THE BRIEF
The automotive industry in Malaysia is increasingly competitive, with more brands entering the market in recent years. In such a dynamic environment, delivering exceptional customer experiences is one of the key drivers of growth. As one of the country’s most trusted automotive brands, the client is committed to ensuring a high standard of customer service and maintaining excellence across their showrooms (sales) and service centers (after-sales).
Additionally, the client seeks to benchmark their performance against key competitors, gaining insights into how they stack up in the market. This research will also help identify best practices that can be adopted and uncover potential opportunities or ‘white spaces’ for future growth.
OUR APPROACH
In view of the client’s objectives, we have employed a 3-phase research approach, targeting both sales showrooms and after sales service centers for the client’s brand and competitors’ brand.
Phase 1: Quantitative Online Survey
The first phase utilizes Quantitative Online Survey, a structured questionnaire designed to assess customer satisfaction scores for our client’s brand in comparison to competitor brands. This survey provides valuable insights, allowing clients to benchmark their performance against competitors and evaluate their brand’s effectiveness across various customer touchpoints. By analyzing numerical data, we help identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, enabling clients to learn from best practices and enhance their overall customer experience.
Phase 2: Qualitative In-Depth Interviews
Building on the insights gathered from the Quantitative Online Survey, our Qualitative In-Depth Interviews (IDI) provide a deeper understanding of customer experiences. We invite selected respondents from the survey to participate in semi-structured interview sessions, allowing them to freely discuss their satisfaction, dissatisfactions, and areas for improvement across different touchpoints. This qualitative approach uncovers the underlying reasons behind the survey scores, offering clients a richer layer of insight into customer sentiment. Additionally, the IDI helps identify potential white spaces, presenting opportunities for clients to innovate and improve their customer experience strategy.
Phase 3: Mystery Shopper
The final phase of our research involves the Mystery Shopper methodology, which provides an on-the-ground, real-world assessment of performance in showrooms and service centers. Unlike the previous phases, which are based on customer feedback, this approach involves conducting Mystery Checks at both the client’s and competitors’ showrooms and service centers. This allows us to observe and assess actual customer experiences, helping clients to identify specific pain points and gaps in service. Additionally, the Mystery Shopper methodology uncovers best practices by evaluating the initiatives and strategies employed by competitors, offering valuable insights for improving the client’s own operations and customer experience.
THE OUTPUT
Our research has provided the client with a comprehensive and actionable view of their brand’s standing in the competitive Malaysian automotive market.
The Quantitative Online Survey has helped quantify customer satisfaction levels and benchmark their brand against key industry players, offering insights into both strengths and areas for improvement across customer touchpoints.
By following up with Qualitative In-Depth Interviews (IDI), we’ve gained deeper insights into customer motivations, revealing the factors behind their experiences and identifying potential opportunities for improvement.
The Mystery Shopper phase took it further by offering an objective, on-the-ground evaluation of the client’s showrooms and service centers, highlighting actual customer experiences and uncovering operational gaps.
Collectively, these findings have provided the client with a clearer understanding of where they stand in the market, the best practices they can adopt, and potential areas for growth to enhance their overall customer experience and strengthen their competitive edge.