Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

The three people I interviewed I asked them about when the purchase coffee. One of the people I interviewed didn’t drink coffee that often. The other two have been drinking coffee for a while. For those two, quality was very important. For one of the two, they drank their coffee black. He explained how the quality is important over the price because he doesn’t add any sugar or creamer. This person said it isn’t a big deal if they try a new place and don’t like it because coffee is only a couple dollars. When I asked about the atmosphere of the coffee shop, two of them said that they cared about the aesthetic. They both explained how getting coffee was more than just getting a drink. When they go get coffee they usually stay at the shop for a while. They either talk with friends or study there. One person I interviewed said they really appreciate good customer service. The other person I interviewed said they usually get coffee to go so the look of the shop is less important. When I asked how they usually pay for coffee, they all said with a debit card. All three don’t usually carry around much cash. I asked them if they use punch cards or have some kind of reward system. The two who drank coffee the most said they do use the punch cards or reward system. One of the said they usually forget to get their card punched. The third person said they don’t like trying to keep up with the card and don’t go that often anyways. When asked how they determined if their coffee was worth the money spent they all agreed that it was based off of taste. Overall, I feel like coffee is an easy product to evaluate. If you like it you’ll return and if you don’t then you won’t be returning.

Halfway Reflection

For this course I have had to be smart with time management. The lectures are important for that week's assignments. The assignments take a couple of days to do so watching the lectures as soon as possible is best. I have found that working on the assignments over a couple days has been best. I can get overwhelmed when I try to do the whole thing in a few hours. When I had to record myself giving an elevator pitch I felt like giving up because I had exams and other assignments that I felt were more important. That week I was behind in this class and I ended up very stressed out over the assignments. With the help of my roommate, I was able to focus and get the assignment done. It was helpful having the support of my friends. She has known me for a long time and understands what stresses me out. Another time I  defeated was when I forgot to submit the first week of assignments. I had written them out and posted them on my blog but forgot to submit the URL on canvas. To start off the semester with that was hard. Not only did I not get points for the post but I also couldn't get points for commenting on other's blog posts. I just had to be aware of submitting the URL from then on. Three tips I would give a student that wanted to take this class are 1)understanding failure 2)be able to focus when stressed 3)find support/a way to relax.

Figuring out buy behavior no. 1

            The segment I choose to interview are people who go to coffee shops to do homework 2-3 times a week. I asked the people I interviewed about how they try to avoid traveling to a busy coffee shop. One of the people I interviewed said they will text a friend if they know someone there. This person said they just risk it being full if they don’t know anymore. Another person I interviewed said they will go in the early morning. They said it usually isn’t hard to find a table at certain locations. She explained how Starbucks is usually always pretty busy and avoids doing homework there. The last person I interviewed said by experience he has learned the right times to go do homework outside of his apartment. He explained how he still has a hard time finding an open table from time to time, but he mostly is good at knowing when it is least likely to be crowded. This person is a senior so has had four years to figure out the local coffee shops. I found there isn’t really a way to search how crowded a place is like at Disney how rides will have wait times. I think it would be kind of silly to have the same thing for coffee shops, but I think my app idea will be more relax and suited for college students. Yelp has an average business graph but it is not updated daily, hourly…

            The segment I chose doesn’t have many ways to search for information. They are aware of the struggle and have had to find ways to overcome it or just get use to it.

Reading Reflection

            When I began the book, Miracles Happen, I was surprised by Mary Kay’s story leading up to starting her business. She had been divorced and the mother of three. This was during a time when women were taken advantage of in the business world. I admired how all the struggles she overcame earlier in her life, she incorporated in Mary Kay Cosmetics to make it successful and unique. There wasn’t really anything that I didn’t admire about her. She was helping women become empowered and giving them cars. Mary Kay did encounter a lot of adversity and failures. She was told by her lawyer and accountant that her company would not make it. She also told stories of how she would train men in her previous jobs and they would go on to be her superior because “they had a family to provide for,” while she was a single mother.

            Mary Kay exhibited the ability to believe in herself. She was also very good at applying things she had learned in the past to her current situation to better it. Many of the business skills used in Mary Kay are lesson’s she learned throughout her life.

            I would enjoy asking Mary Kay about how she feels leading the change for women in the work force. I would also ask her why pink cars? I think the company has enough pink going on.

            There wasn’t a part of the book that was confusing. I found it very easy to read.

            Mary Kay had been working as hard as she could since a little girl. In the first few chapters she talks about how she had to take care of her sick father while her mother worked. She explained how competitive she was and was always trying to beat her own best. Mary Kay believes in competing against your own self and striving for self-growth. I am not very competitive, but that does not mean to be lazy. I think everyone should work hard at their goals.