DRIVING LOYALTY THROUGH SERVICE-QUALITY: DO AGE AND INCOME MATTER? EVIDENCE FROM MALAYSIA’S AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i5.1410Keywords:
service quality, customer loyalty, automotive service industry, demographic factors, MalaysiaAbstract
Customer loyalty is essential for sustaining competitive advantage in the automotive service industry, where repeated post-sales interactions strongly influence long-term customer relationships. This study examines the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty in Malaysia's automotive service industry and investigates whether age and income moderate this relationship. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using data collected from 385 customers of authorised automotive service centres in Malaysia. The data were analysed using multiple regression analysis. The findings reveal that service quality has a significant positive effect on customer loyalty, confirming that customers who perceive higher levels of service quality are more likely to remain loyal to their service providers. Although age exhibited a significant direct relationship with customer loyalty, neither age nor income significantly moderated the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty. These findings suggest that the influence of service quality on customer loyalty remains consistent across different demographic groups. This study contributes to the service marketing literature by providing evidence from an emerging market and offering practical implications for automotive service providers, highlighting the importance of consistently delivering high-quality services to strengthen customer loyalty rather than relying on demographic-based service differentiation.
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