Measuring service quality in Indian automobile aftersales: AutoIND scale

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing service quality measurement scales in the literature on automobile after-sales service. It seeks to develop and validate a service quality measurement scale for Indian passenger car industry's after-sales segment, thereby enhancing service quality (SQ) and customer satisfaction. The study's research design consists of a combination of literature review, exploratory interview and a questionnaire survey conducted through interviews. This paper develops a pilot SQ measurement scale to assess SQ in the Indian passenger car industry's after-sales segment. Apart from the five SERVQUAL dimensions in the extant literature, two new dimensions of service failure and service recovery have been identified and included in the scale developed to address the specific features of the Indian automobile industry. The scale developed in this research will provide a framework towards the development of a measurement scale for after sales services in auto industry.