C. Jeanne Hill

Gender and coupon use

Men have not traditionally been considered a viable target market for most household purchases and, thus, for coupon distribution. However, with significant social changes over the last several decades, men may offer an opportunity for sales growth in many product categories. This study surveyed 206 males and females to identify gender differences in products purchased, frequency of coupon use by product type, and coupon source. The study also used demographics and parental coupon use to profile gender differences. Men were found to play a major role in household purchases, particularly for groceries, and to be light users of coupons overall. Men also were found to purchase more online products and more food delivery services than women but to use fewer coupons. Men were, however, found to be heavy users of grocery store loyalty cards.

Professional versus generic retail services: new insights

The recognition of services as a distinct type of product requiring distinct marketing approaches is a relatively recent development in the literature. While scholars have examined decision‐based differences between the marketing of services in general and the marketing of tangible products, few have had as their primary focus differences in client behavior relative to professional versus other services. Thus produced is the impetus for the study reported here. Focusses on identifying strategically useful distinctions between consumer external search and evaluation activities for professional versus generic retail services. Examines the advisability of assuming that what occurs relative to the search and evaluation of tangible products or services in general will automatically be mirrored in an among‐services setting.

The nature of problem recognition and search in the extended health care decision

Within the existing health care system, a significant percentage of Americans over the age of 65 will have need of extended health care. Yet the extended care industry has little information as to how consumers will make a choice among placement options. The results of this study describe both the need recognition and pre‐selection search stages of the decision process and the impact of need recognition on subsequent search activity. The information obtained from an influential person as the problem is being defined appears to have a complex relationship with pre‐selection search, with initial information leading to less search but additional information increasing search activity. Contrary to previous studies, pre‐selection search was found to be fairly extensive, increasing with time availability.

Determinant attributes in nursing home choice: profiling attribute segments.

Abstract The majority of research of nursing home choice focuses on attribute importance. In comparison, this study identifies attributes that determine choice. Utilizing dual-questioning methodology, 177 nursing home decision-makers rated not only the importance of ten attributes to their choice, but also how different they perceived nursing homes to be on those attributes. When compared, determinant attributes were different from importance attributes. Respondents reported that cleanliness, location, and reputation were most determinant in nursing home choice. However, depending on profile characteristics such as income and relationship of the decision maker to the patient, determinant attributes differed. Therefore, profile characteristics influence determinant attributes.

Consumer Perceptions of the Efficacy of Price as an Index of Professional Service Quality

Abstract The study reported focuses on the price-quality perception for four professional Services-physicians, dentists, optometrists, and lawyers. Cluster analysis was performed to dis cover possible differences among consumers in the strength of the price-quality be lief. In addition, the impact that perceived service complexity, variability of procedures, and stress may have on propensity to believe price is an indicator of Service quality was in vestigated. Over all, a strong price-quality perception was found for all four profes sions. How ever, respondents differed significantly in the strength of the perception, with younger respondents living in smaller cities most likely to hold strong price-quality be liefs. Only weak Relationships were found be tween price-quality and complexity, pro cedures, and stress.