Ch. 6: Consumer Decision Making

When it comes to buying a car, the consumer's decision making process might be the most intense and detail-oriented process out of any other product (other than maybe a house). When it comes to spending that much money on something ($60,000-$150,000), the consumer's decision making process must be almost surgical, going through every pro and con that the car has to offer. Audi, thankfully, makes this process quite easy for the consumer, assuming the consumer knows what he is looking for. In the initial stages of the process, the consumer will see that Audi's cars are among the most stylish and beautiful, which would help him overcome the stigma of having an unstylish or out of date car. After seeing the car, the consumer will want to test drive it. Audi's new Quattro system allows the driver to have an almost velcro-like grip on the ground, while they're new emission-reducing engines still create the same amount of raw power that a normal, environmentally harmful engine would. Social class obviously has something to do with the process, as someone who makes a six figure salary probably wouldn't want a Hyundai or a Kia, as they are not appropriate signs of ones status and position in the world (if that's what you want your car to do).  When it comes to post purchase behavior, the consumer will be extremely pleased with Audi's top of the line customer service (I for one can attest to that, whenever my father would go in for a repair or a check up, the service was impeccable. If a charge was disputed or something didn't look right, the service agents would immediately fix it or remove the charge, and while we were waiting they would treat us to coffee and snacks). Also, to match up with their competitors, Audi has begun to give their cars a better resale value, as many people want new cars after a few years, but a lot of technically advanced cars become obsolete once a newer form of that technology comes out. Audi's focus on the consumer has become one of the most important priorities to them, and it is certainly starting to show.