Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Submitted by
PRANAV M NAIR
Reg. No: 190031000680
i
MAR ATHANASIOS COLLEGE
FOR ADVANCED STUDIES
TIRUVALLA
Ph: 0469 2730323 Fax: 0469 2730317 macfast@macfast.org
www.macfast.org
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project report entitled “A STUDY ON CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION TOWARDS MARUTI SUZUKI CARS WITH SPECIAL
REFERENCE TO AVG MOTORS THIRUVALLA “is a bonafide report of the
project work undertaken by PRANAV M NAIR, fourth semester MBA student of
our college during a period of 8 weeks commencing from 1st April to 30th May,
2021.
I also declare that this project report has not been submitted to any other University
or Institute for the award of any degree or diploma.
i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The study will not be complete without acknowledging my sincere gratitude to all
persons who have helped me in the preparation of this report.
I express my sincere thanks to God almighty for giving the strength and presence
of mind to complete the work successfully.
Let me express my gratitude to the principal Rev. Dr. Cherian J Kottayil and I
express my sincere thanks to the Dr. Sudeep B Chandramana (HOD,
Department of Management Studies) and also I express my sincere thanks to the
faculty guide DR.AJAI KRISHNAN G for his valuable guidance, unfailing
support, good suggestions and timely encouragement for the preparation. Let me
also thank all the faculty members of the department for their help in the successful
completion of the project.
I would like to thank all those who have directly or indirectly contributed to the
success of the project. I also take this opportunity to express profound gratitude to
my parents, family members and several people who have contributed for the
successful completion of the project.
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LIST OF TABLES
iii
LIST OF FIGURES
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ABBREVIATIONS
ASSOCIATION
AI :ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
d’AUTOMOBILES
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CONTENTS
Page No.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (i-ii)
ABBREVIATIONS (vi)
vi
3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
3.1 Brief Theoretical Construct related to the Problem 20
3.2 An Overview of Earlier Studies 30
3.3 Uniqueness of Research Study 36
ANNEXURES 72
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CHAPTER 1
Customer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products and services supplied by
a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is seen as a key performance indicator
within business and is part of the four of a Scorecard. In a competitive marketplace where
businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and
increasingly has become a key element of business strategy. However, the importance of
customer satisfaction diminishes when a firm has increased bargaining power. For example,
cell phone plan providers, such as AT&T and Verizon, participate in an industry that is an
oligopoly, where only a few suppliers of a certain product or service exist. As such, many cell
phone plan contracts have a lot of fine print with provisions that they would never get away if
there were, say, a hundred cell phone plan providers, because customer satisfaction would be
way too low, and customers would easily have the option of leaving for a better contract
offer. There is a substantial body of empirical literature that establishes the benefits of
customer satisfaction for firms.
Although companies conduct customer satisfaction research for various reasons, the overall
goal is to help them “stay as close to their customers as humanly possible. Many leading edge
companies and research firms focus on obtaining useful feedback from customers and clients
and converting it into “actionable” steps to improve their performance. Some want feedback
from customers about existing or new products and services. Others want to know how to
target their resources on issues of concern to customers. Still others want to demonstrate a
commitment to listening to their customers. As a by-product, customer feedback can provide
actual examples of good and bad practices for employee training and continuous
improvement efforts. The organization‟s objectives define what it wants to learn from
customers and guides how the information is collected. Experts advise that first defining
measurable objectives will allow organizations to “learn the effectiveness of your survey, and
it will help you in reinvesting the information you learned. In general, the research focus is
how reliably the organization fulfills customer satisfaction and what can be done to improve.
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1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The objective of the study is to find out the satisfaction of customers of AVG MOTORS
THIRUVALLA.It helps in analyzing the satisfaction of customers in their products. This
study is mainly concerned with the marketing department of the company.
Understanding and meeting customer‟s expectations and subsequently being different from
competitors are important in order to survive in the today world of globalization. Due to
dynamic environment and increasing services from competitors, it is must for automobile
industry to provide excellent service and focus on continuing improvement.
The main purpose of the study is to understand the customer satisfaction and to know the
customers behavior towards MARUTI SUZUKI Motors. This study is needed to find out the
customer satisfaction towards the products and services of MARUTI SUZUKI and its
importance to customer as well as to company.
1. To study the demographic profile of customers of Maruti Suzuki cars at AVG Motors
Thiruvalla
2. To know the customer satisfaction towards the after sales service offers by AVG
MOTORS.
3. To study the customer satisfaction towards Maruti Suzuki cars at AVG Motors
Thiruvalla.
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CHAPTER 2
The term automotive was created from Greek autos (self), and Latin motivus (of motion) to
represent any form of self-powered vehicle. This term was proposed by Elmer Sperry.
Automotive industry is a wide range of companies involved in the design, development,
manufacturing, marketing and selling of motor vehicles, some of them are called automakers.
It is the one of the world‟s most important economic sector by revenue. The automotive
industry does not include industries dedicated to the maintenance of automobiles following
delivery to the end-user, such as automobile repair shop and motor fuel filling stations. The
automotive industry began in the 1890s with hundreds of manufacturers that pioneered the
horseless carriage. For many decades, the United States led the world in total automobile
production. In 1929, before the Great Depression, the world had 32,028,500 automobiles in
use, and the U.S. automobile industry produced over 90% of them. At that time the U.S. had
one car per 4.87 persons. After World War II, the U.S. produced about 75 percent of world's
auto production. In 1980, the U.S. was overtaken by Japan and became world's leader again
in 1994. In 2006, Japan narrowly passed the U.S. in production and held this rank until 2009,
when China took the top spot with 13.8 million units. With 19.3 million units manufactured
in 2012, China almost doubled the U.S. production, with 10.3 million units, while Japan was
in third place with 9.9 million units. From 1970 (140 models) over 1998 (260 models) to
2012 (684 models), the number of automobile models in the U.S. has grown exponentially.
The history of the automobile industry, through brief compared with that of many other
industries has exceptional interest because of its effects on 20th century history. Although the
automobile originated in Europe in the late 19th century, the United States completely
dominated the world industry for the first half of the 20th century through invention of mass
production technique. The automobile is a primary mode of transportation for many
developed economies. Automobiles and other motor vehicles have to comply with a certain
number of norms and regulations whether local or international, in order to be in the market.
Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007,
consuming over 980 billion liters of gasoline and diesel fuel yearly. The automobile is a
primary mode of transportation for many developed economies. In the developed countries,
the automotive industry has slowed down. it is also expected that this trend will continue.,
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especially as the younger generation of people no longer want to own a car anymore and
prefer other modes of transport.
The United States has one of the largest automotive in the world and is home to many global
vehicles and auto parts manufacturers. US is the world‟s second largest market for vehicle
sales. There is also an extensive network of auto parts suppliers serving the industry. Motor
vehicles parts manufacturing employed on average, just over 56000 people in 2015. It is
common for automobile manufacturers to hold stakes in other automobiles manufacturers.
These ownership can be explored under the detail for the individual companies.
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Supply factors for automobile industry
The automobile sector of India is one of the largest in the world and accounts for over 7.1%
of India‟s gross domestic product (GDP). It also contributes to nearly 22% of the country‟s
manufacturing GDP. The sector was first opened to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the
year 1991 during the liberalisation of the Indian economy and has come a long way since.
The industry produced a total of 23,960,940 vehicles in April-March 2015 as against
23,358,047 in April-March 2014, registering a growth of 2.58% over the same period last
year. The country is also currently the 6th largest market in the world for automobiles and is
expected to become the world's third-biggest car market by the year 2020. As per the
Automotive Components Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), the world standings
for the Indian automobile sector are as follows:
Today, 100% FDI is allowed in the sector through the automatic approval route which means
that foreign investors do not require the prior authorization of the Government of India. The
impact of this decision can be seen in the data released by Department of Industrial Policy
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and Promotion (DIPP) which states that the industry has attracted FDI worth USD 15.065
billion during the period April 2000 to March 2016.
Thus, it can be reasonably concluded that India has emerged as one of the key global players
(both as a consumer and a producer) in the automobile industry. It has witnessed tremendous
growth, especially in the last few years and has become a base for global manufacturers.
Volkswagen, Nissan, Renault, General Motors, Ford, Honda, Suzuki, Hyundai, Daimler,
BMW, Skoda, Audi are all present in India and are manufacturing and assembling locally.
Mercedes-Benz recently decided to make the entry level GLA-class Sport Utility Vehicle
(SUV) in India. Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India
(HMSI) opened its 4th and world‟s largest scooter plant in Gujarat while Chrysler has
planned to invest USD 513.5 million in Maharashtra, to manufacture Jeep Grand Cherokee
model.
Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007,
consuming over 980 billion litres (980,000,000 m3) of gasoline and diesel fuel yearly. The
automobile is a primary mode of transportation for many developed economies. The Detroit
branch of Boston Consulting Group predicted that, by 2014, one-third of world demand
would be in the four BRIC markets (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Meanwhile, in the
developed countries, the automotive industry has slowed down. It is also expected that this
trend will continue, especially as the younger generations of people (in highly urbanized
countries) no longer want to own a car anymore, and prefer other modes of transport. Other
potentially powerful automotive markets are Iran and Indonesia. Emerging auto markets
already buy more cars than established markets. According to a J.D. Power study, emerging
markets accounted for 51 percent of the global light-vehicle sales in 2010. The study,
performed in 2010 expected this trend to accelerate. However, more recent reports (2012)
confirmed the opposite; namely that the automotive industry was slowing down even in
BRIC countries. In the United States, vehicle sales peaked in 2000, at 17.8 million units.
In the modern age-the development of the economy of any country cannot be imagined
without the development of the automobile industry. In recent years, the global share of the
automotive industry in the GDP structure is increasing, and the growth dynamics will create
new jobs and increase the average wage. The automotive industry contributes to the
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expansion of the taxable base and revenues of the state budget, develops auxiliary branches,
influences scientific and technical progress, testifies to the level of solvent demand and the
standard of living of the population of the country and much more. Thus, the effective
functioning and development of the automotive industry is important not only economic, but
also social significance for any country.
The competitive realm of the auto industry is dynamic, and has been throughout the past
century.. Over the last century we have witnessed the evolution from craft production to mass
production under Henry Ford, to Sloan‟s policy of brand and product variety, to lean
production, and more recently, to build-to-order initiatives at both volume and luxury vehicle
manufacturers.. In the process, the competitive realm has shifted considerably, and the main
basis on which companies are competing has changed. In this chapter, the dynamics of the
competitive realm in the motor industry have been laid out over time, and four generic phases
could be identified: cost leadership, variety and choice, diversification, and customization. At
present, most companies are at the diversification and customization stages of this model,
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although it could be argued that Ford and GM in North America have remained at the
―variety and choice stage, competing on both cost and model variety, whereas others, such
as BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, Audi, and Renault, have found their diversifying feature:
brand image, innovative design, leading product technology or manufacturing excellence
provide the basis on which these companies have established individual competitive profiles.
Truly sustainable competitiveness in tomorrow‟s automobile industry can only be found in
developing customer-responsive supply systems that respond to both demanding customer
needs, as well an increasing product and model variety that has invoked considerable changes
in the economic foundations of the global automotive industry. Today the mood is cautious,
and industry growth has moderated. But nonetheless the long term prospects are strong, as
India is poised to be one of the fastest growing automotive markets worldwide over the next
decade and is slated to move from number 8 positions to number 3 positions in the passenger
vehicle market. And to harness this opportunity, effective management of the short term
challenges and implementation of sustainable strategies is the key to robust industry growth.
Effective pricing strategies shall help a company sell its products in a competitive market to
witness a profit. So, what are price strategies? Well, it is a way or literally an approach to find
the competitive price of service or a product in that particular market. This strategy is one of
the other marketing strategies followed in the system of every management. It is indeed a
known fact that a company's ultimate goal is to maximize their turnover. In order to
maximize the profit, one has to choose the right strategy for price setting.
Business magnate might use different combinations of price strategies to increase sales, but
finding the right strategy is a crucial step in the journey towards success. Often, the
misconceived thought on price setting is, sales volume is directly proportional to profit. An
increase in sales volume is expected to increase a company's profit. There are different
strategies one can depend on in the process of price setting. A few significant factors are
given below.
In order to gain a great market share, many companies embrace the penetration pricing
strategy. The company aims to set up a customer-based price in the market. This is primarily
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achieved by providing a free to low price for their products or services to a limited period of
time. This later on, with a revised version comes into the market as a premium product with a
little raise in the price. This strategy is implied to meet the expectation that consumers will
hop on to new brands when they're priced low. On the other hand, a psychological pricing
strategy is a method that embraces a consumer's emotional response rather than considering
their rational one. Here consumer ignores the quality of a service/ product but sticks on to the
costing price.
The product line pricing strategy is nothing but, providing service with an option to upgrade
upon choosing higher value packs. Consumers are pushed to compare the packages and
choose a wise plus cost-effective product or service. The other purpose of the product line
strategy is to bring a product or service to the spotlight which had low visibility or
recognition earlier. Whereas, economy pricing strategy embraces no to the low marketing
cost in product or service promotion. It's more like the budget pricing of a product or service.
A great example would be promoting only a certain range of products or services that shall
gain specific and quick attention among people.
This is the most effective method that is followed by many successful companies. Value-
based pricing is a nothing but, price setting strategy that exclusively focuses on consumer
perceived value of a service or product. This is entirely based on how consumers value the
product or service and how they find it worth buying. Many companies that offer unique and
high-value products choose this strategy in setting the price. The value-based pricing
embraces customer's abilities to buy a product by considering the unparalleled experience
upon buying a particular service or a product. Many luxury automakers find customer-value
based pricing strategy an effective method of approach. A value-based strategy will enable
manufacturing companies to extend the life-cycle of existing products and will help to
establish a great bond with value-added suppliers.
Manufacturers and service providers predict the future well enough to carry out a price
optimization system. They approach the Autobei Consulting Group for a detailed analysis of
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pricing strategies for automobiles. We evaluate the past performance with a specific set of
market conditions and suggest the state of conditions for the probability of profit for your
product or service in the market. This will help the automotive industry to gain an insight into
pricing strategy. Pricing analytics include the process of finding the underperformers of a
particular industry. It's highly crucial to analyze why certain product lines become your cause
of down economy. We develop reports exclusively after researching the probabilities and will
let you understand the customer value definition with facts and figures.
When a pricing system includes detailed pricing analytics, it will definitely boost the
customers' satisfaction. The system of achieving maximum profit with minimum wasted
effort shall only be obtained upon consulting the business consultants. ACG shall help you
find not only the best pricing strategy for your company but also identify the substitute
product or service that might better fit in a customers' budget. This will help your sales team
create a budget based service or product that shall come with a package deal to the customers
which in turn allows you to enhance customer's ability to purchase.
Almost everything in business aims for justification for the value of a specific price.
Customers do not buy a product or service by just seeing the price tag, they meticulously
research before buying it. With much of comparisons, they find the right choice that will fit in
their budget and lifestyle. Our business consulting services shall help you understand how
customers understand the value of a service or product. We consider a lot of factors, impacts
on buying decisions with that of other parameters before drawing the conclusion.
Key long-term trends are underway in the automotive industry. There will be a major
transformation over the next decade. Technology is significantly advancing for vehicles.
Through the year 2030, we are likely to see an increasing amount of electric vehicles on
the road. There is also likely to be more autonomous vehicles and ride-sharing.
One primary trend is that vehicles will increasingly become electric. Concerns
about climate change, especially with younger generations creates the need and
desire for cleaner vehicles. As technology advances and electric vehicles are able to
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increase their mileage between charges, they are likely to see increased sales.
Fig 1
Level 4 and 5 vehicles are likely to become available in the 2020s. (Level 5 is fully
autonomous with vehicles that can operate on any road under any condition that a
human could). However, they will probably be limited among the high-end expensive
vehicles initially. Another likely scenario is for trucks and buses to also become
autonomous in the early stages. Older qualified truck drivers are retiring and it may be
difficult for them to be replaced. The trucking industry is expected to need 900,000 new
drivers over the next decade. The industry is having a tough time filling the 100,000 job
opening in the current market. Therefore, autonomous trucks will be a viable way for
the trucking industry to keep up with demand. Consumers may not have a strong need
for autonomous vehicles right away. The need for businesses to run efficiently is
another story. This need will drive the use of autonomous vehicles in the trucking
industry earlier than wide adoption among consumers.
Vehicles are expected to be increasingly shared through 2030. This is likely to occur
in urban areas and in Europe. Fleets of vehicles could take commonly traveled routes
back and forth for commuters to get to and from work, sports events, concerts, etc.
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Car-sharing would allow users to pay per minute or mile without worrying about
ownership. Some vehicle owners could make their vehicles available for sharing for
extra money. Sixty percent of Europeans stated they would be prepared to share their
car for money.
Vehicles are expected to be increasingly „connected‟ via internet and cloud. Vehicles
will be connected to traffic management infrastructure and with other cars. Vehicles
will also be connected to passengers and pedestrians. Perhaps vehicles will send
warnings to pedestrians‟ phones when they are too close.
Vehicles are likely to be „yearly‟ updated. Annual updates will replace the current 5
to 8-year cycle for major updates. Trucks and cars are likely to run more
frequently as a result of being used differently. Autonomous trucks won‟t need to
take sleeping breaks. They may need some charging time, but that could take less
than a full night‟s sleep for a driver. Vehicle-sharing is likely to have cars on the
road more often. The increased frequency of usage creates the need for short
replacement cycles. Vehicles are expected to travel for more miles and they are used
more intensively. The short update cycles will also be for the latest
hardware/software developments.
There will be rapid R&D investments by auto manufacturers and related businesses.
Decisions regarding long-term structure and regulations for autonomous vehicles are
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expected to occur between 2020 and 2025.
Auto manufacturers and suppliers will have shrinking margins, but will have to
invest in innovations to keep pace with the new demand. The lower manufacturing
margins could lead to automakers providing mobility services (running a fleet of
shared vehicles) to boost margins. So, the future business model for automakers may
include: manufacturing, sales and the operation of shared vehicles.
About 50% of mileage driven in China, 40% of mileage driven in Europe and 36%
of mileage driven in the U.S. could be covered by autonomous vehicles by 2030.
By 2030, total mileage driven may increase by 24 in the United States, 28% in
Europe, and 183% in China.
During the transition period to autonomous, annual vehicle sales are expected to
increase by 40% to 24 million units in Europe, up 30% in China to 35 million units,
and up 20% in the United States to 22 million units.
There is new promising battery technology that may allow electric vehicle owners to
recharge their batteries in a similar way that we do now - with a liquid. This
technology is known as flow batteries. Flow batteries can be charged in minutes with a
liquid containing electrolytes. This looks like a practical solution to consumers‟ concerns of
being limited by a range of miles or long charging times for electric vehicles.
Flow battery technology has been around since the 1980s. However, the old flow batteries
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were too heavy for vehicles. The new flow batteries are light enough for vehicles. They
canbe filled as quickly as we fill cars with gasoline.
Flow battery technology has the potential to be added quickly to existing infrastructure
because a liquid-moving and storage system is already in place for gasoline. However, the
concerns about cost, safety and reliability for flow batteries still need to be resolved before
this could be put into widespread use.
Zinc-air batteries are another possibility for electric vehicles. They have the advantage of
being lighter and less costly (don't use cobalt) as compared to lithium-ion batteries. Zinc-air
batteries are also not flammable, giving them another key advantage over lithium-ion.
Zinc-air batteries are already used in hearing aids, watches, and in cell phone towers.
The challenge for zinc-air batteries is that when you try to recharge them, dendrite crystals
grow, which can short-out the battery when they get large enough. However, technology is
being developed to reduce dendrite growth to prevent shorting. So, zinc-air batteries will be
an important development to watch for electric vehicles as well as for grid storage in the
future.
At a glance, it may seem that the automotive industry is going strong and has nothing to
worry about. In the United States, it serves as the most significant component of retail sales
(about 20% of the total). It contributes almost 3% to the gross domestic product and
employs nearly 18 million people.
However, under the surface, things are not as optimistic: The entire industry already faces
some very serious challenges, which will play an even more significant role over the next
decade. The very fact that the industry is such a big contributor to the economy means that
anything that happens to it will have a major impact on the world as a whole.
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2.5.2.1 ENVIRONMENTALIST PRESSURE AND FUEL DEPENDENCE
For a long time, the automotive industry has been caught between a rock and a hard place;
or, more specifically, between customers‟ demands and the pressure from
environmentalists and governmental regulations. As transportation is responsible for about
30% of CO<sub<2 emissions in the European Union, car manufacturers are forced to
continuously work to decrease CO2 emissions from their new models, which in turn
increases their price and decreases their performance and safety (because the most common
approach to meeting new requirements is lowering the car‟s weight, which means using
lighter and flimsier materials). This makes production of vehicles using fossil fuels an
increasingly expensive and unpromising venue, especially when combined with the general
instability of the oil market (a recent attack on a Saudi oil plant shows how a single event
can disrupt it for months).
The automotive industry has to take into account the general trend against individual car
ownership. This no longer concerns just the people who travel by air and hire a car to move
around in a new city at their leisure. New rental services are different because they are
primarily used by locals – people only who rent cars for short periods of time when they
need them. This means that people are buying fewer cars, and the total number of cars will
still be less than if every individual owns a vehicle. This trend is likely to grow more
important in the coming years, and the automotive industry has to find ways of staying
profitable in spite of it.
As electric vehicles produce over 50% less CO2 emissions than average gas-powered
vehicles, governments and environmentalists strongly promote them. This means that car
manufacturers need to invest in developing this technology if they want to stay in business
once the stranglehold of CO2 regulations tightens around their necks. The companies that
can‟t produce solutions that are cheap and efficient enough are likely to go out of business.
For a long time, the Chinese automotive market has been the most profitable in the world.
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Dealing with it was risky, but staying away was riskier still – any car manufacturer that
ignores China loses share in a rapidly growing and extremely promising market. The
situation remains more or less the same now, with allowance for the changing economic
situation. The rapid growth that often disrupted any initial plans was replaced by slower
growth, an extremely fragmented market, savage competition, more restrictions related to
air pollution and traffic congestion, and the emergence of the used car market.
The emergence of the Internet of Things and AI in vehicles may change the car industry
forever. Cars that drive and interact with each other without human participation will
completely change the way people travel, It won‟t happen overnight but, once it starts, it
will not stop until this model completely replaces the old paradigm. So far, multiple car
manufacturers are making inroads into this realm but progress is relatively slow, and none
of them have advanced far enough to completely ensure the safety of everyone on the road.
The company that first achieves this will have the chance to become the dominant force in
the car market for decades to come – which means that all leading manufacturers have to
invest huge amounts of resources into this project if they want to remain relevant in the
future.
The automotive industry‟s challenges lie in both the technological and economic spheres,
and there are no clear-cut ways of overcoming them. It remains to be seen how
manufacturers will deal with them, and if these changes will lead to a radical restructuring
of the market.
The first key driver is economic conditions. When economic conditions are favorable,
people are more likely to purchase new vehicles giving momentum to the industry.
Slowdown in economic output leads to reduced consumer and business confidence and
levels of vehicle consumption goes down.
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economic cycles. The capacity issue has a strong influence on industry economics as
vehicle prices are calculated on forecast capacities and reduced capacity means higher unit
costs. Vehicle makers, therefore, get heavily impacted due to economic conditions.
The second key driver is consumer interest, their preferences and demand. There is a
growing demand for more choice. Volume production may become similar to that for
premium cars, with a greater number of vehicles being made to order on the basis of a
multi-option choice. The market for niche vehicles is growing, as consumers demand more
variation of body shape and styling. This has led to a variety of body shapes being
constructed on standard platforms.
There is an increased awareness of occupant and pedestrian safety, and consumers also
look for greater fuel economy, exemplified by the growing rise of fossil fuel prices.
Consumer are becoming more aware of specifications and looking for inclusion of more
on-board electronics and telecommunications systems. Automobile safety is tremendously
important to consumers in all markets and consumers are willing to pay more for vehicles
with safety features.
2.6.3 GLOBALIZATION
The third key driver is globalization and global industry influences. Today, the modern
global automotive industry operates in a global competitive marketplace. Globalization of
the automotive industry has been greatly accelerated during the last half of the 1990's due
to the construction of important overseas facilities and establishment of mergers between
giant multinational automakers. The world's largest automobile manufacturers invest into
production facilities in emerging markets in order to reduce production costs. Automakers,
have merged with, and in some cases established commercial strategic partnerships with
other automobile manufacturers, enabling them to expand in overseas markets.
Increasing global competition amongst the global manufacturers and positioning within
foreign markets has divided the world's automakers into three tiers, the first tier being GM,
Ford, Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen, and the two remaining tier manufacturers
attempting to consolidate or merge with other lower tier automakers to compete with the
first tier companies.
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2.6.4 TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
Other innovations that consumers are interested in include features that improve
navigation, like GPS, and features that enhance entertainment, including satellite radio and
in-car access to digital music.
In terms of the vehicle, the innovations that are likely to be in demand are more electronics
and telematics, move to a 42-volt electrical system, safety improvements, electrically
controlled steering, braking, ABS and suspension. There might be continued development
of electric, hybrid and fuel cell drives, especially for city cars and fleet vehicles.
The fifth key driver of the automotive industry is government. Legislation is a major driver
of the industry; emissions and recycling legislation have a strong impact both on vehicle
technologies and construction. In many countries, governments have imposed strict
environmental regulations dealing with fuel economy and emissions control on auto
manufacturers. These environmental legislations vary in different countries and define
standards that are compulsory for all vehicles sold in those countries
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CHAPTER 3
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
3.1BRIEF THEORETICAL CONSTRUCT RELATED TO THE
PROBLEM
Fig 2.
It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and is often part of a balanced
score card. In a competitive market where businesses compact for customers, customer
satisfaction is seen as a key differentiator and increasingly has become a key element of
business strategy. Within organization customer satisfaction ratings can have powerful
effects. They focus employers on the importance of fulfilling customer‟s expectations.
Furthermore when these ratings dip, they warn of problems that can affect sale and
profitability.These matrixes quantify an important dynamics. When a brand has loyal
customers, it gains positive word of-mouth marketing, which is both free and highly
effective.
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Therefore it is essential for business to effectively manage customer satisfaction. To be
abledo this farms need reliable and representative measure of satisfaction.
“In researching satisfaction, farms generally ask customers whether their product or service
has met or exceeded expansion. Thus, expansion is a key factor behind satisfaction.
When customer have a high expectation and the reality falls short, they will be
disappointed and will likely rate their experience less than satisfying. For this reason, a
luxury resort, for example, might receive a lower Satisfaction rating than a budget hotel-
even through these facilities and services would be deemed superior in absolute teams”
The important of customer satisfaction diminishes when a farm has increased bargaining
Dower. For example, cell phone plan providers, such as AT & T Verizon, participate in an
industry that is an oligopoly, where only a few suppliers of a certain product or service
exist. As such, many cell Phone plan contracts have a lot of tine print with provisions that
they would never get away if there Were, say, 100 cell phone plan providers, because
customer satisfaction would be far to low. and customers would easily have the options of
leaving for a better contract offer.
Fig 3.
Customer satisfaction is a term frequently used in marketing. While it's often abbreviated
as CSAT, it is more correct to abbreviate it as CS at. It is a measure of how products and
services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Customer
satisfaction is defined as "the number of customers, or percentage of total customers,
21
whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds
specified satisfaction goals. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 71
percent responded that they found a customer satisfaction metric very useful in managing
and monitoring their businesses.
The existence of many companies on the market is conditioned with a number of satisfied
customers. Customers are the key factor of the existence and company development on the
market. It is obvious then, that firms, which want to face the competition, need to provide
valuable and unique terms to their customers that will satisfy their needs. This satisfaction
includes not only the feelings associated with the purchasing process, but also the
atmosphere before and after the execution of purchases.
Fig 4.
If the company brings itself closer for clients, it easier fulfills their needs and desires for in
a long period of time. Therefore, a crucial factor of building a long-term success of the
company is ongoing satisfying client‟s needs. Customer satisfaction is often associated
with the customer gratification. Products or services, that are a source of satisfaction,
provide the desirable value to their customers, at least in an sufficient degree. Standard ISO
10004 specifies, that: “Satisfaction is a judgments, an opini
on expressed by the customer. The degree of satisfaction reflects the gap between the
customer‟s vision of the expected product, and the customer‟s perception of the delivered
product”. All decisions, made by the consumer, are affected by many factors, including
economic ones, such as: incomes, price, savings, loans, the impact of marketing
22
instruments, and noneconomic factors, such as: demographic, social or psychological
ones. Recognizing and satisfying customer‟s needs, expectations, preferences and
behaviour is not easy and what is more knowing it does not guarantee success on the
market. The reason of this is the fact, that consumer behaviour is not rational. Consumers,
who make a purchase of a certain good, usually have already clarified requirements
referring to its quality, purpose or use. They do not pay for the product in a physical sense,
but they pay for value or what they expect from the product. Expectation has a different
scope and sometimes they could be very overstated or quite modest. That‟s why taking a
decision by the consumer is preceded by initiating and defining the customer‟s specific
needs.
A state of satisfaction or dissatisfaction is a subjective feeling and is a results of specific
experiences of individual perceptions and emotions. This satisfaction or dissatisfaction
reflects a feeling connected with the completed or unfulfilled expectations in relation to a
particular product or service . The satisfaction felt by the client, is associated with the
experience of his positive impressions, and conversely will be linked to dissatisfaction with
the lack of positive incentives.
While good research can be used for performance management and/or to meet statutory
23
requirements the most successful customer measurement programs are motivated by the
desire to put customer focus at the heart of an organization. Customer-focused
organizations view customer satisfaction measurement as a means rather than an end as
part of a cycle of continuous improvement in service delivery, and as part of the wider
toolkit of customer insight techniques to monitor performance over time and measure the
impact of service improvement activity.
Consumers are subjects that purchase goods and services to satisfy their needs. The
consumer behavior derives from the decision whether, what, when, where and how to
purchase goods and services. Therefore, marketing is primarily interested in the behavior of
the subject as a consumer. Nowadays, it is normal to assume that marketing constantly
follows the consumer‟s needs as a basic assumption in the development of a suitable
strategy leading to the consumer‟s satisfaction. It should be taken into consideration that
needs are a social category changing all the time and are never satisfied. By setting a
suitable strategy based on qualitative information the marketers contribute to the
development of a loyal consumer‟s category that will lead to a realization of a general
strategy, survival and development of the company. Being familiar with the consumers‟
needs is of great importance to the company. Economic subjects accomplish their tasks in
24
the process of reproduction and thus satisfy certain needs. The consumers are the focus
activity of the company‟s marketing orientation, it is crucial to know the consumers‟ needs
in order to achieve an optimal combination of both: the production factors and the disposal
of products. Therefore the research of the of the consumers‟ needs and measure his
satisfaction is of a great significance. During the process of research, it is important for the
company to take into consideration these following components: A variety of needs occur
under the influence of certain factor combination. The company must consider these factors
when it establishes the extent of the consumer‟s needs, which is essential for its activities
on the market; needs are dynamic and they change due to the factors that influence them. It
means that the businesspersons have to adjust their activities on the market by constant
exploration of the factors together with its complexity and direction; and the market
division into segments, will be accurate only if the needs are identified; especially their
intensity, quality, duration, etc. The factors form the segments and they condition the needs
and the consumption. This approach should allow the company‟s marketing program to
adapt to the dynamics of the needs, which means a greater flexibility of certain instruments
depending directly on the factors that condition the needs.
Customer satisfaction results can help to present the current standing of customer
satisfaction. This utilization often goes beyond reporting statistical data such as mean,
range, and standard deviation. These descriptive data can assist in identifying specific
strengths and weaknesses in satisfaction dimensions, the specific items under each, as well
as information about overall scores. However, different types of data analysis can be used
to identify not only aggregate but also individual information. From here emerges the
distinct patterns or gaps between different individuals, groups, or among particular items.
3.1.4 BENEFITS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
25
Higher Amount of Average Purchases
The firms will generally gain greater share of customers‟ purchases in that product
category. Typically satisfied customers will increase their purchase quantity over time
Increased Word-of-Mouth (WOM)
Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend the brand, product or firm to
theirfamily, friends and social media connections
26
1. Direct Methods: Directly contacting customers and getting their valuable feedback
is very important. Following are some of the ways by which customers could be
directly tabbed:
I. Getting customer feedback through third party agencies. Direct marketing, in-house
call centers, complaint handling department could be treated as first point of contact
for getting customer feedback.
II. Getting customer feedback through face to face conversation or meeting.
III. Feedback through complaint or appreciation letter.
IV. Direct customer feedback through surveys and questionnaire.
Organizations mostly employ external agencies to listen to their customers and provide
dedicated feedback to them. These factors needs to be sophisticated and in structured
format so that conclusive results could be fetched out. Face to face meetings and complaint
or appreciation letter engages immediate issues. The feedback received in this is not
uniformed as different types of customers are addressed with different domains of
questions. This hinders the analysis process to be performed accurately and consistently.
Hence the best way is to implement a proper survey which consists of uniformed
questionnaire to get customer feedback from well segmented customers. These feedback
received by the organization can be treated as one of the best way to measure customer
satisfaction.
2. Indirect Method: The major drawback of direct methods is that it turns out to be very
costly and requires a lot of pre-compiled preparations to implement. For getting the
valuable feedbacks the supplier totally depends on the customer due to which they
loses options and chances to take corrective measures at correct time. Hence there are
other following indirect methods of getting feedback regarding customer satisfaction.
Customer Complaints: Customer‟s complaints are the issues and problems reported
by the customer to supplier with regards to any specific product or related service.
These complaints can be classified under different segments according to the
severity and department. If the complaints under a particular segment go high in a
specific period of time then the performance of the organization is degrading in that
specific area or segment. But if the complaints diminish in a specific period of time
then that means the organization is performing well and customer satisfaction level
is also higher.
Customer Loyalty: It is necessarily required for an organization to interact and
27
communicate with customer on regular basis to increase customer loyalty. In these
interactions and communication it is required to learn and determine all individual
customer needs and respond accordingly. A customer is said to be loyal if he revisits
supplier on regular basis for purchases. These loyal customers are the satisfied ones
and hence they are bounded with a relationship with the supplier. Hence by
obtaining the customer loyalty index, suppliers can indirectly measure customer
satisfaction.
Customer satisfaction is the overall impression of customer about the supplier and the
products and services delivered by the supplier. Following are the important factors that
could affect customer satisfaction:
Department wise capability of the supplier.
Technological and engineering or re-engineering aspects of products and services.
Type and quality of response provided by the supplier.
Supplier‟s capability to commit on deadliness and how efficiently they are met.
Customer service provided by the supplier.
Complaint management.
Cost, quality, performance and efficiency of the product.
Supplier‟s ability to manage whole customer life cycle.
Compatible and hassle free functions and operations.
In a study done by Berry (Bart Allen) and Broader between 1990 defined ten "Quality
Values” which influences satisfaction behavior, further expanded by Berry in 2002 and
known as the ten domains of satisfaction. These ten domains of satisfaction include:
Quality
Value
Timeliness
Efficiency
Ease of Access
Environment
Inter- departmental Teamwork
Front line Service Behaviors
28
Commitment to the Customer
Innovation
These factors are emphasized for continuous improvement and organizational change
measurement and are most often utilized to develop the architecture measurement as on
integrated model. Work done by Parasuraman, Zerithal and Bery (Leonard) between 1985
to 1988 provided the basis for the measurement of customer‟s satisfaction with a service by
using the gap between the customer‟s expectation of performance and their perceived
experience of performance. This provides the measure with a satisfaction ”Gap” which is
objective and qualitative in nature. Work done by Eronin and Taylor propose the
”confirmation/disconfirmation” theory of combining the”Gap” described by Parasuraman,
Zenithal and Berry as two different measures(perception and expectation of performance)
into a single measurement of performance according to expectation.
American customer satisfaction Index (ACSI) is a scientific slandered of customer
satisfaction. Academic research has shown that the National ACSI score is a prediction of
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth, and even predictor of consumption expenditure
(PCE) Growth. On the micro economical level, research have shown that ACSI data predict
stock market performance, both for market ideas and for individually traded companies.
Increasing ACSI scores has been shown to predict loyalty word of mouth recommendation
and purchase behavior. The ACSI measures customer satisfaction annually for more than
200 companies in 43 countries and 10 economic sectors. In addition to quarterly reports,
the ACSI methodology can be applied to private and public sectors CFI group, Inc. applies
the methodology of ACSI off live, and foresee results applies the ACSI to website and
other online initiatives.
In spring 2004, Quad Stone commissioned a study of the large consumer enterprises are
taking to improve customer service experiences. The research mainly consisted of in depth
interview with executives in the financial services and telecommunications sectors, but it
also includes an email questionnaire with consumer and a ”mystery shopping” investigation
in to consumer sectors. The study finds that improving customer satisfaction with services
is a rapidly sizing corporate priority and companies are increasing investment in tracking
customer satisfaction and what drives it. While the majority of companies are beginning to
understand aggregate level trends in customer satisfaction, only a few companies are able
to systematically identify how to change service delivery processes for the better yet this is
what all of the interviewed companies most want to do.
29
3.1.7 WAYS TO MAXIMISE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
30
do so on a national level. The annual Customer Satisfaction Barometer (CSB)
measures customer satisfaction in more than 30 industries and for more than 100
corporations. The new index is intended to be complementary to productivity
measures. Whereas productivity basically reflects quantity of output, CSB measures
quality of output (as experienced by the buyer). The author reports the results of a
large-scale Swedish effort to measure quality of the total consumption process as
customer satisfaction. The significance of customer satisfaction and its place within the
overall strategy of the firm are discussed. An implication from examining the
relationship between market share and customer satisfaction by a location model is that
satisfaction should be lower in industries where supply is homogeneous and demand
heterogeneous. Satisfaction should be higher when the heterogeneity/homogeneity of
demand is matched by the supply. Empirical support is found for that proposition in
monopolies as well as in competitive market structures. Likewise, industries in general
are found to have a high level of customer satisfaction if they are highly dependent on
satisfaction for repeat business. The opposite is found for industries in which
companies have more captive markets. For Sweden, the 1991 results show a slight
increase in CSB, which should have apositive effect on the general economic climate.
2. Diane Halstead (1993) studied the Focuses on a group of unsatisfied car owners.
Examines the roles of the car warranty and the post-purchase service received during
the complaint process in terms of their effects on customers' satisfaction with
complaint resolution. Presents some suggestions for customer service policies,
complaint handling procedures, and warranty fulfillment service.
3. Richard Oliver (2000) Response determinants in satisfaction judgement, examines that
The effects of five determinants of satisfaction are tested as well as individual
differences in satisfaction formation. Manipulations of attribution, expectancy,
performance, disconfirmation, and equity are written into stock market trading
scenarios in a full factorial design. Results show that all main effects and four ordinal
two-way interactions are significant. Then, an individual level analysis is performed on
the repeated measures data. Three clusters of subjects sharingsimilar response
tendencies (disconfirmation, performance, and equity) are identified and related to
investment attitudes, outcome attitudes, and demographics. No consistent relationships
are discovered, suggesting that the response differences reflect deeper behavioral
tendencies. Implications of this approach for satisfaction paradigms, satisfaction
theory, and individual satisfaction response orientations are presented.
31
4. Dorsch et a1, (2000) studied Consumer choice behaviour using the five-step process
(need-information search- evaluation of alternatives- purchase-post-purchase
evaluation) problem solving paradigm or through the progression of consumer choice
from a product class to brand choice.
5. Satisfaction is an outcome of purchase in which consumer compare cost and rewards
with the anticipated consequences (Maxham, 2001).
6. There is always a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and profit
maximization of an organization (Bowen & Chen, 2001).
7. Marsha L. Richins (2002) Post-purchase product satisfaction: Incorporating the effects
of involvement and time describes changes in post-purchase product satisfaction for a
durable goods purchase. Involvement and satisfaction variables were measured in a
cross-sectional and a longitudinal study of car owners. Overall, consumers with high
product involvement showed slightly greater satisfaction with their cars than low-
involvement consumers over the term of ownership. However, in the 2-month period
after purchase, consumers with high product involvement showed a decline in
satisfaction, whereas low-involvement consumers' satisfaction increased. The role of
disconfirmation in these changes was investigated. Benefits and problems
disconfirmation were found to make independent contributions to satisfaction
judgments, and the strength and form of contribution varied with product involvement.
These findings suggest that benefits and problems disconfirmation need to be
measured separately in satisfaction research.
8. Customer satisfaction is the perceived feeling of a customer for which he or she has set
standards if his expectations match with the standard he is satisfied (Eggert & Ulaga,
2002).
9. Marsha Peter (2002) examines temporal changes in post-purchase product
satisfaction for a durable goods purchase. Involvement and satisfaction variables were
measured in a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study of car owners. Overall,
consumers with high product involvement showed slightly greater satisfaction with
their cars than low-involvement consumers over the term of ownership. However, in
the 2-month period after purchase, consumers with high product involvement showed a
decline in satisfaction, whereas low-involvement consumers' satisfaction increased.
The role of disconfirmation in these changes was investigated. Benefits and problems
disconfirmation were found to make independent contributions to satisfaction
judgments, and the strength and form of contribution varied with product involvement.
32
These findings suggest that benefits and problems disconfirmation need to be
measured separately in satisfaction research.
10. Kotler, (2003) in his study stated that consumer surveys often reveal that quality is one
of the important, if not the most important decision factors for consumers and product
quality stands for the ability of a product to perform its functions.
11. Customer satisfaction with offices is resolved by specialized execution, as well as by a
many-sided set of trade procedures, for example, compelling correspondence and
administration of desires (Campbell & Finch, 2004).
12. Yooshik Yoon (2004) studied the effects of motivation and satisfaction on destination
loyalty: a structural model and investigates the relevant relationships among the
constructs by using a structural equation modeling approach. Consequently, destination
managers should establish a higher satisfaction level to create positive post-purchase
behavior, in order to improve and sustain destination competitiveness.
13. Dr. V.K.K Kaushik and Neeraj Kaushik (2005) in their study on Brand Preference
and Recommendations on Various Cars. The result of the study Hyundai and Maruti
dominates market of the region. Purchasing of car influenced by friends, family and
relatives rather than by dealer and sales persons. Most of the consumers are happy with
its performance, quality, sales service, dealer network and they are recommending to
others also. The primary determinant for buying cars in this region based on brand
name, fuel efficiency and price.
14. Karjaluoto et al. (2005) investigated the consumer choice in the context of the mobile
phone industry in Finland and the study was conducted to assess consumer motivations
in mobile phone choice. Seven estimated factors influencing mobile phone choice
were: Innovative services, multimedia, design, brand and basic properties, outside
influence, price.
15. Sharma (2006) in her study pointed out the importance of celebrity endorsement in
advertisement and concluded that advertisers use endorsers to add excitement and
glamour to their brands. Basically, celebrity endorsements give a brand a touch of
glamour in the minds of people, and the hope that a famous face will provide added
appeal and name recognition in a crowded market.
16. From the point of view of Ching (et al 2008), the relationships between brand equity,
brand preference, and purchase intentions on international air passengers decisions in
Taiwan. The findings indicate positive relationships between brand equity, brand
preference, and purchase intentions with a moderation effect of switching cost
33
affecting the relationship between brand equity and purchase intentions. More
specifically, the effect of brand equity on purchase intentions is not significant for
passengers with low switching costs.
17. Kyung Hoon (et al 2008), suggests his studies relating to Health care marketers face
unique challenges around the world, the role of the health care field plays in
contributing to public welfare. Hospital marketing in Korea is particularly challenging
since Korean law prohibits hospitals from running any advertising. As a result, Korean
hospitals depend heavily on customer relationship management (CRM). This study
identifies five factors that influence the creation of brand equity through successful
customer‟s relationships, trust, customer satisfaction, relationship commitment, brand
loyalty and brand awareness. An empirical test of the relationships among these factors
suggests that hospitals can be successful in creating image and positive brand equity if
they can manage their customer relationships well.
18. Dr V.K.Kaushik (2008) this study is conducted in South West Haryana which
consists of Bhiwani and Mahendragarh districts. The study endeavour is to investigate
empirically customer‟s preference towards a passenger car brand. Pre-purchase and
post-purchase behaviour of the customers were evaluated and factors influencing the
customers were determined by Perceptual mapping obtained from Multi-dimensional
scaling. Overall results indicate that in South West Haryana region customers are more
influenced by friends and relatives than dealers and salespersons. Maruti dominates the
market with three of its brands namely Maruti 800, Alto and Wagon-R. Brand name,
fuel efficiency and price were found to be primary determinants for buying car in this
region.
19. Chang et al (2009), the antecedents of brand equity are considered to be brand attitude
and brand image, and the consequences of brand equity are considered to be brand
preference and purchase intentions. This study concentrates on service brands,
selecting 18 from 3 service categories. A structural equation model is presented. Not
only does it show a good fit with the research constructs but also the relationships
between brand image and brand equity, and brand attitude and brand equity. The
impact of brand equity on customer preference and purchase intentions is confirmed as
well, which tends to validate the proposed research framework.
20. Kumar Gambhiraopet, Prashant Vidya Sagar Talluri (2010) this case study
focuses on the post-purchase behaviour of Tata Nano buyers. The post-purchase
perceptions, dissonance levels and moments of pride have been analysed with the help
34
of primary data collected through video interviews conducted among 8 customers of
Tata Nano in Hyderabad, India, in mid January 2010. The case study runs in the
backdrop of the conceptualisation of the Tata Nano car and the roadblocks that
cropped up during its production. This case study primarily positioned to discuss the
dissonance levels in new products, offers valuable insights.
21. Dr. P. Natarajan & Thiripurasundari U. (2010), in their paper Brand Preference on
B Segment Maruti Cars, emphasized that strong brands quality increase trust in
intangible products enabling customers to better visualize and understand them. The
Brand Preference towards Maruti B Segment cars is studied by administering
structured interview schedule to150 customers in Puducherry city. Maruti should take
the initiative to introduce new models according to the choice of the customers at
regular intervals which will pave the way to be No.1 Company in India in the near
future. While the customer gets satisfaction and is able to improve his/her standard of
living and quality of life, the marketer profits from the brand experience that the
customer gets and is able to generate a surplus after ensuring satisfaction to the
consumer.
22. Customer satisfaction is an evaluation of difference between prior expectations about
product and its actual performance. Customer satisfaction is how customers react
towards the state of satisfaction, and how customers judge the satisfaction level
(Anderson, Nicholas & Hengbert, 2010).
23. No one is important than customers and their satisfaction is the ultimate objective
through improvement in services in terms of competitiveness and it saves future
revenue plus it becomes the cause of cost reduction in future (Yuan Hu, Ching-
Chan& Cheng, Hong, 2010).
24. There is a significant effect of customer satisfaction on the performance of business
and through customer satisfaction returns of shareholders can be increased and value
of any business can be maximized (O’sullivan, Mccalling, 2010).
25. Customer satisfaction is the reaction of customer toward state of the fulfillment and
judgment of customer about that fulfilled state (Khayyat & Heshmati, 2012).
26. Customer satisfaction is the expectation before consuming a product regarding quality
or it is a pre-consumption judgment or expectation (Bae, 2012).
27. Customer satisfaction have antecedent, mediated and moderated effect on personal
connections and enjoyable interactions (Robertson & Razzaque, 2013).
28. Prasanna Mohan Raj (2013) studied the factors influencing customers brand
35
preference of the economy segment SUV‟s and MUV‟s. Data collection was made
through direct interaction and customer intercept survey using questionnaire.
Descriptive analysis was used to transform data into understand format and factor
analysis was used for identification of factors influencing customer preference. In light
of study findings, the preference of a given brand can be explained in terms of six
factors namely Product reliability, monetary factor, trendy appeal, frequency of non-
price promotions offered, trustworthiness and customer feeling or association towards
brand. There is need for marketers to take these factors into consideration when
crafting product innovations in the SUV segment of Automobile market.
29. Dr. A.T. Jaganathan, Mr. M. Mohanraj (2015) in their present to study the brand
preference of customers with regard to Hyundai. The result of this study reveals that
level of satisfaction and the overall performance of the Hyundai cars are good. The
study has suggested that the advertisers need to focus on their market assuming the
influence of the television advertisement in the Hyundai purchase behavior.
30. Dr. V. Suganthi (2016) study made an attempt to understand the factors influencing
buying decision of the customer. Most of the customers are satisfied with the Mileage
and fuel efficiency of the car and they preferred Maruti Suzuki Swift.
31. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) there is a new
type of market based performance measure for firms, industries, economic sectors, and
national economies. The authors find customer satisfaction to be greater for goods than
for services and, in turn, greater for services than for government agencies, as well as
find cause for concern in the observation that customer satisfaction in the United States
is declining, primarily because of decreasing satisfaction with services. The authors
estimate the model for the seven major economic sectors for which data are collected.
Highlights of the findings include that (1)customization is more important than
reliability in determining customer satisfaction, (2) customer expectations play a
greater role in sectors in which variance in production and consumption is relatively
low, and (3) customer satisfaction is more quality-driven than value- or price-driven.
The authors conclude with a discussion of the implications of ACSI for public
policymakers, managers, consumers, and marketing in general.
The objective of the study is to find out the satisfaction level of customers of Maruti
36
Suzuki,AVG MOTORS,Thiruvalla with an aim of gathering current customer feedback or
customer trends. Acquire insight into how customers are currently reacting. It helps in
analyzing the satisfaction of customers in their products. This study is mainly concerned
with the Marketing department of the Company.
Understanding and meeting customer‟s expectations and subsequently being different from
competitors are important in order to survive in the today world of globalization. Due to
dynamic environment and increasing services from competitors, it is must for automobile
industry to provide excellent service and focus on continuing improvement.
3.3.1 SIGNIFICANCE
The main purpose of the study is to understand the customer satisfaction and to know
the customers behaviour towards Maruti Suzuki ,AVG Motors. This study is needed to find
out the customer satisfaction towards the products and services of MARUTI SUZUKI and
its importance to customer as well as to company.
The main reasons why customer satisfaction is important are:
It is a leading indicator of consumer repurchase intentions and loyalty.
It reduces customer churn.
It reduces negative word of mouth.
It helps to retain customers and acquire new ones. Moreover, the study helps:
To identify whether the customers are satisfied with the MARUTI SUZUKI cars.
To know whether there is any difference in satisfaction based on the age of the
respondents.
To know the customer satisfaction towards the after sales service offers by AVG
MOTORS.
3.3.2 RELEVANCE
Up-to-date feedback.
Self-learning.
Deeper understanding of the subject.
Finding out more important things connected to the topic of research.
Understanding the media biases surrounding the subject (;if any).
False claims around the subject (;if any).
37
To form a stance on the subject and take sides.
To find flaws in secondary sources.
38
CHAPTER 4
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
4.1 RESEARCH APPROACH AND DESIGN
The study is mainly based on exploratory research. Exploratory research is defined as a
research used to investigate a problem which is not clearly defined. It is conducted to have
a better understanding of the existing problem, but will not provide conclusive results. For
such a research, a researcher starts with a general idea and uses this research as a medium
to identify issues that can be the focus for future research. An important aspect here is that
the researcher should be willing to change his/her direction subject to the revelation of new
data or insight. Such a research is usually carried out when the problem is at a preliminary
stage. It is often referred to as grounded theory approach or interpretive research as it used
to answer questions like what, why and how.
SECONDARY DATA
Secondary data is the information which is already available in published or unpublished
form. When the needed information is collected from the census of population available in
a library means then it is a secondary data. It is also used for collecting historical data. The
various sources of secondary data are such as:
Company Profile.
Company Websites.
Journal Articles.
39
4.3 SAMPLING DESIGN
Sampling is a data gathering technique that is used as a survey methodology. Data is
collected from a subset of individuals from the entire statistical population, so as to
estimate the characteristics of the population based on the representation of the sample
4.3.1 POPUPLATION
The study population is the customers of MARUTI SUZUKI (AVG Motors Thiruvalla) .
Sample size refers to the number of items to be selected from the universe to constitute a
sample. The Google forms are provided to 110 respondents and some of them have partly
filled while some of them haven‟t responded. So the sample size has been fixed as 100.
40
After the data is collected, it is tabulated and edited accurately. Here percentage analysis is
applied for analyzing and interpreting the data
Percentage Analysis is used for the analysis of primary data . Percentage analysis refers to
a special kind of ratio. It is used in making comparison between two or more series of data.
In this research various percentage are identified in the analysis and they are presented
pictorially by way of bar or other diagrams in order to have a better quality.
A table is a systematic and orderly arrangement of statistical data in rows and columns.
Rows are horizontal arrangement, whereas columns are the vertical arrangement
One of the most convincing and applying way in which the data can be presented is
through charts. A chart can be in the shape of either diagram or a graph.
Chapter 1 covers topics such as Background of the study, Statement of the problem,
relevance & Scope of the study and Objectives of the study.
Chapter 2 covers topics such as Business Process of the industry, Market Demand &
Supply, contribution to GDP, Revenue generation, Level and types of competition, firms
operating in the industry, pricing strategies in the industry, prospects and challenges of the
industry and Key drivers of the industry.
Chapter 3 covers topics such as Brief theoretical construct related to the problem, An
overview of earlier studies and Uniqueness of research study.
41
CHAPTER 4.METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
Chapter 4 covers topics such as Research approach and designs, Sources of online data,
Sampling design, Data analysis tools, Report structure and Limitations of the study.
Chapter 5 covers the Analysis, Interpretation and Inference of the data collected.
CHAPTER 7.CONCLUSIONS
For anything there should be some limitations like that the present project also have
certainlimitations. The following are some limitations what the researcher faced:
1. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, nor the primary data collection
neither thesecondary data accessibility were not smooth enough.
2. The information provided by majority of the respondents could also be biased or
inaccurate. No independent verification of the data was possible.
3. Time is one major constraint, which limits the effective data collection.
5. The sample size is only 100 customers of AVG MOTORS so the sample may not
be trulyrepresentative of the total population.
6. Reliability and accuracy of the analysis depends on the respondents openness and
faithfulness towards each question in the questionnaire.
42
CHAPTER 5
DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION & INFERENCE
5.1 GROUPS BASED ON GENDER
Table 1. Gender of Respondents
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Male 78 78
Female 22 22
Transgender 0 0
0%
22%
Male
Female
Transgender
78%
Fig 5
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents from whom responses were
obtained, 78% are male , 22% are female and 0 trans genders. The percentage of male
respondents is much higher than that of female respondents.
45
5.2 GROUPS BASED ON AGE
Table 2.Age of Respondents
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Less than or equal to 3 3%
20
21-30 44 44%
31-40 28 28%
41-50 13 13%
51-60 8 8%
Above 60 4 4%
4% 3%
8%
less than or equal to 20
13% 21-30
31-40
44%
41-50
51-60
above 60
28%
Fig 6
INTERPRETATION
From the above table and figure it is found that 3% of the respondents belong to the age
group of less than or equal to 20 years, 44% of respondents belong to the age group between
21-30 years, 28% of respondents belong to the age group between 31-40 years, 13% of
respondents belong to the age group 41-50 years,8% respondents belongs to 51-60 and the
rest of 4% belongs to the category above 60 years. Majority of the respondents belongs to the
age group between 21-30 years.
46
5.3 GROUPS BASED ON MARITAL STATUS
38%
Single
Married
62%
Fig 7
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents, 62% of respondents are
unmarried and 32% of are married. Majority of the respondents are single.
47
5.4 GROUPS BASED ON QUALIFICATION
PARTICULARS NUMBER OF
PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
School Level 14
14%
UG 21 21%
PG 22 22%
Other 43 43%
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
14%
School Level
43%
UG
21%
PG
Others
22%
Fig 8
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents,14% of the respondents are
schoo level, 21% of respondents are UG graduates, 22% of respondents are PG graduates and
43% of respondents are other graduates.
48
5..5 GROUPS BASED ON OCCUPATION
35%
Private
42%
Government
Business
Self employed
8%
15%
Fig 9
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents, 42% are private sector
employees, 15% of respondents works in government service, 8% of respondents have
business and 35% of respondents are self-employed.
49
5.6 GROUPS BASED ON ANUAL INCOME
PARTICULARS NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS PERCENTAGE
Less than or equal to 12 12%
100000
100001-200000 24 24%
200001-300000 31 31%
300001-400000 15 15%
400001-500000 10 10%
Above 500000 8 8%
TOTAL 100 100%
8% 12%
10%
Less than or equal to 100000
100001-200000
24% 200001-300000
15%
300001-400000
400001-500000
Above 500000
31%
Fig 10.
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents, annual income of 12% are up
to 100000, annual income of 24% of respondents lies between 100001-200000,annual
income of 31% of respondents lies between 200001-300000, , annual income of 15% of
respondents lies between 300001-400000,annual income of 10% of respondents lies
between 400001-500000 and 8% of the respondents have an annual income above 500000.
50
5.7 GROUPS BASED ON OWNERS OF CARMODELS
10%
30% Alto
Swift
25%
WagonR
Dzire
Baleno
7%
28%
Fig 11
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents, 30% of respondents are Alto
owners, 28% of respondents are Swift owners, 7% of respondents are WagonR owners,
25%of respondents are Dzire owners and 10% of respondents are Baleno owners.
51
5.8 GROUPS BASED ON CAR SATISFACTION
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 30 30
Satisfied 39 39
Neutral 19 19
Not Satisfied 7 7
Not at all Satisfied 5 5
TOTAL 100 100
5%
7%
30%
Extremely Satisfied
19% Satisfied
Neutral
Not Satisfied
Not at all Satisfied
39%
Figure 12
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents, 30% of respondents are
extremely satisfied, 39% of respondents are satisfied, 19% of respondents are of neutral
opinion, 7% of respondents are not satisfied and 5% are not at all satisfied.
52
5.9 GROUPS BASED ON SHOWROOM EXPERIENCE
Table 9. Showroom Experience of Respondents
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 41 41
Satisfied 35 35
Neutral 20 20
Not Satisfied 3 3
Not at all Satisfied 1 1
TOTAL 100 100
Source: Survey Data
1%
3%
20%
Extremely Satisfied
41% Slightly Satisfied
Neutral
Slightly Dissatisfied
Extremely Dissatisfied
35%
Fig 13
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents, 41% of respondents are
extremely satisfied, 35% of respondents are slightly satisfied, 20% of respondents are neutral
opinion, 3% of respondents are slightly dissatisfied and 1% are extremely dissatisfied.
53
5.10 GROUPS BASED ON AFTER-SALES SERVICE SATISFACTION
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 37 37%
Satisfied 29 29%
Neutral 20 20%
Not Satisfied 11 11%
Not at all Satisfied 3 3%
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
3%
11%
29%
Fig 14
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 37% are extremely satisfied, 29% are satisfied, 20% are
of neutral opinion, 11% are not satisfied and 3% are not at all satisfied
54
5.11 GROUPS BASED ON SERVICE QUALITY SATISFACTION
PARTICULARS NUMBER OF
PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 35 35
Satisfied 40 40
Neutral 15 15
Not Satisfied 8 8
Not at all Satisfied 2 2
TOTAL 100 100
2%
8%
40%
Fig 15
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 35% are extremely satisfied, 40% are satisfied,
15% are of neutral opinion, 8% are not satisfied and 2% are not at all satisfied.
55
5.12 GROUPS BASED ON EMPLOYEES BEHAVIOR SATISFACTION
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 32 32%
Satisfied 44 44%
Neutral 12 12%
Not Satisfied 8 8%
Not at all Satisfied 4 4%
TOTAL 100 100
Source: Survey Data
4%
8%
44%
Fig 16
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 32% are extremely satisfied, 44% are Satisfied, 12%
are of neutral opinion, 8% are Not Satisfied and 4% are Not at all Satisfied
56
5.13 GROUPS BASED ON FACTORS INLUENCING CAR PURCHASE
Table 13. Factors Influencing Car Purchase of Respondents
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Price 34 34%
Comfort 6 6%
Engine 8 8%
performance
Brand Name 5 5%
Resale Value 8 8%
Advertisement 2 2%
Fuel Efficiency 17 17%
Maintenance 12 12%
Availability of 8 8%
Accessories
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
Price
8%
Comfort
12% Engine performance
34%
Brand Name
Resale Value
17% Advertisement
Fuel Efficiency
6% Maintenance
8%
2% 5% 8% Availability of Accessories
Fig 17
INTERPRETATION
From the above table and figure it is found that majority of the respondents choose price as
their most influencing factor 34%,6% of respondents choose comfort as a factor,8% of
respondents choose engine performance,5% choose brand name,8% choose resale value,2%
choose advertisement,17% choose fuel efficiency,12% choose maintenance cost as a factor
and the rest 8% of respondents choose availability of accessories as an influencing factor in
purchase of a car.
57
5.14.1 GROUPS BASED ON PRICE SATISFACTION
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 35 35%
Satisfied 25 25%
Neutral 10 10%
Not Satisfied 23 23%
Not at all Satisfied 7 7%
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
7%
35%
23% Extremely Satisfied
Satisfied
Neutral
Not Satisfied
Not at all Satisfied
10%
25%
Fig 18
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 35% are extremely satisfied, 25% are Satisfied, 10% are
of neutral opinion, 23% are Not Satisfied and 7% are Not at all Satisfied.
58
5.14.2 GROUPS BASED ON COMFORT
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 39 39%
Satisfied 21 21%
Neutral 20 20%
Not Satisfied 14 14%
Not at all Satisfied 6 6%
TOTAL 100 100%
6%
14%
Extremely Satisfied
39%
Satisfied
Neutral
Not Satisfied
20%
Not at all Satisfied
21%
Fig.19
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 39% are extremely satisfied, 21% are Satisfied, 20% are
of neutral opinion, 14% are Not Satisfied and 6% are Not at all Satisfied.
59
5.14.3 GROUPS BASED ON ENGINE PERFORMANCE SATISFACTION
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 30 30%
Satisfied 26 26%
Neutral 14 14%
Not Satisfied 17 17%
Not at all Satisfied 13 13%
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
13%
30%
Extremely Satisfied
17% Satisfied
Neutral
Not Satisfied
Not at all Satisfied
14%
26%
Fig.20
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 30% are extremely satisfied, 26% are Satisfied, 14% are
of neutral opinion, 17% are Not Satisfied and 13% are Not at all Satisfied.
60
5.14.4 GROUPS BASED ON FUEL EFFICIENCY SATISFACTION
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 25 25%
Satisfied 20 20%
Neutral 15 15%
Not Satisfied 21 21%
Not at all Satisfied 19 19%
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
30
25
25
21
20
20 19
15
15
Fuel Efficiency
10
0
Extremely Satisfied Neutral Not Satisfied Not at all
Satisfied Satisfied
Fig 21
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 25% are extremely satisfied, 20% are satisfied, 15% are
of neutral opinion, 21% are not satisfied and 19% are not at all satisfied.
61
5.14.5 GROUPS BASED ON MAINTENANCE COST SATISFACTION
NUMBER OF
PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 30 30%
Satisfied 29 29%
Neutral 11 11%
Not Satisfied 17 17%
Not at all Satisfied 13 13%
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
13%
30%
Extremely Satisfied
17% Satisfied
Neutral
Not Satisfied
Not at all Satisfied
11%
29%
Fig 22
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 30% are extremely satisfied, 29% are satisfied, 11% are
of neutral opinion, 17% are not satisfied and 13% are not at all satisfied.
62
5.14.6 GROUPS BASED ON DRIVING EASE
PARTICULARS NUMBER OF
PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 25 25%
Satisfied 20 20%
Neutral 15 15%
Not Satisfied 21 21%
Not at all Satisfied 19 19%
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
Not Satisfied
Neutral
Driving Ease
Satisfied
Extremely Satisfied
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Fig 23
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 45% are extremely satisfied, 40% are satisfied,
3% are of neutral opinion, 7% are not satisfied and 5% are not at all satisfied.
63
5.14.7 GROUPS BASED ON AVAILABILITY OF ACCECORIES.
NUMBER OF
PERCENTAGE
PARTICULARS RESPONDENTS
Extremely Satisfied 36 36%
Satisfied 28 28%
Neutral 15 15%
Not Satisfied 12 12%
Not at all Satisfied 9 9%
TOTAL 100 100
Source: Survey Data
Not Satisfied
Neutral
Accessory Availability
Satisfied
Extremely Satisfied
0 10 20 30 40
Fig 24
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 36% are extremely satisfied, 28% are satisfied, 15% are
of neutral opinion, 12% are not satisfied and 9% are not at all satisfied.
64
5.15 GROUPS BASED ON SOURCE OF FINANCE OF CAR
NUMBER OF
SL.NO. PARTICULARS PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1 Own Resource 31 31%
2 Bank Loan 43 43%
3 Company Loan 24 24%
4 Any Other 2 2%
TOTAL 100 100%
Source: Survey Data
2%
24%
31%
Own Resource
Bank Loan
Company Loan
Any Other
43%
Fig 25.
INTERPRETATION
The above table and figure shows that out of 100 respondents, 31% of respondents are of
Own Resource, 43% of respondents are Bank Loan, 24% of respondents are Company
Loan and2% of respondents is any others.
65
5.16 GROUPS BASED ON RECOMMENDTION OF AVG MOTORS
2%
8%
41%
Fig 26
INTERPRETATION
From above out of 100 respondents, 32% highly recommend AVG Motors, 41% recommend,
17% are of neutral opinion, 8% are not recommend and 2% are Not at all recommend AVG
Motors.
66
CHAPTER 6
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
6.1 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY
Majority of the respondents are belonging to the age group of 21-30 years of age.
Majority of the respondents are single.
Majority of the respondents are neither UG or PG graduates and most of the
respondents are UG or PG graduates
Majority of the respondents are working in private sector.
Majority of the respondents have an annual income in between 200001-300000
The most owned car model is Alto, closely followed by Swift at second place.
This study reveals that most of the customers are satisfied with Maruti Suzuki cars.
Customers are satisfied with showroom experience and after-sales service that are
provided by the company.
Majority of the employees are satisfied with employees behavior of the company.
The study reveals that price is one of the most important factor considered when
buying a car and the second most factor is fuel efficiency.
Most of the respondents are satisfied with the comfort of the car.
Most of the respondents are satisfied with the engine performance of the car.
Majority of the customers are satisfied with the fuel efficiency of the car.
Most of the respondents are satisfied with the maintenance cost of the car.
From the study it shows that most of the respondents are satisfied with driving
easiness of the car.
Study releaves that majority of the customers are satisfied with the accessory
availability of the car.
Most of the customers are preferring Maruti Suzuki car because of it‟s price,
comfort and maintenance cost features.
From the study, we can understand most of the customers are using cars by availing
bankloans.
Most of the customers are recommending AVG Motors to others.
68
CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
From the findings and analysis it is clear that Maruti Susuki Car is highly preferred
when compared to the other brands of car in the same segment. With the analysis
through the survey conducted using Google form on the consumer satisfaction of
Maruti Suzuki Cars at AVG MOTORS Thiruvalla, the findings and analysis shows that
majority of the consumer is happy with the product performance and also after sale
service and rest of them says that they are dissatisfied. Most of the customers are
preferring Maruti Suzuki car because of it‟s price, comfort and maintenance cost
features.
Quality of the service plays a very important role in making the company a
market leader.Since each customer is like an asset for an organization the company
should try to improve in the area of dissatisfaction.
We know that getting new customer is double the cost of retaining the old customer
so the company should focus on retaining the old customers whom a in the future
purchase the product or recommend others to purchase the product. Thus they help
directly or indirectly for the product sale.
70
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
WEBSITES
www.marutisuzuki.com
www.avgmotors.com
www.wikipedia.edu.in
71
ANNEXURES
Sir/Madam
Thank you for participating in the survey project titled “Customer Satisfaction
towards Maruti Suzuki cars special reference to AVG Motors ” as part of my MBA
course. I kindly request you to fill the questionnaire, which forms a part of my
comprehensive project report. The information provided by you will be used only for
the purpose of this project.
1. Gender
2. Age
3. Marital Status
a) Married b) Single
4. Qualification
a) School level b) UG c) PG
d) Others
72
5. Occupation
d) Self Employed
6. Annual Income
d)Dzire e) Baleno
8. Are you satisfied with your car?
73
12. Are you satisfied with the employees behavior with customers
d) Any Other
74