After-Sales Service and Customer Satisfaction in the Automobile Industry in an Emerging Economy

Abstract

Purpose: The study examined the role of after-sales services on customer satisfaction using CFAO Motors as a case study. Methodology: A mixed ap-proach was used in the data collection through questionnaire administration and interviews. The analysis made used of Kano’s Model and Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance. Results: The result indicated that maintenance (M) = 43 and inspection (O) = 41 were the highest scores of the major categories under customer requirement on “must-be” requirement and “one-dimensional” requirement respectively. The customers ranked solving problems through maintenance, accuracy of documentation and competency of service technicians as the top three priorities of their assessment on after-sales services. The service technicians revealed that competition coupled with insufficient hands on the job as a major challenge to after-sales services while the Workshop Manager indicated that customers were reminded of their next servicing schedule through sticker which was placed in the car to show scheduled service time. Conclusion: The study concludes that CFAO Motor must be customer-centric organization through deployment of effective marketing strategies to build long term relationships with stakeholders to better its performance. Originality: This is the first time in the Ghanaian context where a mixed method and the application of the Kano Model have been used on automaker dealer after-sales services.