Problem Definition
Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. According to BMW Group U.S. Reports December and 2014 Sales, the BMW Group is up 5.3 percent on sales of 395,850 compared to 375,782 in 2013. This is a new record for the BMW Group U.S., however, BMW customer satisfaction consistently decreasing in the past two years. This report will help BMW improve their customer satisfaction. It will discuss about store location, which focus on how easiness to find a dealer, and the dealer surroundings. In addition, salesperson's attitude, store atmosphere, and after-sales service. Also, it will talk about how to make the brand image of BMW work better.Most obviously, Audi is the biggest competitor to BMW, since each series of BMW has competition from Audi. For instance, BMW 5 series versus Audi A6, BMW 7 series versus Audi A8, and BMW X5 versus Audi Q7. Audi is German automobile brand as well as BMW, it may gave customer similar brand impression which is German car representing more safety than others.
Secondary Data
American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) shows that BMW customer satisfaction decrease in past two years. In 2012, the customer satisfaction is 86. In 2013, the customer satisfaction is 82. In 2014, the customer satisfaction is 80.
In 2014, because of a problem with the six-cylinder engines in the vehicles, BMW recall sports sedans and sport utility vehicles in the Unite State. The number of total recalls around 500,000 vehicles (Hirsch Jerry, 2014).
There is another recall happened to BMW. In 2010, because of potential problems with the power braking system, BMW recall 345,000 cars all over the world (Wall Street Journal, 2010).
BMW has been ranked the highest luxury vehicle customer satisfaction in India in the past year. BMW did great job especially in sales initiation and salesperson factors (J D Power & Associates, 2014).
BMW had won the title of the world's top premium car brand in the first three months of this year with great sales volume of X5 sport-utility vehicle and 2-Series Active Tourer. It stayed ahead of Audi. BMW brand sales in crease 5.4% from a year earlier, the United State has the strongest sales growth which is 8.4%. However, it still grow slower than Audi (Boston William, 2015).
Primary Data
Experience Survey
1. How do you figure out if he/she is a potential buyer?
2. What techniques you use to convince your potential buyer to buy the car?
3. What car features would you introduce to your customer?
4. How many cars can you sell typically per month?
5. How would you keep your customer come back and buy a second one in the future?
6. Can I have a test drive?
7. Does the satisfaction survey matter to you? To what degree?
8. If I refer my friends to you, Can I get some more discount?
9. I bought the same brand car several years ago, but it had a lot of problem, can you give me some reasons that I should still buy the brand?
10. What kind of car do you dive yourself?
Reference List
Hirsch, J. (2014, Apr 12). BMW engine problem leads to recall of sedans and SUVS. Los Angeles Times Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1515171507?accountid=35757
BMW to recall 345,000 cars world-wide. (2010, Oct 01). Wall Street Journal (Online) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/755925153?accountid=35757
BMW tops customer satisfaction in india: Key facts. (2014, Oct 09). Financial Express Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1609302241?accountid=35757
Boston, W. (2015, Apr 14). BMW retains title of world's top luxury car brand; german car giant stays ahead of rivals with a 5.4% increase in car sales for the first three months of the year. Wall Street Journal (Online) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1672902140?accountid=35757