Surveys that ask if a product is good value

[beanzontoast]

Ever found yourself completing an online retailer's survey and you get to a question like: "On a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is exceptionally good, do you think our product represents value for money?"

Imagine I think the product is really good value - works well (so I score it highly in those categories of the survey too), but costs less than I expected to pay. Surely if I (and lots of other people) score the product as 8, 9 or 10 on the 'value for money' scale, the marketing guys who analyse the data will think; "People have scored it highly in terms of how well it works so they obviously like it, yet they say it's relatively cheap. Hey - we're pricing this too low. Let's bump the price up." So by giving honest replies, the consumer risks shooting themselves in the foot!

Now obviously there are limits to how far a manufacturer / retailer can bump up a price without risking a fall in sales as the competing products start to become increasingly attractive. Unless, that is, they have a unique product or a brand line that 'locks in' the consumer in some design or function-related way.

Whenever I get to the 'value for money' question (as well as the 'how well do you think we compare against the competition?' type questions) I always err on the side of caution in my ratings.

Anyone else feel this way?

 

[snorri]

Whenever I get to the 'value for money' question (as well as the 'how well do you think we compare against the competition?' type questions) I always err on the side of caution in my ratings.

Anyone else feel this way?

Yes.

 

[Strick]

Most definately.

 

[beanzontoast]

Which makes me wonder why they bother asking in the first place if there's a chance a proportion of the answers to that particular question are likely to be skewed. Even if some people do answer totally openly, the responses taken as a whole will not tell the real picture. Pointless!

 

[Oxo]

Some people will not buy a product if they think that it is too cheap. They assume it must be poor quality etc. etc. and will see a more expensive option as better long term value.

 

[beanzontoast]

Some people will not buy a product if they think that it is too cheap. They assume it must be poor quality etc. etc. and will see a more expensive option as better long term value.

Absolutely true, but there are such things as genuine bargains - good quality products at low prices - and equally there are items of bike equipment I've paid a premium price for only to find they didn't live up to the price tag. Price doesn't tell the whole story.