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THE PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF MARKETING AUTO MAINTENANCE SERVICES

ABSTRACT

This research work is basically in the appraisal of the problems and prospects of marketing auto maintenance service work services in Enugu metropolis. The research work structure both the big auto maintenance service firm and workshops ant the small auto maintenance services workshop vita the road side mechanize. The data  needed for their study was collected from the management of these auto maintenance service workshop and the customers of these workshop consist of vehicle owners and drivers.  The objective of this research work centered on studying the activities of auto maintenance in Enugu metropolis and tried to find out if these activities are well performed. The objective is also to know where. If there is prospect for greater productivity in the service offered to his public by the auto maintenance industry. From the analysis of the data obtain it was diagnosed that most customers in the metropolis are satisfied with the services they recovered from auto maintenance firm / workshop and also that most of them are not affected by aggressive promotional activities but rather are encourage to service workshop by testimonies from friend relation or old customers. Again, the analysis indicated that most customers preferred road side mechanics to the bigger auto maintenance. From workshop render all auto maintenance services.  The researcher’s analysis led to find out that most of the customers who learnt of auto maintenance workshop through advertisements did so through radio advertisement. The researcher made the following recommendation. She acknowledges the efforts of the management of auto maintenance workshop for being able to satisfy its customers within the Enugu metropolis. She recommends that auto maintenance services Institutions mix so as to build up store traffic and also concentrate their promotional efforts on good public relations sand publicity. Also recommended the use of radio advertising for the auto maintenance pricing policy that will help the firm workshop in making profit.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Many people have myopic ideas about marketing. They misconstrue ideas a strategy which applies only to management accoutering and distribution trades . Some take it as a skill which is the exclusive present of the department staff broaden cal concept of maintenance, how ever recognize the importance of marketing. To service industries like hospital, Insurance, Auto maintenance, etc. In these days of rapidly changing needs and business circumstance, it is important that the auto maintenance workers / Staff /Management should thoroughly appreciate the importance marketing and its relevant to auto maintenance services. As the auto mechanical relies on the market for its survives and profitability, it is inevitable that it should develop the resilient to adopt to changing economic needs. The environment  and the requirement of the customers, which are becoming more sophisticated and  complicated.

To understand fully what auto maintenance services  marketing means. One has to first understand the meaning of marketing in general. S The British Institute of marketing defines marketing as: A management process which identifies , anticipates and satisfies consumer requirement profitably.  Marketing is human activities directed towards satisfying needs and wants through exchange process:

Both definitions place the customer in the forefront of corporate twinkling. He Institute of marketing definition of marketing contains both the concern and a series of technique. The concept place the customers in the forefront of the easily carried out such corporate twinkling while the technique make the concept to be  easily carried out successfully, economically sand profitability . The care of the make concept is to secure and retain customers at a profit.

There are many activities implied in the definition of marketing.  Thus, it is a study of behaviors pattern .  attitude and needs of different categories of customers with a view to adopting services to their needs.  It has the customers as the first thing. So it is customer oriented. It is possible to run a business without profit for sometime but it is not possible for it to survive for one day without customer “ This concept would, therefore, demand for a total commitment to the customers as the nucleus  of the business.  This objective should be pursued by all, from the director to messenger. There should be meaningful efforts to identify customers needs by meaning of through psycho analysis of the customers problem.

Because no two customers are exactly alike and it is impossible to have a tailor made service for each customer. it becomes important to segment the customer into categories of people with broader similar needs and  interest. Anticipating the needs of the customers means thinking toward about customers . It means planning about for the customers need. This involves studying the business environment and the changing requirements of the customers.

Forward thinking must be used  with fruitful planning marketing involves management process for after the factor relating to the further requirement have been identify and directed, there is the need foe management to couple it with forward planning and decision. Though there is need to satisfy the customers needs, there is also a need to make profit for the existence of the organization. There must be a search for the most effective way to satisfying the needs at a profit to the organization. There is no business that can continue to grow indefinitely without profit.  The main objective of marketing is that while striving to achieve effective service to the customer should operate with a consciousness for cost effectiveness.  This means that service should be rendered profitability to the organization.

Marketing also involves total evaluation of company’s strength and weakness in order to know where to specialize or where to eliminate. Proper marketing implies providing the right services at the right time at the right price to the right customers in the right place. Applying the concept of marketing. The auto maintenance service would be satisfying customers with services. It will also help the auto maintenance service firms to know that service need differ among different groups of people and that the service to meet these need. Should be tailored according to the type of customer.

Auto maintenance service marketing like any other service marketing are generally intangible and inseparable from sellers. They are also heterogeneous highly perishable and have a widely fluctuating demand. The services cannot be centered or felt by the customer before buying them. Auto maintenance services are heterogeneous because it is impossible to offer the same type of all customers because their need differ. Auto maintenance services are perishable and fluctuates in demand and this results in attention being paid to planning promoting and pricing which are all marketing tools.

Auto maintenance services are people based and are sometimes accompanied by goods. They are people based in the sense that it is human beings. The auto maintenance mechanics , who plan the major role in rendering the services. It is true that some of the services rendered are auto mated but it is the auto maintenance that operate and central most of these machines to function property and efficiently. The services rendered dare sometimes accompanied by spare parts or auto components used to replaces worn - out or spoilt ones.

This study is concerned with the marketing of auto maintenance services, and would clearly state them from the wears and tears in the use of auto mobiles  coupled with occasional accidents on our roads which may either be due to the age of the auto or the carelessness of the owners or drivers. Consequently, many peoples have come to use “servicing” as indispensable to the life of vehicles. As a result, many people in guest of a means of livelihood or even better economic alternatives have been staking the:- destiny  the industry. To a nicety, this has really accounted for the existence of a myriad of auto maintenance firm like ANAMCO we have road side mechanics which we significant important to the reasons richer. It is because of the importance of maintenance to prolong the like of transport that the researcher seek to find out the problems and prospect of marketing auto maintenance in Enugu metropolis.

1.2   STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

This study is control on the marketing of auto maintenance service in Enugu metropolis. For any business to service. It must be prepare to uphold the marketing concept of the supremacy of the consumer involves identification and satisfaction of specified needs. The needs and wants of customers have got to be clearly defined and subsequence statistical be designing the customers desires. Anammco which is one of the heading manufacturer or maintenance of vehicles is suffering a fail in demand and most of the  vehicles that are maintained break down as soon as this is done this had lead to dissatisfaction by consumer their service in Enugu metropolis. The researcher try to X – ray why vehicles breaks down always. Is their not enough spare parts? . These and many more from the central task of this research work.

1.3  OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

In the light of the identical problem of the auto maintenance industry as defined above, this study aims at a critical analysis of the auto maintenance service industries in Enugu metropolis with view to discovering the specific problem of the industry, especially in the area of consumer orientation and consequently advising management on how to improve service marketing to satisfy customers needs efficiently and so ensure te  survival of the business units that make us the industry. On this the  following are specific objectives the researcher designed to achieve:

i.  To evaluate the marketing practices of auto maintenance service industry in workshop firm in Enugu metropolis.

ii.  To know where if there is prospect for greater productivity in the services offered to the public.

iv.  To ascertain the possibility of applying the marketing concept in service marketing.

v.  To know how effective promotion is on consumer patronage.

vi.  To estimate the advantages or disadvantages to the customers.

vii.  To recommend whether or how best it should organized or what alternative are best.

1.4    HYPOTHESIS OF STUDY

Ho:  Customers are not satisfied with the quality of service maintenance offered Anammco.

Hi:  Customer are satisfied with the quality of service maintenance offered by Anammco.

Ho:  Customers are not satisfied with changes for Auto maintenance service provided by Anammco.

H2:  Customer are satisfied with charges for Auto maintenance service provided by Ananmmco.

Ho:      Promotional activities of anammco does not create customers awareness of the service.

H3        Promotional activities of anammco create customers awareness of their service.

Ho:      Auto maintenance service offered by Anammco are not readily variable.

H4:       Auto maintenance service attended by anammco are readily variable.

H2:       The availability of spare part constitute a problem to the maintenance of vehicle by anammco.

H3:       Customers are not satisfied with the charged of ananmmco in maintenance .

1.5  SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The result of this work will substantially help management to auto mechanical firm/ workshop to be aware of the type of services their customers desire to obtain and the obstacles  there.  This awareness is of great importance as it will enable them to attract and maintenance  sufficient customer patronage to ensure profitability operations through the adoption of the marketing concept. The prospective auto maintenance will also benefit from the research since it will afford him a knowledge of the problems inherent  in auto maintenance business that he is  likely to encounter and help him to avoid them. Furthermore, the research is beneficial to the intricacies that marketing research exercise entails. This work can also be useful to prospective auto maintenance by servicing as a guide in decision making if they eventually go into auto maintenance business. Finally, the research will lead to increase intelligence of the workers in the field of auto maintenance.

1.6  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work concern the problems and prospects of marketing auto maintenance services in Enugu metropolis (Emene). It include a study / Anambra motor manufacturing company in Enugu  and will do this considering only the fine common services. Alignment and wheel balancing , Car washing and Greasing, Engine maintenance and Repair, and Air conditioner Gas Refilling which they render.

1.7   DEFINITION OF TERMS

Marketing according to character institute of marketing can be define s the management process responsible for identifying anticipating  analyze and satisfying customers requirement profitability.

Services: According to Stanton are those separately identificable essentially intangible activities that provide want satisfaction and that are not necessary tried to the sale of a product or another services.

Promotion: This is the component used by the organization to inform educate and persuade the market regarding the company offerings (Ebue 1996: 58).

Pricing is a value of a product measure in monetary terms.

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