Discussing the Effects of Lifestyle on Customer Service Strategy with Cluster Analysis and Kano Model: A Case Study on Maintenance and Repair of Motor Vehicles

Abstract

Services provided by garages present less differentiation in recent years that alternatives in the same trade are increasing. In such a fiercely competitive automobile maintenance market, favorable customer service quality is regarded as one of the key success factors. To satisfy customer demands, it is necessary to understand the service quality required by customers and provide customer services based on such requirements.With Lifestyle as the basis of effective market segmentation and Basic information of consumers as the variables, Cluster analysis is combined to effectively segment the customer characteristics in Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles. Finally, Kano-model, which is different from traditional measurement of customer preference, is applied to concluding the service quality items for Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, and Quality improvement index is utilized for assisting enterprises in measures for quality improvement or reinforcement so as to create profits. With questionnaire survey, the following conclusions are summarized. With Cluster analysis, the samples are divided into Practice-oriented group andSocial-oriented group. 2. Within the 34 quality elements, Practice-oriented group presents 1 Must-be element, 28 One-dimensional element, and 6 Indifference element, while Socialoriented group reveals 4 Must-be quality, 23 One-dimensional quality, and 9 Indifference quality. Most elements appear Two-dimensional quality. 3. With distinct Basic information of consumers, Practice-oriented group and Socialoriented group show significantly different opinions on some quality elements.

Analysis of suppliers' preferences to a manufacturer using Kano model and performance value analysis

“…It was also used in measuring customer satisfaction with information systems (Chikara and Takahashi, 1997), measuring employee satisfaction (Matlay and Peters, 2005), service quality criteria (Schvaneveldt et al, 1991) and manufacturing process criteria (Avikal et al, 2014). Few interesting latest applications of Kano model away from traditional customer satisfaction are: Huang et al (2015) applied Kano-model different from its traditional measurement of customer preference to study service quality items for maintenance and repair of motor vehicles; Salehzadeh et al (2015) used Kano model in the organisational behaviour domain to study the managers' satisfaction; Chuang and Chen (2013) applied the Kano model to exploit the service quality in real estate brokering industry; Ko et al (2012) conducted comparative analysis of experience-oriented customer needs with manufacturer supplies using Kano model. Basically, the Kano model was aimed at capturing the customer satisfaction based on the characteristic performance attributes of a product or service.…”

How to identify product defects and segment consumer groups on an online auto forum

“…Huang et al. (2015) used lifestyle as a subdivision basis to divide car consumers into practice‐oriented and social‐oriented groups. Morton et al.…”

“…Huang et al (2015) used lifestyle as a subdivision basis to divide car consumers into practice-oriented and social-oriented groups Morton et al (2017). used a two-stage cluster analysis method to divide the U.K. car consumer groups into environmental cynics, weekend drivers, keen greens, early adopters, and car enthusiasts.McLeay et al (2018) used the theory of consumer behavior and cultural dimensions to divide consumers who buy hybrid vehicles into pessimists, realists, optimists, and casualists.…”

Revising satisfaction and dissatisfaction indexes of the Kano model by reclassifying indifference requirements

“…SI indicates to what extent an attribute of product/service influences customer satisfaction, and dissatisfaction index (DI) indicates to what extent the lack of attention to an attribute results in dissatisfaction (Chen and Chen, 2015;Huang et al, 2015):…”