Executive Summary
MKT FPX 5416 Assessment 2 Rollin’ Auto has joined the automobile repair industry in recent years, having experienced tremendous expansion since our inception. For the expansion to be directed appropriately, an upcoming consumer research strategy is essential in comprehending the fresh market realities in which we find ourselves. Rollin’ Auto is a husband-wife owned and operated mobile automobile repair company that began operations during the Fall of 2021 with two trucks that come on site to perform repairs at customers’ homes or place of work. Services offered by us are oil changes, inspections, brake changes, windshield repairs, tire rotation, and numerous other services. We have just recently obtained funds from two investors to assist in furthering our business success further. In order to describe our growth strategy to these investors, it is necessary to quantify consumer attitudes and experiences in the auto repair market.
Next, we shall present our research and sampling proposals that will work to get the consumer opinions efficiently and eliminate every doubt they could have regarding the auto repair industry. This study plan outlines the way we would address common consumer attitudes and patterns in the car repair industry and proposes actionable changes to alter consumer attitudes. We shall employ a non-probability sampling approach to gather related data to back up our research.
Introduction and Background
The auto repair market offers a variety of consumer concerns, both positive and negative.
These issues will be explored in great detail, with a focus on the three most significant consumer grievances: customer relations, honesty and trust, and convenience and flexibility. USA Today states that 13% of consumers desire enhanced customer relations, 12% desire more honesty and trust, and the remainder desire more convenience and flexibility (USA Today, 2022). These categories include several sub-issues, requiring further investigation of consumer discontent. Customer relations become a major issue since it involves many aspects, such as interactions, support, and how they address customer grievances.
Based on the study, just 34% of the customers are always content with their vehicle service provider (Upswell Marketing, 2021). What this statistic reveals is that an enormous 66% of the customers are not satisfied, primarily because of being treated poorly or disrespected by their service providers. The customers want to be treated as if they belonged to a family and be valued when leaving their precious belongings in the hands of mechanics.
MKT FPX 5416 Assessment 2 Rollin’ Auto Consumer Research Plan
The second frequent problem is trust and honesty, which mainly occurs in service price and the necessity of recommended repairs. A majority of customers have had a negative experience with car mechanics, where they were overcharged or misled about the necessity of repairs. AAA cites that 63% of consumers report having had a negative experience in the past (AAA, 2016). Such experiences generate mistrust towards future mechanics, and hence it is essential to tackle this issue in our research.
Customer convenience and flexibility are the final consumer concern. Scheduling appointments can be inconvenient, and consumers might find it hard to come up with good times, especially if they need other means of transport while their vehicle is in service. The inconvenience may lead to delays in car service, which would result in further issues. Hence, customer relations, honesty and trust, and customer convenience and flexibility should be taken into account while researching for Rollin’ Auto.
Secondary Data and Information
Understanding the top three consumer concerns in the auto repair industry allows us to delve into each concern in more detail and gather supporting data.
We begin with customer relations, encompassing all customer contact. AAA research shows that two-thirds of American motorists do not trust repair shops. This lack of trust stems from negative past experiences and other contributing factors. According to an article by USA Today, 11% of customers desire a cleaner service area, better quality service, greater promotions, well-trained employees, and faster service (USA Today, 2022). With regard to honesty and trustworthiness, appalling statistics indicate that 76% of customers think mechanics are inclined to recommend work that is not necessary, 73% think they overcharge, and 49% are afraid repairs won’t be properly done (AAA, 2016). These results concur with other studies that demonstrate a high level of consumer unhappiness with their mechanics.
Finally, convenience and flexibility in terms of scheduling car maintenance are key in today’s world. Few customers have time for visits, so maintenance gets put off until later. 33% of consumers state inability to find good maintenance times, thereby leading to delays, while 2.7% of consumers are worried about repair time (Automotive Research.com, 2017). This causes additional problems in the way that vehicles are maintained as well as leading to potentially higher future repairs.
Research Plan
MKT FPX 5416 Assessment 2 Rollin’ Auto will employ a quantitative research strategy to obtain customer input on various matters in the automobile repair business. Questions to be used in the questionnaire are as follows:
These questions will help us solve essential customer problems in the automobile repair business. Feedback will help us design ultimate features and options that bring out the best in the connection between Rollin’ Auto and our customers.
Sampling and Data Collection
For collecting answers to the above questions, we will make use of a non-probability sampling process through a quota sampling model for ensuring varied representation across different demographics. Our target segments are:
• Adults who are 55 years and above
• Adults between 40-54 years
• Adults between 26-39 years
• Adults between 18-25 years
• Organizations with more than 500 employees
• Families with more than one child
• Price-sensitive consumers
We will obtain six respondents from every group, thus making a total of 42 participants. We will encounter possible respondents at auto repair shops, car dealerships, car expos, and among current customers. There will be a number of avenues through which they can respond: the normal paper questionnaires, online databases, and an app on a smartphone.
Once we obtain the data, we will analyze consumer comments to identify trends and potential solutions to address their concerns regarding the auto repair industry.
Contributions
We anticipate that the data collected will give us valuable information regarding consumer preference:
• Mode of interaction with Rollin’ Auto preferred.
• Importance of upfront cost transparency.
• Preference for home or workplace service.
• Preference for detailed service report.
• Interest in automatic scheduling.
• Importance of choosing a preferred mechanic.
• Desired loyalty incentives.
• Importance of advertising.
• Probability of employing a service tracking app.
• Mobile vs. traditional repair shop preference.
These findings will be in accordance with the larger consumer challenges in the automotive repair industry. These results will drive our marketing strategy, enabling us to build a transparent and reliable customer experience, which in turn will foster customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth referrals.
Conclusion
In short, we are confident in solving consumer attitudes toward auto repair facilities.
We will plan to tailor our services to make consumers in control, owning their car care experience. With this study and employing targeted questions, we will shape our business model according to consumers’ needs to improve satisfaction with one of their biggest assets. We expect that focusing on flexibility, better customer relations, and transparent pricing will induce loyalty among our customers and transform their experience from a hassle to a pleasant interaction. The survey results will not only benefit Rollin’ Auto but also benefit other car repair businesses interested in maximizing consumer interaction and minimizing the negative perception of the industry. Through positive solutions to consumer concerns, we hope to make the surroundings more pleasant for consumers as well as mechanics
References
AAA survey: Drivers leery of auto repair shops. (2016, December 6). Tire Business. Retrieved from https://www.tirebusiness.com/article/20161201/NEWS/161209989/aaa-survey-driversleery-of-auto-repair-shops
Consumers like neighborhood stores. (1996, April). USA Today, 124(3). Retrieved from https://www.capella.edu/
MKT FPX 5416 Assessment 2 Rollin’ Auto Consumer Research Plan
Monticello, M. (2018, December 27). Can you trust your car repair shop? Consumer Reports. Retrieved from https://www.tirebusiness.com/article/20161201/NEWS/161209989/aaa-survey-driversleery-of-auto-repair-shops
Report: Why customers delay routine maintenance. (2017, September 11). Ratchet+Wrench. Retrieved from https://www.ratchetandwrench.com
Schiffman, L. G., and Wisenblit, J. (2015). Consumer behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
