Service quality has been increasingly identified as a key factor in differentiating service products and in building competitive advantage. However, the differences of opinion between customers and service providers in the same industry have not received much attention in the literature. Therefore, to gain further insight into the development of service delivery in the insurance industry, differences between customers and service providers' perspectives need to be explored. / The study design used in this research was twofold. First, quantitative research was conducted in which customers and providers were participants. The conceptual model involved a comparison between customers and service providers' perceptions of the attributes of service delivery in the auto insurance industry. Moreover, a conceptual model of the determinants of different perceptions regarding six attributes; customer expectation, customer experience, customer perceived service quality, perception of corporate image, customer satisfaction and customer repurchase intention- are proposed and discussed. Both customers and service providers in the auto insurance industry were asked questions based on the same components of service delivery and related attributes. The first phase of the research, a quantitative based mail administered survey, was undertaken; four hundred and six questionnaires were sent to customers and one hundred sent to service providers in the auto insurance industry in Thailand. The results show that there are significant differences between customer and service provider perceptions concerning customer experience, customer perceived service quality, perception of corporate image, customer satisfaction and customer repurchase intention. / The second phase of the research involved a qualitative study using nine managers in the auto insurance industry in Thailand. Due to the exploratory nature of this research, face-to-face interviews were used to investigate five important dimensions of service quality in management in the auto insurance industry in Thailand. Further interviews were sought to investigate the conceptualization and measurement of customer satisfaction, service quality, repurchase intention and its importance to the auto insurance industry. Then, qualitative research by face-to-face interviews was used to illuminate various issues previously identified, and analysed the different perceptions between samples and examined the means to narrow the differences. The research disclosed that the reliability dimension is the important factor in implementing service quality in the auto insurance industry in Thailand. Results from the qualitative study also suggested that auto insurance companies in Thailand should be developing marketing strategies more focused on the needs of customers and thereby improve customer satisfaction. The results are of significance to operators in that they clearly identify the managerial implications of providing quality service to enhance customer satisfaction and with it customers' repurchase intention in auto insurance in Thailand. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2005.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/267486 |
| Creators | Sayasonti, Sasirin. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | copyright under review |
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