SIKKIM MANIPAL UNIVERSITY
PROJECT REPORT
ON
“STUDY OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & PERCEPTION ABOUT MAHINDRA SUV’S CARS IN SURAT CITY, GUJARAT”
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for qualifying
Master of Business Administration
In
Marketing
SUBMITTED BY
NAME :
ENROLLMENT NO :
UNDER SUPERVISION OF:
August, 2014
NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project titled “STUDY OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & PERCEPTION ABOUT MAHINDRA SUV’S CARS IN SURAT CITY, GUJARAT” is the bonafide work of Mr.__________________________ with roll number _______________________carried out for/in MAHINDRA.
We have no objection with he/she selecting “STUDY OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & PERCEPTION ABOUT MAHINDRA SUV’S CARS IN SURAT CITY, GUJARAT” as his Project for the requirements of his MBA degree. He will be allowed to present the necessary technical details to the panel of examiners for the purpose of evaluation.
Signature of the Organization Guide
(Name, Designation and Organization Details)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
With Candor and Pleasure I take opportunity to express my sincere thanks and obligation to my esteemed guide ……………………. It is because of his able and mature guidance and co-operation without which it would not have been possible for me to complete my project.
It is my pleasant duty to thank all the staff member of the computer center who never hesitated me from time during the project.
Finally, I gratefully acknowledge the support, encouragement & patience of my family, and as always, nothing in my life would be possible without God, Thank You!
(STUDENT NAME )
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this project work titled “STUDY OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & PERCEPTION ABOUT MAHINDRA SUV’S CARS IN SURAT CITY, GUJARAT” is my original work and no part of it has been submitted for any other degree purpose or published in any other from till date.
The empirical findings in this project are based on the data collected by myself while preparing this report.
This project is completed as a part of curriculum & all that information collected is correct to the best of my knowledge.
DATE: / /2014 (STUDENT NAME)
PLACE: (ENROLLMENT NO…………)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER NO. CONTENTS PAGE NO.
Certificate 2
Acknowledgement 3
Declaration 4
Title of the project 6
1.0 Introduction to the Study 7
• Company Overview 25
2.0 Review of Literature 45
3.0 Objective of the Study 71
4.0 Research Methodology 72
5.0 Data Analysis and Interpretation 75
6.0 Finding and Suggestion 90
7.0 Conclusion and Limitation 93
8.0 Bibliography 95
9.0 Appendix 97
“STUDY OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & PERCEPTION ABOUT MAHINDRA SUV’S CARS IN SURAT CITY, GUJARAT”
CHAPTER – 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
The main research that followed is to know “Customer satisfaction towards Mahindra BOLA RO SLX”, a new SUV launched by Mahindra. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), the market leader in multi-utility vehicles in India. The company started manufacturing commercial vehicles in 1945. M&M is the leader by far in commercial vehicle and the second largest in the passenger vehicle market. The company is the world’s sixth largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturing.
The survey involved gathering wide information about the company, its products, customer satisfaction and impact of various competitive firms on the company. From the information collected, various aspects were identified where the company needs to focus more to improve the efficiency of marketing team of Mahindra Automotives.
The research was conducted through collection of primary and secondary data. Secondary data was collected through visiting various web sites, automobile magazines and other reliable sources. Primary data was collected through a well-framed questionnaire, of which later a detailed analysis was done using various statistical I.T. tools like MS Word and MS Excel. On the basis, the secondary data analysis and the extensive analysis of the primary data, interpretations were drawn for the questions and conclusion is drawn. Certain suggestions are also drawn from the analysis to help. Mahindra Automotives to increase its market share in commercial passenger segment and MPVs. Due to the limited resources and time constraints, the study was conducted within the area Surat, Gujarat city.
The Mahindra SUV’Sis a sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by the Indian automobile company Mahindra and was launched in September 2011 and by June 2012 the SUV’ Swas available in 19 cities in India. Before it was launched, it was code named ‘W201’. The SUV’s was designed and developed at Mahindra’s design and vehicle build center in Nashik and Chennai, and is manufactured in Mahindra’s Chakan & Nashik plant, India.[3] It is the first monocoquechassis based vehicle from the company.[4] To meet the growing demand of its hot selling model XUV 500, M & M plans to increase the monthly production to 5000 units by Sept-Oct 2012.[5] Despite being highly popular in India, it is less known in other countries as much as the Mahindra Scorpio is. But the SUV’S witnessed a steep rise in the South African market with sales crossing 1200 units. Mahindra’s SUV’S secured first place in the 2012 Desert Storm Rally – one of India’s toughest tests for both man and machine. Apart from that, the SUV’S also set three special stages ablaze by clocking the fastest time in each.
Eighteen months later, the SUV’s was born amidst carefully calibrated hype. That build-up and consequent anticipation has translated into 35,000 SUVs being sold in the first year and another 14,000 buyers on a waiting list.
Customer satisfaction is a term frequently used in marketing. 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, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals.”[1] 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.
It is seen as a key performance indicator within business and is often part of a Balanced 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.
“Within organizations, customer satisfaction ratings can have powerful effects. They focus employees on the importance of fulfilling customers’ expectations. Furthermore, when these ratings dip, they warn of problems that can affect sales and profitability. These metrics quantify an important dynamic. When a brand has loyal customers, it gains positive word-of-mouth marketing, which is both free and highly effective.” Therefore, it is essential for businesses to effectively manage customer satisfaction. To be able do this, firms need reliable and representative measures of satisfaction.
“In researching satisfaction, firms generally ask customers whether their product or service has met or exceeded expectations. Thus, expectations are a key factor behind satisfaction. When customers have high expectations and the reality falls short, they will be disappointed and will likely rate their experience as less than satisfying. For this reason, a luxury resort, for example, might receive a lower satisfaction rating than a budget motel—even though its facilities and service would be deemed superior in ‘absolute’ terms.”
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 far too low, and customers would easily have the option of leaving for a better contract offer.
Purpose
A business ideally is continually seeking feedback to improve customer satisfaction. “Customer satisfaction provides a leading indicator of consumer purchase intentions and loyalty.” “Customer satisfaction data are among the most frequently collected indicators of market perceptions. Their principal use is twofold:”
1. “Within organizations, the collection, analysis and dissemination of these data send a message about the importance of tending to customers and ensuring that they have a positive experience with the company’s goods and services.”
2. “Although sales or market share can indicate how well a firm is performing currently, satisfaction is perhaps the best indicator of how likely it is that the firm’s customers will make further purchases in the future. Much research has focused on the relationship between customer satisfaction and retention. Studies indicate that the ramifications of satisfaction are most strongly realized at the extremes.” On a five-point scale, “individuals who rate their satisfaction level as ‘5’ are likely to become return customers and might even evangelize for the firm. (A second important metric related to satisfaction is willingness to recommend. This metric is defined as “The percentage of surveyed customers who indicate that they would recommend a brand to friends.” When a customer is satisfied with a product, he or she might recommend it to friends, relatives and colleagues. This can be a powerful marketing advantage.) “Individuals who rate their satisfaction level as ‘1,’ by contrast, are unlikely to return. Further, they can hurt the firm by making negative comments about it to prospective customers. Willingness to recommend is a key metric relating to customer satisfaction.”
DECISION MAKING PROCESS:
The consumer’s decision to purchase or reject a product is a moments of final truth for marketer. It signifies whether the marketing strategy has been wise, insightful, and effective, or whether it was poorly planned and missed the mark. Thus, marketers are particularly interested in consumer’s decision-making process. We would be discussing a simple model of consumer decision making that emotional consumer. The modal, has three major components:
1) Inputs
2) Process
3) Output
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR:
Consumer behavior is the study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, sociopsychology, anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision processes/buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics, psychographics, and behavioural variables in an attempt to understand people’s wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Belch and Belch define consumer behavior as ‘the process and activities people engage in when searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services so as to satisfy their needs and desires’.
BASIC MODEL OF CONSUMER DECISION MAKING:
The basic model of consumer decision making also referred to as EKB model (Engel, Kollat & Blackwell, 1969):
Stage Brief description
Problem recognition The consumer perceives a need and becomes motivated to solve a problem. Motivation
Information search The consumer searches for information required to make a purchase decision Perception
Information evaluation The consumer compares various brands and products Attitude formation
Decision The consumer decides which brand to purchase Integration
Post-purchase evaluation The consumer evaluates their purchase decision Learning
THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER PREFERENCE
Have you ever wondered why your company often loses relatively satisfied customers? Why is it that customers will often indicate they are satisfied with how they have been treated but then leave for a competitor at the first opportunity? Why is customer defection often unrelated to price? The answers to these and other related questions are found in coming to an understanding of customer preference. The idea that customers prefer one product or one service over another is not new. The ability to identify and measure the elements of such preference decisions with any accuracy and reliability has only recently become available.
Research into this area of consumer behavior has brought understanding to some of the major issues with standard customer satisfaction research. Most importantly, we have come to realize that high customer satisfaction does not assure continued customer preference. Satisfaction research over the past fifteen years demonstrates that high satisfaction scores, while a measure of corporate performance on a set of important criteria, do not adequately explain the composition of preference formation and therefore often serve as insufficient predictors of sustained preference or what is normally referred to as customer loyalty.
Loyalty as a concept has also shown itself to be difficult to define. Like beauty, loyalty is truly in the eye of the beholder. We understand there are different types and degrees of loyalty and some of these are not appropriate in describing the relationship between a consumer and a company. However, preference (defined as The power or ability to choose one thing over another with the anticipation that the choice will result in greater satisfaction, greater capability or improved performance) has demonstrated the ability to be effectively measured and to provide meaningful insight into the choices consumers make when selecting one provider over another and when determining to continue a relationship over time.
Problem recognition
Problem recognition is that result when there is a difference between one’s desired state and one’s actual state. Consumers are motivated to address this discrepancy and therefore they commence the buying process.
Sources of problem recognition include:
• An item is out of stock
• Dissatisfaction with a current product or service
• Consumer needs and wants
• Related products/purchases
• Marketer-induced
• New products
The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with problem recognition is motivation. A motive is a factor that compels action. Belch and Belch (2007) provide an explanation of motivation based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Freud’s psychoanalytic theory.
Information Search
Once the consumer has recognized a problem, they search for information on products and services that can solve that problem. Belch and Belch (2007) explain that consumers undertake both an internal (memory) and an external search.
Sources of information include:
• Personal sources
• Commercial sources
• Public sources
• Personal experience
The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with information search is perception. Perception is defined as ‘the process by which an individual receives, selects, organises, and interprets information to create a meaningful picture of the world’
The selective perception process Stage Description Selective exposure consumers select which promotional messages they will expose themselves to. Selective attention consumer’s select which promotional messages they will pay attention to Selective comprehension consumer interpret messages in line with their beliefs, attitudes, motives and experiences Selective retention consumers remember messages that are more meaningful or important to them
You should consider the implications of this process on the development of an effective promotional strategy. First, which sources of information are more effective for the brand and second, what type of message and media strategy will increase the likelihood that consumers are exposed to our message, that they will pay attention to the message, that they will understand the message, and remember our message.
Information evaluation
At this time the consumer compares the brands and products that are in their evoked set. How can the marketing organization increase the likelihood that their brand is part of the consumer’s evoked (consideration) set? Consumers evaluate alternatives in terms of the functional and psychological benefits that they offer. The marketing organization needs to understand what benefits consumers are seeking and therefore which attributes are most important in terms of making a decision.
The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with the alternative evaluation stage is attitude formation. Belch and Belch (2007, p.117) note that attitudes are ‘learned predispositions’ towards an object. Attitudes comprise both cognitive and affective elements – that is both what you think and how you feel about something. The multi-attribute attitude model explains how consumers evaluate alternatives on a range of attributes. Belch and Belch (2007) identify a number of strategies that can be used to influence the process (attitude change strategies). Finally, there are a range of ways that consumers apply criteria to make decisions. Belch and Belch (2007) explain how information is integrated and how decision rules are made including the use of heuristics. The marketing organisation should know how consumers evaluate alternatives on salient or important attributes and make their buying.
Purchase decision
Once the alternatives have been evaluated, the consumer is ready to make a purchase decision. Sometimes purchase intention does not result in an actual purchase. The marketing organization must facilitate the consumer to act on their purchase intention. The provision of credit or payment terms may encourage purchase, or a sales promotion such as the opportunity to receive a premium or enter a competition may provide an incentive to buy now. The relevant internal psychological process that is associated with purchase decision is integration.
Post purchase evaluation
The EKB model was further developed by Rice (1993) which suggested there should be a feedback loop, Foxall (2005) further suggests the important of the post purchase evaulation and that the post purchase evaluation is key due to its influences on future purchase patterns.
Internal influences
Consumer behavior is influenced by: demographics, psychographics (lifestyle), personality, motivation, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings.
External influences
Consumer behavior is influenced by: culture, ethnicity, family, social class, reference groups, and market mix factors.
Preference
Also called “taste” or “penchant” is a concept, used in the social sciences, particularly economics. It assumes a real or imagined “choice” between alternatives and the possibility of rank ordering of these alternatives, based on happiness, satisfaction, gratification, enjoyment, utility they provide. More generally, it can be seen as a source of motivation. In cognitive sciences, individual preferences enable choice of objectives/goals.Also, more consumption of a normal good is generally (but not always) assumed to be preferred to less consumption.
Customer preference
One consumer would in general have different consumption behaviors or preferences from another. He may spend money on computers and technical books, while the other may spend on clothing and food. Availability of this information on consumer preference will be of great value to a marketing company, a bank, or a credit card company that can use this information to target different groups of consumer for improved response rate or profit. By the same token, information on consumption preference of the residents in one specific region can help businesses in planning their operations in this region for improved profit. Therefore, it is very important to have a tool that can help analyze consumers behaviors and forecast the changes in purhcase patterns and changes in purchase trend.
A brand is a collection of symbols, experiences and associations connected with a product, a service, a person or any other artifact or entity.
Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being described as “cultural accessories and personal philosophies”
Concepts
Some people distinguish the psychological aspect of a brand from the experiential aspect. The experiential aspect consists of the sum of all points of contact with the brand and is known as the brand experience. The psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a symbolic construct created within the minds of people and consists of all the information and expectations associated with a product or service.
People engaged in branding seek to develop or align the expectations behind the brand experience (see also brand promise), creating the impression that a brand associated with a product or service has certain qualities or characteristics that make it special or unique. A brand is therefore one of the most valuable elements in an advertising theme, as it demonstrates what the brand owner is able to offer in the marketplace. The art of creating and maintaining a brand is called brand management.
Careful brand management, supported by a cleverly crafted advertising campaign, can be highly successful in convincing consumers to pay remarkably high prices for products which are inherently extremely cheap to make. This concept, known as creating value, essentially consists of manipulating the projected image of the product so that that the consumer sees the product as being worth the amount that the advertiser wants him/her to see, rather than a more logical valuation that comprises an aggregate of the cost of raw materials, plus the cost of manufacture, plus the cost of distribution. Modern value-creation branding-and-advertising campaigns are highly successful at inducing consumers to pay, for example, 50 dollars for a T-shirt that cost a mere 50 cents to make, or 5 dollars for a box of breakfast cereal that contains a few cents’ worth of wheat.
A brand which is widely known in the marketplace acquires brand recognition. When brand recognition builds up to a point where a brand enjoys a critical mass of positive sentiment in the marketplace, it is said to have achieved brand franchise. One goal in brand recognition is the identification of a brand without the name of the company present. For example, Disney has been successful at branding with their particular script font (originally created for Walt Disney’s “signature” logo), which it used in the logo for go.com.
Consumers may look on branding as an important value added aspect of products or services, as it often serves to denote a certain attractive quality or characteristic (see also brand promise). From the perspective of brand owners, branded products or services also command higher prices. Where two products resemble each other, but one of the products has no associated branding (such as a generic, store-branded product), people may often select the more expensive branded product on the basis of the quality of the brand or the reputation of the brand owner.
Brand name
The brand name is often used interchangeably within “brand”, although it is more correctly used to specifically denote written or spoken linguistic elements of any product. In this context a “brand name” constitutes a type of trademark, if the brand name exclusively identifies the brand owner as the commercial source of products or services. A brand owner may seek to protect proprietary rights in relation to a brand name through trademark registration. Advertising spokespersons have also become part of some brands, for example: Mr. Whipple of Charmin toilet tissue and Tony the Tiger of Kellogg’s.
The act of associating a product or service with a brand has become part of pop culture. Most products have some kind of brand identity, from common table salt to designer
Brand identity
How the brand owner wants the consumer to perceive the brand – and by extension the branded company, organization, product or service. The brand owner will seek to bridge the gap between the brand image and the brand identity.[2] Brand identity is fundamental to consumer recognition and symbolizes the brand’s differentiation from competitors.
Branding approaches
Company name
Often, especially in the industrial sector, it is just the company’s name which is promoted (leading to one of the most powerful statements of “branding”; the saying, before the company’s downgrading, “No one ever got fired for buying IBM”).
In this case a very strong brand name (or company name) is made the vehicle for a range of products (for example, Mercedes-Benz or Black & Decker) or even a range of subsidiary brands (such as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Flake or Cadbury Fingers in the United States).
Individual branding
Each brand has a separate name (such as Seven-Up or Nivea Sun (Beiersdorf)), which may even compete against other brands from the same company (for example, Persil, Omo, Surf and Lynx are all owned by Unilever).
Attitude branding
Attitude branding is the choice to represent a larger feeling, which is not necessarily connected with the product or consumption of the product at all. Marketing labeled as attitude branding include that of Nike, Starbucks, The Body Shop, Safeway, and Apple Computer.[1] In the 2000 book, No Logo, attitude branding is described by Naomi Klein as a “fetish strategy”.
“A great brand raises the bar — it adds a greater sense of purpose to the experience, whether it’s the challenge to do your best in sports and fitness, or the affirmation that the cup of coffee you’re drinking really matters.
No-brand branding
Recently a number of companies have successfully pursued “No-Brand” strategies, examples include the Japanese company Muji, which means “No label, quality goods” in English. Although there is a distinct Muji brand, Muji products are not branded. This no-brand strategy means that little is spent on advertisement or classical marketing and Muji’s success is attributed to the word-of-mouth, a simple shopping experience and the anti-brand movement. Another brand which is thought to follow a no-brand strategy is American Apparel, which like Muji, does not brand its products.
Derived brands
In this case the supplier of a key component, used by a number of suppliers of the end-product, may wish to guarantee its own position by promoting that component as a brand in its own right. The most frequently quoted example is Intel, which secures its position in the PC market with the slogan “Intel Inside”.
Brand extension
The existing strong brand name can be used as a vehicle for new or modified products; for example, many fashion and designer companies extended brands into fragrances, shoes and accessories, home textile, home decor, luggage, (sun-) glasses, furniture, hotels, etc.
Mars extended its brand to ice cream, Caterpillar to shoes and watches, Michelin to a restaurant guide, Adidas and Puma to personal hygiene. Dunlop extended its brand from tires to other rubber products such as shoes, golf balls, tennis racquets and adhesives.
There is a difference between brand extension and line extension. When Coca-Cola launched “Diet Coke” and “Cherry Coke” they stayed within the originating product category: non-alcoholic carbonated beverages. Procter & Gamble (P&G) did likewise extending its strong lines (such as Fairy Soap) into neighboring products (Fairy Liquid and Fairy Automatic) within the same category, dish washing detergents.
COMPANY
OVERVIEW
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited is an India-based company. The Company operates in nine segments: automotive segment comprises of sales of automobiles, spare parts and related services; farm equipment segment comprises of sales of tractors, spare parts and related services; information technology (IT) services comprises of services rendered for IT and telecom; financial services comprise of services relating to financing, leasing and hire purchase of automobiles and tractors; steel trading and processing comprises of trading and processing of steel; infrastructure comprise of operating of commercial complexes, project management and development; hospitality segment comprises of sale of timeshare; Systech segment comprises of automotive components and other related products and services, and its others segment comprise of logistics, after-market, two wheelers and investment. During the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, the Company acquired a 70% stake in Ssangyong Motor Company Limited. Today, our operations span 18 key industries that form the foundation of every modern economy: aerospace, aftermarket, agribusiness, automotive, components, construction equipment, consulting services, defense, energy, farm equipment, finance and insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality, logistics, real estate, retail, and two wheelers.
Founded in 1945 as a steel trading company, we entered automotive manufacturing in 1947 to bring the iconic Willys Jeep onto Indian roads. Over the years, we’ve diversified into many new businesses in order to better meet the needs of our customers. We follow a unique business model of creating empowered companies that enjoy the best of entrepreneurial independence and Group-wide synergies. This principle has led our growth into a US $14.4 billion multinational group with more than 144,000 employees in over 100 countries across the globe.
Today, our operations span 18 key industries that form the foundation of every modern economy: aerospace, aftermarket, agribusiness, automotive, components, construction equipment, consulting services, defense, energy, farm equipment, finance and insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality, logistics, real estate, retail, and two wheelers.
Our federated structure enables each business to chart its own future and simultaneously leverage synergies across the entire Group’s competencies. In this way, the diversity of our expertise allows us to bring our customers the best in many fields.
Our motivation to give our best every day comes from our core purpose: we will challenge conventional thinking and innovatively use all our resources to drive positive change in the lives of our stakeholders and communities across the world, to enable them to Rise.
Our products and services support our customers’ ambitions to improve their living standards; our responsible business practices positively engage the communities we join through employment, education, and outreach; and our commitment to sustainable business is bringing green technology and awareness into the mainstream through our products, services, and light-footprint manufacturing processes.
This commitment to sustainability—social, economic, and environmental—rests upon a set of core values. They are an amalgamation of what we have been, what we are, and what we want to be. These values are the compass that guides our actions, both personal and corporate. They are:
Good corporate citizenship
We will continue to seek long term success in alignment with the needs of the communities we serve. We will do this without compromising on ethical business standards.
Professionalism
We have always sought the best people for the job and given them the freedom and the opportunity to grow. We will continue to do so. We will support innovation and well reasoned risk taking, but will demand performance.
Customer first
We exist and prosper only because of the customer. We will respond to the changing needs and expectations of our customers speedily, courteously and effectively.
Quality focus
Quality is the key to delivering value for money to our customers. We will make quality a driving value in our work, in our products and in our interactions with others. We will do it ‘First Time Right.’
Dignity of the individual
We will value individual dignity, uphold the right to express disagreement and respect the time and efforts of others. Through our actions, we will nurture fairness, trust, and transparency.
Sales Promotion, Advertisement strategy, & Selling Process carried out by Mahindra SUV’s:-
Before going to promotion strategy the company must take decisions on the total promotion budget and choice of the promotional tools to be used one of the most difficult marketing decisions facing companies is to work out on how much to spend on promotion.
ADVERTISEMENT TOOLS:-
Banners and Posters.
Printing and calendars.
Catalogue advertising.
Window display.
Pamphlets advertising.
Construction of circles.
Gift bags/ carry bags.
Anniversary functions.
News Papers.
Wall Paintings.
SALES PROMOTION:-
Good communication system and customer relations service.
Gifts to loyal customers.
Offering gift with the product (LIVE).
Participation in marketing fair.
Free service coupon warranty.
Fuel check up camp
SELLING PROCESS:-
The selling process is an important aspect of ever organization. Sales operations carried by Mahindra SUVs.
Telephonic Enquiry.
Walk in customer.
Sales experience.
Showroom demonstration.
Test drive.
Vehicle deliver
MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA CARS:
MODEL TYPE
Mahindra XUV500 – New
SUV
Mahindra Bolero
• Bolero SLX
• Bolero SLE
• Bolero DIZ
• Bolero DI
• Bolero PLUS
SUV
Mahindra Scorpio
• Scorpio Petrol
o Turbo 2.6
o Turbo 2.6 DX
o Turbo 2.6 GLX
o Turbo 2.6 SLX
• Scorpio Diesel
o Turbo 2.6
o Turbo 2.6 DX
o Turbo 2.6 GLX
o Turbo 2.6 SLX
• Scorpio Turbo Diesel CRDe
o Turbo 2.6
o Turbo 2.6 DX
o Turbo 2.6 GLX
o Turbo 2.6 SLX
SUV
Mahindra CL-Range
SUV
Mahindra MM Range
• Mahindra MM 500/550 DP
• Mahindra MM 500/550 XDB
• Mahindra MM 540 DP
• Mahindra MM ISZ- Petrol Soft top
SUV
Mahindra Hard Top Range
• Mahindra Economy
• Mahindra Marshal DI
• Mahindra 775 XDB
• Mahindra 3 Door Hard Top
• Mahindra 5 Door Hard Top
• Marshal 2000 Deluxe
• Marshal Deluxe Royale
SUV
Mahindra CNG-3 Door
SUV
Mahindra Voyager
SUV
Mahindra Renault Logan
Mid size car
SWOT ANALYSIS:
Strength
1. Mahindra has been one of the strongest brands in the Indian automobile market.
2. Mahindra group give employment to over 110,000 employees.
3. Excellent branding and advertising, and low after sales service cost.
4. Sturdy SUV’s good for Indian roads and off-road terrain
Weakness
1. Mahindra’s partnership with Renault did not live up to international quality standards through their brand Logan.
Opportunity
1. Developing hybrid cars and fuel efficient cars for the future.
2. Tapping emerging markets across the world and building a global brand.
3. Fast growing automobile market.
4. Growing in the market through electric car Reva (controlling stake) and entry into two-wheeler segments
Threats
1. Government policies for the automobile sector across the world.
2. Ever increasing fuel prices.
3. Intense competition from global automobile brands.
4. Substitute modes of public transport like buses, metro trains etc.
COMPETITION:
Competitors
1. Honda
2. Toyota
3. Nissan
4. Hyundai
5. Fiat
6. Mitsubishi
7. Maruti Udyog
8. Tata Motors
9. Skoda
10. Toyota
11. Volkswagen
12. Ford
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
The Group Management Board comprises the Vice Chairman &Managing Director, Presidents of the Business Sectors as well as heads of certain key corporate functions. The Board provides strategic direction and enterprise leadership, facilitates synergistic and symbiotic relationships and creates a shared vision and value-system, across the various Business Units and Companies that make up the Mahindra Group. The membership of the Group Management Board is as follows:
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. vehicle exports almost triple in two years:
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), a part of the USD 15.4 billion Mahindra Group, has strengthened its global presence over the past two years with exponential growth recorded.
Mahindra XUV500 now amongst top 10 Compact SUV brands in South Africa; Mahindra USA doubles tractor billing to cross 10,000 mark July 10, 2012, Mumbai: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), a part of the USD 15.4 billion Mahindra Group, has strengthened its global presence over the past two years with exponential growth recorded. The company’s exports have grown in the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, South and Latin America and USA. The company’s Auto exports grew by 70% while Tractor exports grew by 16% in the financial year ending March 2012.
Africa
Mahindra South Africa, which was established in 2004, sold 1761 vehicles in F11 which grew to 2558 vehicles in F12, an increase of 45%. The company’s product portfolio includes Bolero Pick Ups, Scorpio Pick Ups, Genio Pick Ups, Scorpio SUV, Xylo MPV, Xylo panel vans and Thar, and the new Mahindra XUV500 which was simultaneously launched in India and South Africa. After a successful launch, the Mahindra XUV500 was showcased at the Johannesburg International Motor Show where the media got an opportunity to test drive the vehicle. This Cheetah inspired SUV attracted a considerable amount of interest with over 100 units being retailed per month, making it one of the top 10 compact SUV brands. The Mahindra XUV500 has also been perceived as bringing an urban touch to the Mahindra line-up in South Africa which primarily consists of tough off-roaders. In other African countries, M&M’s auto exports grew by 39%. M&M Ltd. began exporting tractors to Africa in 2004-05. Tractor exports in Africa grew by 77% in FY’12.
Australia
The award winning XUV500 was also recently launched in Australia.
Latin America
In the current financial year, M&M expects to almost double its volumes in the LATAM region, and expects sales to cross the 10,000 mark in F13. Chile and Brazil are strategic markets in this region. The company’s South American footprint encompasses Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia and Central America with the Scorpio range of SUVs and Pick Ups.
USA
In North America, Mahindra USA (MUSA), a wholly owned subsidiary of M&M, which sells the entire range from 18 HP to 85 HP tractors, has doubled its billings from 4,823 tractors in F10 to 10,012 tractors in F12. MUSA successfully completed its 0 customer satisfaction–> customer loyalty –> market share –> profitability. A few empirical studies have found these linkages to be true. However these factors differ in importance based on the cultural setting. We investigate (1) whether these relationships exist and (2) which of these factor(s) is/are important in motivating consumer loyalty from the perspectives of retail banking customers in Ghana.
The study draws on customer behaviour and attitude premised on the SERVQUAL and SERVPERF models originated by Parasuraman et al., (1988), Cronin and Taylor (1992), and Brady and Cronin (2001) respectively as well as other researches based on the literature on customer satisfaction and loyalty. We used both quantitative and qualitative research approaches in our study and have drawn from both primary and secondary sources of data. We made use of a 7 point likert scale to develop indexes for the main constructs measured in this study and applied correlation, chi square (χ2) and regression analyses to evaluate the hypothesised relationships. Further we qualitatively analysed aspects of the data hinging on explanatory aspects of our research. The results among other things reveal that whilst service quality (especially empathy and reliability) and bank image and reputation are important instigators of customer satisfaction and loyalty, competitive pricing showed a weak linear relationship with customer satisfaction and loyalty (r < 0.5). On the other hand, increased market share was found to influence banks’ profitability. Finally we discuss the management implications of the study in terms of customer retention and profitability strategies for the banks in Ghana. We emphasise that management strategies that are service quality conscious, use person-organisation fit approaches to recruitment and effectively communicate strategies could help institutionalise a culture that is customer relation centred, help banks survive the competition, retain their customers and in the long run increase their profitability.
The customer loyalty concept:
Customer loyalty conceptualisation has received tremendous attention in the literature over the past two decades because practitioners have observed the intricate relationship with a firm’s profitability. Thus customer loyalty is now accepted as indispensable in strategic decision making because it costs more to attract new customers than to retain old ones. Loyalty conceptualisation has two dimensions- attitudinal and behavioural. Attitudinal loyalty reflects a situation whereby different feelings create an individual’s overall attachment to a product, service or organisation (Fornier, 1994). These feelings define the individual’s cognitive degree of loyalty (Hallowell, 1996). The other dimension is behavioural. This reflects the degree to which attitudinal feelings are translated into loyalty behaviour. In other words it reflects intentions being translated into actions. Examples of loyalty behaviours given in the literature include continuing to purchase services from the same supplier, increasing the scale and scope of a relationship, or the act of recommending a product or service (Yi, 1990; Best, 2009). Later scholars agree with this earlier conceptualisation of loyalty. For example Zeithaml’s (2000) definition and measurement of customer loyalty were based on customers attitude and behaviour (Zeithaml, 2000). Earlier, Parasuraman et al (1988) and later Zeithaml (1996) noted that the behavioural component measures loyalty based on repeat purchase. Other authors have noted customer loyalty to reflect purchase frequency and Word of Mouth (WOM) recommendation (De Ruyter et al., 1998). Reichheld (2003) opined that the strongest evidence of customer loyalty is the percentage of customers who are ready to recommend others to a particular product or service.
The conceptualisation of customer loyalty has posed the rhetorical question “what is true loyalty”? This sets the scene for understanding the construct. It is popular opinion among researchers that true loyalty is difficult to build and sustain without incorporating the attitudinal parameter (Shoemaker and Lewis, 1999). This new development reflects in the observation by Dick and Basu (1994) that sustained loyalty is attainable when customers exhibit both positive attitude toward the object, and repeat patronage behaviour. The behavioural intention of being loyal is influenced by whether the customer is satisfied or dissatisfied with the service provided. The attitudinal aspect of customer loyalty encompasses long-term emotional commitment and trust to the organisation, its services, products and prices. Attitudinal loyalty is important to the conceptualisation because it denotes the customers’ probability of future commitment to the organisation and the propensity to recommend the company to friends or colleagues (Reichheld, 2003). “Attitudinal” here refers to “the psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favour or disfavour” (Eagly and Chaiken, 1993). The attitudinal components of customer loyalty are identified as price sensitivity, brand allegiance, and the frequency of purchasing a particular brand (Rundle-Thiele and Mackay, 2001).
By the beginning of year 2000, the conceptualisation evolved to embrace affective, conative and the cognitive dimensions of loyalty. The scope of these dimensions was expressed succinctly by Gremler and Brown (1996; p. 173) as “ the degree to which a customer exhibits repeat purchasing behaviour from a service provider, possesses a positive attitudinal disposition toward the provider , and considers using only this provider when a need for this service arises”. Thus, customer loyalty concept must embody the behavioural, attitudinal and cognitive processes (Sudhahar et al., 2006). Finally, the cognitive component includes attributes such as preference to a service organisation and belief that the organisation proffers the best offer and also attends to customer needs (Harris and Goodes, 2004). Thus, as mentioned, customer loyalty reflects customer satisfaction. It however goes way beyond that. Indeed the direction of the causal relation between satisfaction and customer loyalty has been reported in the literature. Tsoukatos and Rand (2006) reported that the prevailing idea is that service quality is an antecedent of customer satisfaction and that satisfaction influences the loyalty behaviour of customers.
Best (2009) operationalised the concept of customer loyalty into measurable metrics. He expressed customer loyalty as an index computed as: customer loyalty score (CLS) = customer satisfaction x customer retention x customer recommendation. Best (2009; p. 51) contends customer loyalty metric must “include the elements of customer satisfaction, customer retention as well as customer recommendation to potential customers”. In our characterisation we developed items of the construct that reflect both attitudinal and behavioural aspects of loyalty as posited above.
Earlier this week, Vikram S Mehta, chairman of Brookings India, wrote in a column in The Indian Express that “governmental support is essential to create an enabling eco-system for electric vehicles (EVs)”. His main points can be summed up thus:
– EVs offer substantial savings in terms of running costs when compared to internal combustion engine vehicles
– EVs offer a sustainable answer to the challenge of energy and environment
– EVs should be incentivised by the government of India because we may find a solution to our energy and environment crisis While one appreciates Mehta’s perspective, here’s what I have picked up from my own earlier research on EVs. I will focus on cost of ownership, understanding the subsidy burden if the government were to incentivise EVs, the clean car image and practical issues with owning an EV.
First, at Rs 8 lakh (estimated) price in Mumbai, the Mahindra Reva e2o is just too expensive for any sort of mass adoption. A major chunk of this cost is made up of the lithium ion battery (expected to be around Rs 2.5-3 lakh). Let’s assume that an average person drives 10, 000 km a year. And the e2o can be benchmarked against, let’s say, the Wagon R from Maruti Suzuki which costs Rs 5 lakh. In terms of charging, the e2o should cost Rs 50 per 100 km. That means a yearly running cost of Rs 5,000. The Wagon R, at a conservative fuel efficiency of 10 km to a litre, and price of petrol at Rs 75 would have a running cost of Rs 75, 000. So effectively a customer would save Rs 70, 000 every year. Except that in the total cost of ownership equation, this doesn’t work out very well.
A buyer of the e2o will take more than four years to recover the additional upfront money (Rs 3, 00, 000) that he paid for the vehicle. And let’s not forget that in the 5th year, the lithium ion battery needs replacement. At the battery’s current cost is not expected to go down drastically in the future, this completely alters the cost of ownership economics against the e2o. “This is not at a price yet which can lead to a volume build up. And without that OEMs are not going to invest in manufacturing capacity,” says Suvojoy Sengupta, managing director of Booz & Co India.
From a buyer’s point of view, a Wagon R CNG makes far better economic and practical sense. The lithium ion battery is just too expensive. Second, what is the quantum of subsidy burden we are talking about? Taking forward the earlier example, the government intends to bear about 40 percent of the difference in price between the e2o and the Wagon R. So that’s easily Rs 1 lakh or more for every EV sold. While I still don’t have an exact figure on the total amount, a good indicator would be what other countries spend. The US, for instance, has a proposed investment of just under $5 billion, China is about $20 billion, Japan at about $1.7 billion and France at about $ 3.5 billion. A source who has been involved in these negotiations and discussions says that this is a big cheque to write. “I wasn’t surprised that the FM didn’t make any announcement in his budget speech. They have taken the proposal to the Planning Commission and finance ministry, but considering the public finance situation, this is a big cheque to write. And ultimately the Department of Expenditure will go through it with a fine toothcomb,” he said.
Third, with more than 90 percent of our energy coming from non-renewable sources, EVs don’t and cannot have a ‘clean car’ image. Period. According to the US Energy Information Administration, India’s largest energy source is coal, followed by petroleum and traditional biomass (e.g., burning firewood and waste). Lastly, EVs cannot take off unless there is some basic level of charging infrastructure available. Range anxiety is the biggest fear of an EV buyer. I mean nobody wants to be left stranded with a Rs 8 lakh vehicle. Don’t you think that instead of incentivizing EV purchase, the government would do better to incentivise charging infrastructure? And let the manufacturers do their job of manufacturing and selling EVs.
Mahindra is Maruti of SUV segment: Pawan Goenka:
The boom in demand for SUVs is going to get even stronger as Mahindra & Mahindra, the top utility vehicle maker, lowered the threshold for owning one. Riding the wave of a cheaper diesel price and higher demand for UVs and SUVs, the company drove in its entry-level SUV in the Quanto, priced at an aggressive Rs 5.82 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) and much lower than the current rage Renault Duster. Mahindra now has a fat portfolio of UVs and SUVs comprising the Bolero, Quanto, Xylo, Scorpio and XUV500. The company will soon be adding a premium SUV to this list when it launches the Rexton SUV from the stable of its Korean acquisition Ssangyong, which will compete with segment leader Toyota Fortuner.
Pawan Goenka, president of Mahindra’s automotive division, denied that the company’s portfolio is cluttered and could lead to cannibalization and confusion. “All the products have their own unique identity and price points. In fact, we now have a portfolio which is as healthy as Maruti’s product-line in hatchbacks. I can safely say that after the entry of Quanto, Mahindra can be called the Maruti of the UV/SUV segment,” Goenka told TOI here. More and more launches, lowering price points and the excellent running cost of diesel has seen the hold of SUVs and UVs grow in the Indian passenger vehicle market and cross 20% of total sales.
In fact, sales of the UV/SUV segment has surpassed that of sedans in the first five months of this fiscal and this has happened for the first time ever. The demand is sharp not only for entry-level SUVs like the Duster but equally big for a vehicle like Audi Q3, that retails at upwards of Rs 26 lakh. Another reason behind the fast run of SUVs and UVs is the growing love of Indians to travel between cities, where they prefer cars more than any other mode after the improvement in road infrastructure.
The three-cylinder, 1500cc Quanto is mainly a five-seater with two rear jump seats. Overall, the length of the vehicle is under four meters as the company has availed of a lower excise duty at 12%, which is reserved for small cars. With this, the excise that Mahindra pays on the Quanto is half of what is paid on a bigger vehicle. The lower entry point of the Quanto also means that the top-end of the model comes at an attractive price of Rs 7.36 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai).
The base version of the vehicle (C2), which has a power of 100 bhp, comes with power steering and air conditioning while the top-end (C8) also has features like air bags, ABS and reverse assist. Mahindra has developed the Quanto on the Ingenio platform, which has also given birth to the Xylo MPV and the Genio commercial pick-ups. Goenka said a common platform and sharing of parts, assembly line and paint shop between the models has helped keep the price of the vehicle low.
To create the next generation of SUVs, you have to advance past the status quo. Probably that’s why the XUV500 lets you discover features that most other cars have yet to. The vehicle is technology exemplified at its luxurious best. The XUV500’s authoritative exterior promises unbridled excitement and the technology bundle ensures that the performance lives up to the promise.
Intelligent All Wheel Drive technology developed by Borg Warner ensures you are always in control of the vehicle, be it slippery surfaces, heavy rain, snow or even ice. Experience a seamless transition from 2WD to AWD without any driver intervention. The AWD is further fortified with NexTracTM. NexTracTM is the next generation, electronically controlled, on-demand Interactive Torque Mangement system. When required, it assumes control of the clutch and other vehicle systems. NexTracTM automatically controls vehicle systems like Engine Management System, Steering Angle Sensor and Anti-lock Braking System, and automatically redistributes torque between front and rear wheels.
The XUV500 lets you discover features that most other cars have yet to. Best-in-class static-bending headlamps. A state-of-the-art 6-inch LCD touch-screen infotainment system which houses all the controls you need. A full-fledged Driver Information System which reports to you all vital information about the car. Voice commands, Blue Sense technology, Intelligent features like rain and light sensors…The XUV500 is loaded with technology at its luxurious best.
A state-of-the-art infotainment system features a first-in-class, 6-inch LCD touch screen which houses all the controls you need: music controls, temperature controls, navigation controls and more. It has been designed to help you navigate through various features and operate it with minimum hassle. A stunning 2 DIN music player with DVD/CD/ MP3 player, FM reception through glass-embedded antenna and 6 speakers delivers crystal clear sound quality. The system also offers full iPod connectivity. Now you can not only listen to songs from your iPod on the car’s infotainment system, but also control it using the system’s interface.
Over and above playing videos from DVD, the system can also play videos stored in USB. There are 4 impressive speakers with 2 built-in tweeters that recreate the experience of the original studio recording.
The XUV500 infotainment system’s Blue Sense technology can pair upto 5 mobile phones using Bluetooth. You can access your phonebook, as well as make and receive calls using the XUV500’s infotainment system.
The cheetah – inspired XUV500 is a pioneer, even in design. Walk around the vehicle and you’ll discover how every single element has been masterfully sculpted. A chiseled, aerodynamic body that ruthlessly cuts through the air to provide limitless exhilaration. The bold, glorious lines trace the world’s most agile animal in action. The body lines resemble the form of a pouncing cheetah while the muscular wheel arches accentuate the impressive, broad stance of the XUV500.
Few vehicles are as well-equipped as the XUV500 to keep you out of harm’s way. The vehicle comes with an array of safety features that make it a veritable fortress. The vehicle has at the heart of its fortification an efficient Electronic Stability Program (ESP). This coupled with features like Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic brake-force Distribution (EBD), Rollover Mitigation and Traction Control make the XUV500 one of the safest vehicles on the road. Fully Automatic Temperature Control with dual HVAC and vents in each row creates an atmosphere of sheer exclusivity. The FATC allows you to set a cabin temperature and maintains it automatically without requiring your attention or intervention.
CHAPTER – 3
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objective decides where we want to go, what we want to achieve and what is our goal or destination.
1. To study the factors influencing the purchase decision of customer regarding Mahindra SUVs cars in Surat city, Gujarat.
2. Comparative study of customer perceptions regarding Mahindra SUVs cars with other brands car.
3. To analyze overall satisfaction level of customers for Mahindra SUVs cars.
4. To analyze Customer opinion about Mahindra SUVs cars.
CHAPTER –4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Defining the Research Problem and Objectives: it is said, “A problem well defined is half solved”. The first step in research methodology was to define the problem and deciding the research objective. The objective of the study is to get an insight into the business to business marketing with special reference towards Mahindra SUV’s cars in Surat city.
RESEARCH DESIGN:- The research design used in this study was both ‘Descriptive’ and ‘exploratory’.
DATA COLLECTION METHODS:
The data was collected using both by primary data collection methods as well as secondary sources.
PRIMARY DATA: Most of the information was gathered through primary sources. The methods that were used to collect primary data are:
a) Questionnaire
b) Interview
SECONDARY DATA: Secondary data that was used are web sites and published materials related to customer satisfaction & perception about Mahindra SUV’s car”
The secondary data were collected through:
a) Text Books
b) Magazines
c) Journals
d) Internet
Sample Size
A survey of approximately 50 Respondents.
CONVENIENT SAMPLING: it is that type of sampling where the researcher selects the sample according to his or her convenience.
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE: Sampling technique was used in our study is Non-probabilistic convenient sampling.
SAMPLING UNIT: Sampling frame is the representation of the elements of the target population. Sampling unit of our study was Surat city, Gujarat
UNIVERSE: Universe refers to the total of the units in field of inquiry. Our universe was all the people using Mahindra SUV’s car.
STASTICAL TOOLS:
The tools used in this study were MS-EXCEL, MS-WORD. MS-EXCEL was used to prepare pie- charts and graphs. MS-WORD was used to prepare or write the whole project report.
METHOD USE TO PRESENT DATA:
Data Analysis & Interpretation – Classification & tabulation transforms the raw data collected through questionnaire in to useful information by organizing and compiling the bits of data contained in each questionnaire i.e., observation and responses are converted in to understandable and orderly statistics are used to organize and analyze the data:
• Simple tabulation of data using tally marks.
• Calculating the percentage of the responses.
• Formula used = (no. of responses / total responses) * 100
Tool of Analysis: Tool of analysis used was pie charts, bar graphs and values..
CHAPTER – 5
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
During the research work a questionnaire has been prepared and the analysis and interpretation is made on the basis of it which is as follows:
Evaluation of the Study:-
A detailed analysis of the study is necessary and is to be considered in order to compare the actual theory with that practical the variants of which may form the basis for improvements. Keeping this point in view and to fulfill the evaluation variants of which may form the basis for objectives of the studies an attempt has been made to segment the various respondents on the basis of some aspects collected from them through questionnaire. There are depicted through tables and graphs.
The copy of questionnaire administered is enclosed and the sample size was 100 respondents are enclosed at the end of this project. All the calculations and numerical interpretations are for 100%
1. Do you have any car?
RESPONSE NO OF respondents
% of respondents
YES 60 60%
NO 40 40%
TOTAL 100 100%
.
Analysis: From the above graph it is clear that majority of the respondents have use car. Only 40% do not use.
2. For how long you have been associated with Mahindra SUV’S?
6 months 1 year 2 years 4 yrs. And more
8% 25% 25% 42%
Interpretation: – 42% people are associated with Mahindra brand from 4 years and more, 25% people are associated from 1 and 2 years and 8% from 6 months. Mostly customers are associated with Mahindra SUV’s brand from long time.
3. Were you contacted after service to check your satisfaction with service done?
Criteria Frequency Percentage
Yes 76 76%
No 24 24%
Interpretation: – 76% customers said that they were contacted after servicing to check satisfaction with service done and 24% said they were not contacted.
4. Do you have any kind of grievances with the authorized service station?
Criteria Frequency Percentage
Yes 14 14%
No 86 86%
Interpretation: – 14% customers said they have grievances about service station and 86% customers said they have not grievances.
They have given the grievances following:-
1. Highly costly spare parts.
2. The work should do more professionally.
3. Sometimes rudely behavior shown by employees.
5. How do you rate the overall performance of Mahindra SUV’s regarding after sales service provided?
Criteria Frequency Percentage
Highly satisfied 30 30%
satisfied 20 20%
Neutral 30 30%
Dissatisfied 10 10%
Highly dissatisfied 10 10%
Interpretation: – 20% customers said they are satisfied with the overall performance of Mahindra after sales services, 30% said Neutral and 10% said they are highly satisfied with overall performance of Mahindra SUV’s.
6. Are you satisfied with services and goodwill of Mahindra SUV’s Car?
Response No of Respondents %age of respondents
Totally satisfied 48 48%
Partially Satisfied 20 20%
Satisfied 16 16%
Not Satisfied 12 12%
Totally Dissatisfied 4 4%
.
Interpretation
As per shown in the above pie graph, 48% of respondent said they are totally satisfied with services and goodwill of Mahindra SUV’s Car and company, 20% of respondent said Partially Satisfied, 16% of respondent Satisfied and , 12% of respondent Not Satisfied
7. Why have you switched from earlier brand to Mahindra SUV’s?
Reasons No of respondent %age of respondents
Advanced technology 25 25%
Innovative product/new feature 25 25%
Influence of Advertisement 47 47%
Any other 3 3%
TOTAL 100 100%
Analysis:
It has been analyzed that majority of respondents i.e. 47% of the respondents prefer Mahindra SUV’s over other products because of influence of advertisement is more
Interpretation: From the above graph it is clear that majority of the respondents prefer to buy Mahindra SUV’s car because it has advanced technology and effective advertisement.
8. How likely you to recommend Mahindra SUV’s car to a friend or colleague?
Response No of Respondents %age of respondents
Very Likely 32 32%
Somewhat Likely 42 42%
Neither Likely nor Unlikely 18 18%
Somewhat Unlikely 8 8%
Very Unlikely 0 0%
Analysis & Interpretation
As Mahindra SUV’s car to a friend or colleague, 32% of respondent Very Likely to recommend Mahindra SUV’s car to a friend or colleague, 18% of respondent Neither Likely nor, and 8% of respondent Somewhat Unlikely.
9. Do you have sufficient information was available on the internet to Mahindra SUV’s car?
Response No of Respondents %age of respondents
Strongly Agree 22 22%
Agree 40 40%
Neutral 32 32%
Disagree 6 6%
Strongly Disagree 0 0%
Analysis: 40% of respondent agree that sufficient information was available on the internet to Mahindra SUV’s, 32% of respondent neutral, 22% of respondent strongly agree with above statement.
10. What are your favourite things about this car?
Response No of Respondents %age of respondents
Price 34 34%
Services 4 4%
Brand Image 8 8%
Features 40 40%
Influence by other 10 10%
Analysis: As per shown in the above pie graph, 33% of respondent said price factor is favourite thing Mahindra SUV’s car, 29% of respondent said brand image , 23% of respondent said features12% of respondent feel services and 3% of respondent said Influence by other.
Q11. How would you rate Mahindra SUV’s cars?
Response No of Respondents %age of respondents
Excellent 16 16%
Good 40 40%
Very Good
14 14%
Satisfactory 26 26%
Poor 4 4%
Analysis: 37% of respondent given good rate to Mahindra SUV’s car, 19% of respondent said excellent, 14% of respondent said very good, and 24% of respondent said satisfactory.
Q12. Do you feel the company takes into consideration your family’s needs and are they adaptable when needed?
Response No of Respondents %age of respondents
Most of the time 34 34%
Often 12 12%
Sometimes 8 8%
Rarely 36 36%
Almost never 6 6%
Analysis: As per shown in the above pie graph, 24% of respondent Most of Time feel the company takes into consideration their family’s needs and are they adaptable when needed 14% of respondent said rarely, 19% of respondent feel sometime, 35% of respondent said often, and other 8% of respondent almost never.
Q16. Do you think Mahindra charges high to the products and services?
Response No of Respondents %age of respondents
Most of the time 16 16%
Often 24 24%
Sometimes 20 20%
Rarely 30 30%
Almost never 6 6%
Analysis: As per shown in the above pie graph, 16% of respondent Most of Time think Mahindra charges high to the products and services 20% of respondent said rarely, 25% of respondent feel sometime, 28% of respondent said often, and other 11% of respondent almost never.
CHAPTER – 7
FINDING AND SUGGESTIONS
1. 42% customers are associated with Mahindra brand from 4 years and more.
2. 76% customers were contacted after servicing their vehicle.
3. As per the outcome of the study 86% customers have not any kind of grievances about service centre.
4. 69% customers are satisfied, 15% neutral and 13% are highly satisfied with overall performance of Mahindra SUV’s.
5. As per findings that 48% of respondent said they are totally satisfied with services and goodwill of Mahindra SUV’s car and company, 20% of respondent said Partially Satisfied.
6. From the outcome of the study it is evident that 42% of respondent somewhat likely recommend Mahindra SUV’s car to a friend or colleague.
7. 40% of respondent agree that sufficient information was available on the internet to Mahindra SUV’s car, 32% of respondent neutral, 22% of respondent strongly agree with above statement.
8. 33% of respondent said price factor is favourite thing Mahindra SUV’s car, 29% of respondent said brand image , 23% of respondent said features12% of respondent feel services and 3% of respondent said Influence by other.
9. From the outcome of the study it is evident that 37% of respondent given good rate to Mahindra SUV’s car, 19% of respondent said excellent.
10. As per the outcome of the study 24% of respondent Most of Time feel the company takes into consideration their family’s needs and are they adaptable when needed 14% of respondent said rarely, 19% of respondent feel sometime, 35% of respondent said often.
11. Finding that 16% of respondent Most of Time think Mahindra SUV’s charges high to the products and services 20% of respondent said rarely, 25% of respondent feel sometime, 28% of respondent said often.
SUGGESTIONS
1. The company has to reduce servicing rates to beat the private service centre.
2. The skilled employees should recruit so that they are in position to handle customer’s complaints and formulate better strategies for customer satisfaction.
3. The cost of spares parts should reduce so that customers are satisfied and do not hesitation to purchase genual spares parts.
4. The company has to appoint good engineers to understand the technical problems of customer’s vehicles.
CHAPTER – 8
CONCLUSION AND LIMITATION
The conclusion of the study is that the Mahindra SUV’s is prestige brand in India and providing the different cars with different price range to customer’s to satisfy their needs. The company has to provide more facilities and discounts to retain existing customer and attract new customers.
The 69% customers are satisfied with overall performance of Mahindra SUV’s services after sales. The company has to provide more services to increase the satisfaction of customers and attract more customer regarding Mahindra SUV’s services. The company has to provide the spare parts on genual rates because due to costly spare parts sometimes customers prefer duplicate spare parts for their vehicles.
Limitations of the Study
No study is complete in itself, however good it may be and every study has some limitations. Some of the limitations which I had confronted are as follows:
The findings of the survey may not be truly representative of the market as the project will be limited scope.
Research study was confined to Surat city only.
There may be lack of time on the part of respondents.
It was very much possible that some of the respondents may give the incorrect information.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Phillip Kolter, Marketing Management-2006 [12th edition]
2. Para pal Singh, Service Marketing- 2008 [ edition]
3. Evangelos Grigoroudis, Yannis Siskos: Customer Satisfaction Evaluation:
4. Methods for Measuring and Implementing Service Quality; Springer, 2010 – Consumer satisfaction – 313 pages
5. “sport utility vehicle”. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
6. “SUV”. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
7. “SUV vs. Crossover: What’s the Difference?”. Auto Trader. Retrieved 14 Janua
8. “Fact #726: SUVs: Are They Cars or Trucks?”. Vehicle Technologies Office (EERE). 7 May 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
9. Yacobucci, Brent D. (2003-04-17). “Sport Utility Vehicles, Mini-Vans, and LightTrucks: An Overview of Fuel Economy and Emissions Standards”. CRS Report for Congress. Retrieved 2011-12-23.
10. www.scribd.com
11. www.google.com
12. www.mahindraxuv500.com
13. www.wikipedia.org
APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Sir/ Madam,
I am ROHAN student of MBA conducting a survey on “ STUDY OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & PERCEPTION ABOUT MAHINDRA SUV’S CAR IN SURAT, GUJARAT CITY” Kindly help me in my survey by filling this questionnaire.
Name : ……………………………….
Age : ……………………………….
Address : ……………………………….
Contact No : …………………………………
1. Do you have any car?
a)Yes b) No
2. For how long you have been associated with Mahindra SUV’S? (Tick in appropriate box)
a).6 months b).1 years
c).2 years d).4 years and more
3. Were you contacted after service to check your satisfaction with service done?
a). Yes b). No
4. Do you have any kind of grievances with the authorized service station?
a). Yes b). No c)If yes (kindly specify)
5. How do you rate the overall performance of Mahindra SUV’S regarding after sales service provided?
Highly satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Highly dissatisfied
7. Are you satisfied with services and goodwill of Mahindra SUV’S Car?
a) Totally satisfied
b) Partially Satisfied
c) Satisfied
d) Not Satisfied
e) Totally Dissatisfied
8. Why have you switched from earlier brand to Mahindra SUV’S?
a) Advanced technology
b) Innovative product/new feature
c) Influence of advertisement
d) Any other
9. How likely you to recommend Mahindra SUV’S car to a friend or colleague?
a) Very Likely
b) Somewhat Likely
c) Neither Likely nor Unlikely
d) Somewhat Unlikely
e) Very Unlikely
10. Do you have sufficient information was available on the internet to Mahindra SUV’S car?
a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree
11. What are your favourite things about this car??
a) Price,
b) Service
c) Brand image
d) Features
e) Influence by other,
12. How would you rate Mahindra SUV’S cars?
a) Excellent,
b) Good,
c) Very Good
d) Satisfactory
e) Poor
13. Do you feel the company takes into consideration your family’s needs and are they adaptable when needed?
a) Most of the time
b) Often
c) Sometimes
d) Rarely
e) Almost never
14. Do you think Mahindra charges high to the products and services?
a) Most of the time
b) Often
c) Sometimes
d) Rarely
e) Almost never
*****