air conditioner
H S S NC DS HDS

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

After sales services Latest Technology Brand Name Customer care service Availability of spare parts Technical assistance Warrantee period Home Delivery

26.I am a
Washing Machine Refrigerator Air -Conditioner

1 2 3 4

Light user Medium user Heavy user Non user

27. I have used your product for a: :

Short time

Many years

Thank you for the interest you have taken in answering this questionnaire This information would strictly be used only for the academic purpose.