Car-makers Kia India and Skoda Auto India emerged as leaders in the automobile sector for service excellence, according to an extensive pan-Indian study done by JAGSoM (Jagdish Sheth School of Management).
The study – Index of Service Excellence in India 2023 (iSEI) – was conducted recently across Automobile Service, Retail Banking, E-Commerce (Grocery) and E-Commerce (Apparel) segments, using a sample size of 6600 respondents in mega-metros, metros and mini-metros.
The iSEI findings were unveiled by the AIM-Parasuraman Centre for Service Excellence, at The Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSoM), recently at an event attended by industry leaders and marketing scholars of global repute from schools like Yale, Texas A&M & INSEAD.
The study stems from AIM-Parasuraman Centre recognizing the need to formulate a measurement standard for service excellence in India that could help organizations get a holistic measure of how they are performing in comparison to their peers in their sector. The iSEI is a measure that is theoretically anchored, methodologically rigorous, and tested by a team led by Dr. A Parasuraman, globally acclaimed for his insights on service marketing.
Professor A. Parasuraman, Emeritus Professor, University of Miami, Mentor, AIM-Parasuraman Centre for Service Excellence, JAGSoM Pro-Chancellor (Academics), Vijaybhoomi University in his presentation explained, “Service excellence in India thrives on understanding customer needs, bridging gaps, and fostering experiences. Embracing systematic efforts like the service excellence index is vital, empowering companies to measure and elevate service quality. The conceptual framework, GAPS Model, and SERVQUAL Scale, E-service quality serve as guiding lights. Reflecting on 2023’s Pan India study, core dimensions like tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurances, and empathy define service excellence. Notably, closing internal gaps and aligning organizational insights with customer expectations pave the way. Companies leveraging the ISEI for in-depth analysis and applying Gaps Model internally foster service excellence.”
Mr. Kamal Bali, President and Managing director of Volvo group India, expressed his thoughts at JAGSOM’s ‘Service of Excellence Awards. “In the journey of excellence, we measure our strides, knowing that what gets measured gets done. Speaking about the service sectors, it contributes almost 55% to the country’s GDP. What will last in the Indian market is transforming products and brands into lasting services providers. India is on track to becoming the 3rd largest world economy because India’s – GDP has grown at a rate of 7.7% as opposed to the assumed rate of 6.4 to 6.8 %. Every company will eventually morph into a digital / tech company, with data privacy and security as the new oil, the ones who capture today’s trends will evolve and lead in the upcoming decades.”
