Abstract:

With the major trends in the automotive industry pointing towards increased consumer power, the ability of manufacturers to satisfy customers is, more than ever, a pre-requisite for success. As manufacturers struggle to differentiate their products in the minds of the consumer, greater emphasis is being placed on the after-sales experience. This paper looks at research conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom to help understand what consumers want this after- sales experience to be like. Are consumers basically the same in the two markets, suggesting that a “global after-sales experience” naturally goes with a “global car?” Or are there sufficient differences to require a separate focus for each market? The findings indicate that, although fundamental requirements apply to both markets, it would be dangerous to expect that an approach that works in one market would generate the same success in the other market.