Purchase decision-making within professional consumer services

Abstract

This article analyses purchase decision-making for products and services that are acquired and used by consumers, but chosen by professional service providers. This is done by comparing the distinct characteristics of purchase decision-making in the contexts of professional consumer services and organizational and consumer buying. Three aspects are elaborated on: the actors involved, the purchase-decision task, and the nature of the decision-making process. It is concluded that professional consumer services represents a unique setting for purchase decision-making and cannot be considered equivalent to the organizational or consumer setting. The article proposes a theoretical framework incorporating the typical characteristics of professional services as a decision-making context, specified in a set of propositions regarding the relative influence of the parties on the purchase decision. Practical and research implications are also presented.