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KarishmaB
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A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model 01 Jun 2025, 23:20
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We don't have to find an option that says they value precision. We have to find an option that says that we cannot conclude that precision was not an important concern for consumers. The outcome does not imply it.
(B) is giving a different reason for why people did not buy the new razor.

RiyaJ0032
But how is B saying that they value precision?

B is just saying that the consumers favored older models because of their familiarity with it,
it says that the consumers believe they get "best results" from older razors because they are more familiar with the older razors

it's not saying that they value the precision

from B one can only infer that consumer chose familiarity with older model over a new model offering precision (be it for whatever reason, they may believe old razor gets them best results - best results need not translate to precision, it can be the razor is more ergonomic, etc)

Not sure if B can be chosen as the answer

Please someone can shed some light for this Q

KarishmaB
DmitryFarber
MartyMurray
egmat
napolean92728


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This question is really asking us to identify the finding that would most seriously weaken (or "challenge") the conclusion of the company, which was that "precision was not an important concern for consumers."

How did the company reach that conclusion? We can infer that the company had already been selling multiple older razor models when it introduced a newer model, offering various features that ensured a degree of precision not possible with older models. This newer model did not sell as well as the older models after a year on the market. The company concluded that precision must not be an important concern for consumers, since those consumers were seemingly not attracted by the improved precision of the newer model.

So, did the newer model fail to sell as well as the older models because consumers are not very concerned with precision? Or could one of the findings in the answer choices have contributed to the poor sales numbers?

Quote:
a) Around the time the new razor was unveiled, a consumer guide reported that many shoddy haircuts and shaves were the result of faulty precision features in razors.
This finding tells us that faulty precision features can cause shoddy ("poor quality") haircuts and shaves, but it does not tell us whether precision is an important CONCERN for consumers (or what percentage of consumers actually saw this report). If consumers did read the report but do not care about precision, then the report would not motivate the consumers to buy the new model. In that case, the finding would actually support the company's conclusion, not challenge it.

If we somehow knew that a large proportion of consumers read the report, are concerned about precision, but still did not buy the new model for some other reason(s), then the finding would challenge the company's conclusion. But without further information, we cannot determine whether this finding supports the conclusion or challenges it, so (A) can be eliminated.

Quote:
b)Razor users typically find that they get the best results from older razors because they are most familiar with their features.
The finding in choice (B) provides another reason that explains why sales of the new model were relatively low. If consumers are concerned about precision but feel that they will get better overall results from an older razor, then the consumers will not be inclined to buy the new model, despite being attracted to the enhanced precision that it offers. This alternative explanation does not require that consumers are indifferent to precision, so choice (B) does challenge the conclusion of the company. We'll keep this one.

Quote:
c)The company does a significant part of its business with hair salons and barber shops, which are frequented by people who do not own electric razors themselves.
This finding neither weakens nor strengthens the company's conclusion because it does not tell us whether the relatively low sales of the new model can be contributed to consumers' lack of concern for precision or to other factors. For example, given this finding, it is possible that, say, 40% (a "significant" part) of sales comes from hair salons and barber shops while 60% comes from individual consumers. If those consumers (the 60%) are not very concerned with precision, they might not have been enticed to buy the new model and sales would have been relatively low, supporting the company's conclusion. Or perhaps those consumers DO care about precision but chose not to buy the new model for other reasons. The finding in choice (C) may or may not challenge the company's conclusion and can be eliminated.

Quote:
d)Despite the addition of new precision features on the new razor model, the razor did not significantly increase in price.
if the razor DID significantly increase in price, then this finding would challenge the conclusion of the company because it would provide another reason why consumers may not have been inclined to buy the razor, despite being attracted to its enhanced precision. However, since the price did NOT increase, concern for precision may or may not have been a factor. Perhaps, as suggested by the company, consumers were not impressed with the enhanced precision and chose to stay with their current models. Or perhaps consumers WERE impressed by the enhanced precision but chose not to buy the newer model for other reasons (i.e., the new model may have been too complicated and difficult to use). Choice (D) can be eliminated.

Quote:
e)Other razor-making companies introduced new models with similar precision features, and these went on to sell relatively well.
We have no idea why those other models sold well. Perhaps the other companies had better marketing or offered much lower prices. Perhaps consumers were not interested in the precision features of those successful razors but instead were interested in various other features of those razors. We don't know if choice (E) challenges the conclusion of the company in the passage, so it can be eliminated. This leaves us with choice (B).
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A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model 01 Jun 2025, 23:50
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Hi KarishmaB,
Thanks for the reply
However, I had some insights on the explanation you provided

yes, B is giving a different reason
but it's not saying that they value familiarity + precision
it can be that they value familiarity (only) and that they do not give as much importance to precision (in which case argument would be strengthened)
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A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model 02 Jun 2025, 01:59
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@RijaJ0032 - Please see my reasoning below:

1. What is the job of the correct answer?

The job of the correct answer is to prove that consumers DO value precision in their razors, thereby challenging the company's conclusion that "precision is not an important concern for consumers."

The answer does NOT need to explain why the razor sold poorly - it only needs to show that the conclusion about consumer preferences is wrong.

2. What are some correct answers?
Strong correct answers might include:
  • "Consumer surveys consistently rank precision as the most important feature when purchasing razors"
  • "Market research shows that consumers are willing to pay 50% more for razors that promise superior precision"
  • "The best-selling razors in the market all prominently advertise their precision features"
These directly show that consumers value precision, without explaining the poor sales.

3. Why is choice E incorrect?
Choice E fails because:
  1. It says nothing about consumer preferences - just that some razors with precision features sold "relatively well"
  2. "Relatively well" is meaningless - could still be poor sales, just less poor. Razor 1 sold 1000 units, Razor 2 sold 1500 units = relatively well, in a market of a million units/week.
  3. No causal link - we don't know if they sold well BECAUSE of precision or despite it
  4. It doesn't address what consumers value at all

4. Why is choice B correct?
Choice B succeeds because:
  • It directly states that "users find they get the best results" from their chosen razors
  • This proves consumers are seeking the best shave quality (precision = best results)
  • It shows consumers actively choose based on performance/precision
  • The reason WHY they achieve best results (familiarity) is irrelevant - what matters is they're pursuing quality

The key insight: If consumers choose razors based on getting "the best results," then they clearly value precision/quality in their shave.

I hope this helps!

-Rajat
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A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model 02 Jun 2025, 03:42
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"If consumers choose razors based on getting "the best results," then they clearly value precision/quality in their shave"

this one line cleared all my doubts!

Thank you Rajat, for addressing the root cause and presenting a crystal clear explanation!
egmat
@RijaJ0032 - Please see my reasoning below:

1. What is the job of the correct answer?

The job of the correct answer is to prove that consumers DO value precision in their razors, thereby challenging the company's conclusion that "precision is not an important concern for consumers."

The answer does NOT need to explain why the razor sold poorly - it only needs to show that the conclusion about consumer preferences is wrong.

2. What are some correct answers?
Strong correct answers might include:
  • "Consumer surveys consistently rank precision as the most important feature when purchasing razors"
  • "Market research shows that consumers are willing to pay 50% more for razors that promise superior precision"
  • "The best-selling razors in the market all prominently advertise their precision features"
These directly show that consumers value precision, without explaining the poor sales.

3. Why is choice E incorrect?
Choice E fails because:
  1. It says nothing about consumer preferences - just that some razors with precision features sold "relatively well"
  2. "Relatively well" is meaningless - could still be poor sales, just less poor. Razor 1 sold 1000 units, Razor 2 sold 1500 units = relatively well, in a market of a million units/week.
  3. No causal link - we don't know if they sold well BECAUSE of precision or despite it
  4. It doesn't address what consumers value at all

4. Why is choice B correct?
Choice B succeeds because:
  • It directly states that "users find they get the best results" from their chosen razors
  • This proves consumers are seeking the best shave quality (precision = best results)
  • It shows consumers actively choose based on performance/precision
  • The reason WHY they achieve best results (familiarity) is irrelevant - what matters is they're pursuing quality

The key insight: If consumers choose razors based on getting "the best results," then they clearly value precision/quality in their shave.

I hope this helps!

-Rajat
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A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model 02 Jun 2025, 03:48
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RiyaJ0032 - you are welcome! Glad that the response helped.
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A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model 02 Jun 2025, 20:45
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Parallel: If I have the older version of a software I may stick to that because I know how to use it and it gives me the best results. The new version may have better features that I like but if I don't know how to use them, I may not get good results. My reason is familiarity. It says nothing about whether I like those better features or not.

Conclusion: X happened because of Y
X - New razors did not sell
Y - People don't value precision

Option B - X happened because of Z
Z - People are familiar with old razors, not new

Did option (B) weaken your conclusion? Yes. It seems there is another reason so conclusion weakened.
Did it prove that the conclusion does not hold? No. It does not imply that people actually do value precision. But we don't need to disprove, only weaken.

This question has been discussed here: https://youtu.be/JlSkXDplwzE
RiyaJ0032
Hi KarishmaB,
Thanks for the reply
However, I had some insights on the explanation you provided

yes, B is giving a different reason
but it's not saying that they value familiarity + precision
it can be that they value familiarity (only) and that they do not give as much importance to precision (in which case argument would be strengthened)
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A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model 11 Jun 2025, 19:23
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I picked E, but after re-reading the question again, E does not challenge the view that "precision was not an important concern for consumers", because E basically confirms that precision is an important feature.
2013gmat
Which of the following best completes the passage?

A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model that offered various features that ensured a degree of precision not possible with older models. After a year on the market, the new model proved to sell poorly compared to its older counterparts, leading the company to conclude that precision was not an important concern for consumers. However, this view was seriously challenged by a later finding that __________.


(A) Around the time the new razor was unveiled, a consumer guide reported that many shoddy haircuts and shaves were the result of faulty precision features in razors.

(B) Razor users typically find that they get the best results from older razors because they are most familiar with their features.

(C) The company does a significant part of its business with hair salons and barber shops, which are frequented by people who do not own electric razors themselves.

(D) Despite the addition of new precision features on the new razor model, the razor did not significantly increase in price.

(E) Other razor-making companies introduced new models with similar precision features, and these went on to sell relatively well.

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A company that makes electric razors recently introduced a new model 12 Jul 2025, 20:42
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I have a feeling that GMAT is simply rewarding people who think in the same way as the people who design the questions.
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