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A PROJECT REPORT ON

ORIGINAL TYRE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION STUDY

Submitted in partial fulfillment of Requirement for the degree of PGDBM

Submitted By: Abhinav Shrivastava Maharishi Arvind Inst.Of Science & Mgt. Ambabari, Jaipur (Raj.)

Submitted To: The Director Maharishi Arvind Inst.Of Science & Mgt. Ambabari, Jaipur (Raj.)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The making of any report calls for cooperation and contribution from many others besides the individual alone. It is the results of meticulous efforts put in by many minds that contribute to the final report formation. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr.Praveen Kumar (Dist. Sales Manager, Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur) for giving me an opportunity to undergo the summer training of PGDBM in their esteem organization. I also take the opportunity to express my profound sense of gratitude to Mr. Ankur Sharma and Mr. Nitin Anand, Deputy District Sales Manager (Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd.,Jaipur) and Mr.Praveen Nawani ,Service Engineer(Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd.,Jaipur) who provided most valuable and dedicated guidance,encouragement,inspiration ,constructive criticism and solutions in due course of preparation of this report. I also thank Mr.Bharat Parashar, Director MAISM, Mr.J.P.Sharma, Mr.Harish Singla (Faculty,MAISM),Mr.Rajveer Singh (Placement Officer,MAISM), Ms.Rahil Verma (Faculty of Marketing,MAISM),Mrs.Ashu Sharma (Faculty,MAISM) and Mr.Ajay Sharma (Computer Lab In charge,MAISM) for their constant encouragement and support.

Abhinav Shrivastava

PREFACE

To satisfy the customer is very hard to any company by all manners and without satisfying them there is nothing for the company to survive because customer is the boss. Gandhi ji also said that customer is the king of the market and if the king is not happy then how the people will be happy. If we look through the graph of tyre industry, we will find, there is a lot cut throat competition going on in the market. The turn over of the Indian tyre industry has exceeded about Rs.9500 crore and it plays a very important role in the economic development of the country this includes the foreign players in Indian soil i.e. Bridgestone, the largest tyre company in the world. Since it is felt that this top multi-national company will be in great trouble for some tyre company for domestic tyre manufacturer. In spite of the hurdles faced Bridgstone India Pvt. Ltd.it is trying to be in the heart of the consumers so as to capture the biggest part of the market segment of the India. As a part of my training program, the Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd. gave a project, to Know customer satisfaction with tyres equipped on new vehicle. The main motive was to know the customer satisfaction level with regard to their current fitment. The estimation was made with help of questionnaire and interviews with customers. A sincere effort has been made in this regard to find out the customer satisfaction level and recommendations have been given at the end of this report.

CONTENTS
Project Profile Company Profile Objectives of the Study Limitations of the Study Research Methodology Annexure Analysis & Interpretation Findings & Recommendations Suggestions Conclusion Bibliography

PROJECT PROFILE

INTRODUCTION TO CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR AND SATISFACTION

Today the world is moving and fast moving we need to see something that which is very helpful in going here and there, which is well rounded shaped, flexible and comfort. Tyre is the only thing, which carries us from one place to another in a very short period of time. We can put them into any vehicle and cover the distance in few minutes or hours. Even today, in small products like toys, also we can find a small fabrics and nylon which make up to storm. If it is a Bicycle or scooter or motorcycle or car or bus or airplane, any thing you can take to reach a particular place but one thing which is common in every vehicle is a tyre.So we can not imagine our life without tyre. The annual turnover of tyre industry exceeds about Rs.12500 crore and plays an important role in the economic development of the country where nearly about 15 million people owe there employment in the tyre industry. With most of the existing vehicle manufacturers hiring plans to expand production capacities, a rise of 5% to 6% demand for tyre is expected once the slow recession is over. In India the tyre market is such that only 4 or 5 company completely dominate the market and the rest are some how able to survive.The tyre market in India can be divided into 6 main end user segment i.e. trucks and buses,pesenger cars ,geeps light commercial vehicle and two or three wheeler.At present Indian tyre market is dominated by 6 major players namely MRF,CEAT,JK,APPOLO,GOODYEAR & BRIDGESTONE. Since the liberalization has lead to the entry of the foreign segment tyre in the Indian tyre market i.e. Bridgestone, Pirelli, Kumho, Michelin etc. the coming time will witness fierce competition in virtually all segment of tyre market.

7 The market of tyre industry is some where directly dependent on the expansion of the automobile industry. Currently in India,rising production of all type of vehicle has been followed by increase in road transport activity and has resulted in a growing demand for tyre.Significant growth is expected for tyre from hot new cars namely Maruti Swift,Hyundai Tuson,Ford Mondeo,Ford Fusion,Hyundai Elantra etc. Today, radial tyres are standard fitment on major cars manufactured in India.The only exceptions are Maruti 800,Maruti Omni,some models of the Ambassador,Fiat Premere and Mahindra Jeep which still comes fitted with bias tyres.Radials are definitely superior in terms of road grip,handling tyre life,car dynamic and safety.On other hand there are critics who says radials play a havoc with your cars suspension give a rough ride,make steering heavier and not suitable for Indian roads this may be true for older cars such as the Ambassader and Premier Padmini which are fitted with bias tyre. Radial tyre are manufactured through high tech process and is build to exacting standard and tolerances they are ideally suited to the suspension system of new generation cars. When it comes to brands of car radials, it is a mater of personal choice. Today some Indian manufacturer like MRF,JK has developed indigenously the radial technology to suit Indian. MNCs also offer a wide range of tyre suited to their new vehicle in the country like India. Bridgestone is making a bid for passenger car radial to suit and make tyre compatible with the Indian roads. The technology that a Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd. Posse is suited to the tarmac road in the advance countries. But Bridgestone has taken a challenge to make suit radial tyre to Indian road condition This has thus resulted in cars brands specifying tyres exclusively as OE fitment. Today the tyre industry is having a boom simply because of car industry in India is booming whether it is Ferrari or Mercedes.

COMPANY PROFILE

BRIDGESTONE INDIA PVT.LTD.

Bridgestone India Pvt.Ltd. (Formerly Bridgestone Acc India Ltd.) was established under the joint agreement between Bridgestone Corporation, which is the worlds largest company with the state of the art tyre technology. And Acc India Ltd. Which has been well known for its advanced management. OUTLINE OF BAIL: Joint venture agreement signed: Incorporation of the company: Product launched: Building area 22Jan. 1996 27 Feb. 1996] 18 July 1998 1. Plant: 33,000 m.square 2. Office/ Canteen: 6000m square Total Land Area: 265,500 sq. m.(450m x 590m) *Building to land ratio= 40%. Paid up capital: Rs. 1552 million (BS:64%, MITSUI: 10%,ACC: 26%) Products: 1. Passenger steel radial tyres and tubes 2. Light commercial vehicle steel radia tyres and tubes Production Capacity: 2 Million pieces per year. 9

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BRIDGESTONE TYRES

1930-1950: From rubber soled footwear to rubber tyres

All companies have a beginning. And every company has a founder. But there are few companies in which its founder was clearer about his purpose than Bridgestone. Even before his venture into the world of tyres, Shojiro Ishibashi proved he was quite an entrepreneur. In 1925, he pioneered the mass production of Tabi; a traditional Japanese footwear in Kurume City in the southern island of Kyushu. Spurred by Japan's rapid industrialisation, he conducted research in the tyre market and made his first tyre in 1930. In 1931, Ishibashi's realised his dream of becoming the first Japanese tyre manufacturer when he established the Bridgestone Everything. And Ishibashi kept this in mind when he came up with his company's name. At the time, British and American products were in high demand and he decided to capitalise on this international aspect. In fact, Bridgestone is a literal English translation of his last name Ishibashi which means Stone Bridge. He liked the sound of it better when he reversed the words to Bridge Stone. Expansion summed up the company's activities through the 1930-40s as fullscale tyre production began at the newly completed plant in Kurume in 1934. A year later, they entered the leisure market with the mass production of golf balls, which continues to experience phenomenal success. To supply the growing demand in the capital, Ishibashi moved his headquarters to Tokyo in 1937 where he continued expansion into new sectors like V-belts, rubber hoses, vibration isolating components and synthetic rubber. He even changed the company name to Nippon Tire Co. Ltd.

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1950s - Bridgestone becomes the largest Japanese tyre maker

After a quarter of century, the beginning of the 50s marked rapid growth for the organisation. Its first course of business was to switch its name back to Bridgestone, followed by the construction of its new headquarters in central Tokyo and finally, the opening its first affiliated tyre distributor. All proved to be sound business decisions as sales topped 10 billion-Yen in 1953 making Bridgestone Japan's largest tyre manufacturer. Ishibashi never forgot his roots and celebrated the company's 25th anniversary by building the Ishibashi Cultural Center in Kurume, which he donated to the city.

1960s - Serving society with products of superior quality

The corporate motto "serving society with products of superior quality" was adopted during this decade, which saw the development of Japan's first steel radial tyres for truck and buses in 1962 and the first radial tyres for passenger cars in 1964. With factories in Kurume, Yokohama and Tokyo, the company was producing a wide range of rubber products, as well as tyres. It was also Japan's leading manufacturer of bicycles and had an auto production company, which produced more than 5,000 passenger cars and trucks every month.

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12 Bridgestone expands beyond its borders The rapid growth of the automotive industry worldwide encouraged Bridgestone to expand production beyond Japanese borders. In 1965 a new Bridgestone plant was founded in Malaysia, the company's first overseas production since WorldWarII. The establishment of a marketing subsidiary in the U.S. followed in 1967. And a company-wide quality-control campaign to improve quality and increase productivity earned the company the prestigious Deming Prize in 1968. 1970s - Company founder dies but his legacy lives on

Shojiro Ishibashi died in 1976 but his organisation forged on, entering bigger markets and developing new initiatives. In 1970, the company sponsored the first Bridgestone Golf Tournament, now known as the Bridgestone Open. The Bridgestone Corporation European Office (representative office for Bridgestone Corporation in Europe) was created in Brussels in 1972. And the company began marketing aluminium wheels for passenger cars and developed technology for converting scrap tyres into supplemental fuel for cement kilns in 1979. 1980s - 50th anniversary celebrates a decade of firsts The 80s began with a milestone event, the celebration of the company's 50th anniversary, but it was just the beginning of a string of successes marked by expansions, revolutionary technology and acquisitions. International expansion leads to the acquisition of Firestone Expansion began small with the opening of the first Cockpit retail outlet for tyres and car accessories. But Bridgestone took a large step into solidifying its position

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13 in the world tyre market in 1983 when it purchased its first production facility in Tennessee, U.S. from Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. It didn't end there. The company finally acquired the entire company in 1988 the second largest tyre manufacturer in the U.S. for $2.6 billion. This marked Bridgestone's transformation into a truly global company. Bridgestone and Firestone's European Office are close to a union After the global Bridgestone/Firestone merger, Firestone Europe Inc., Firestone's European Office, was established in Belgium in 1989. Both Bridgestone Corporation European Office and Firestone European Office were located in the same building in Brussels, although they remained separate entities.

Bridgestone's technological advances revolutionises tyre industry Success was not limited to business operations but technological advances in tyre development and design revolutionised the industry. In 1982, Bridgestone introduced Japan's first studless snow tyre and five years later; engineers designed the original multicell compound for use in this tyre. It also announced two new theories: the revolutionary Rolling Control Optimisation Theory and the Tension Control Optimisation Theory for truck and bus tyres. Hard work paid off in 1986 when Porsche adopted Bridgestone's RE71 ultra high-performance tyres as factory equipment on its limited edition 959 sports car, the world's fastest production car at the time. 1990s - From European HQ to Formula One championship Bridgestone Corporation, History, 1980s

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14 Bridgestone/Firestone Europe S.A. (BFE) is born Bridgestone and Firestone in the US are consolidated under a unified organisation called Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. and the company set up Bridgestone/Firestone Europe S.A. (BFE) on July 18, 1990. BFE played a coordination and centralisation role until 1994, when it became the European Headquarters.

From then on, it assumed the responsibility for integrating European marketing and distribution activities and was involved in sales and purchasing activities. Consequently, it became a shareholder in most of the group companies in Europe. In mid-1998, the company moved to its new premises in Zaventem. BFE employed approximately 150 people, including locals and expatriates reflecting its multicultural and global outlook. In fact, there are 16 different nationalities represented in the BFE headquarters in Brussels.

Breakthrough technology takes Bridgestone to Formula One tracks Uni-T, Bridgestone's three-way advance in tyre design methodology including developments in carbon black particle structure and tyre bead in 1994 helped return Firestone tyres to open-wheel racing (CART) the following year in the US. A legend at the Indy 500, Firestone immediately asserted its dominance. In 1997, Bridgestone entered the Formula One competition. Cars equipped with Bridgestone's Potenza tyres captured four podium finishes in the company's rookie season.

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15 In its second season competing in F1 in 1998, Bridgestone won its first F1 world championship, thanks to Mika Hakkinen who secured the Driver's title and his team, Mercedes/McLaren, which offered Bridgestone its first Constructors' championship. 21st century 2004 is an important year for Bridgestone, in light of numerous events and achievements that confirm its will to strengthen its position in Europe as the tyre manufacturer to turn to. It begins supplying tyres to the SuzukiGrand Prix Team for MotoGP motorcycle racing for the 2004 season. Motorcycle racing is an important facet of Bridgestone's motorsports program, which is also famous for success in Formula One, IndyCar racing and other automobile racing. At the MotoGp in Rio, the victory of Makoto Tamada is the first ever for both partners in MotoGP. BS confirms its position of leader in the Run Flat Technology with the shipment of its 1 million tyre in February 2004.Ferrari chooses the RFT for its Scaglietti 612 and Maserati opts for the runflat too. The trust awarded to the company by main manufacturer is highlighted by the contract signed between BS and Daimler Chrysler where BS become a key supplier of tyres for DaimlerChrysler's range of medium and heavy (over 6 tonnes)trucks.

This major new agreement, which takes effect from 1 January 2005, applies to vehicles sold throughout Europe, as well as in Africa, Asia and the Middle East Bridgestone Europe (BSEU) shows determination in the development of its network on the continent with the following: The company purchased 100% of the shares of Mecamold SA. Mecamold produces moulds for the tyre industry. BSEU is convinced that further vertical

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16 integration and synergies in this area of the production process will strengthen its position on the European tyre market. And Bridgestone formed a new subsidiary company, Bridgestone Retread Systems NV/SA, in a joint venture with Italian retread specialist Marangoni Tread S.p.A as minority partner. Last but not least, June saw the official opening of Bridgestone's European Proving Ground (EUPG) in Rome. Bridgestone Europe inaugurated its brand-new European Proving Ground (EUPG) at Aprilia, near Rome, Italy, on 11th June 2004. Covering 144 hectares and dominated by a 4 km oval circuit, the 40 million facility gives Bridgestone the most modern year-round testing assets in Europe.

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OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

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RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

Marketing research is a systematic collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting marketing managers to solve some marketing opportunities. This particular research study was undertaken and design with some predetermined objectives. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the Consumers Behavior and Satisfaction with regard to Radial Tyres. The objectives of the research are: To know about the popularity of OE fitted tyres among the consumers. To know about the level of satisfaction with present fitted tyre. To know the customer satisfaction level with regard to wear life, cornering & braking, puncture resistance and noise level. To know the problems which customers are facing while using radial tyres. To know the perception and views of consumers so as to improve the strategies of the company to upgrade the quality of the tyres. To know about the consumers preferences with regard to the choice of radial tyres. To know about the consumers priority while purchasing the next radial tyre.

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LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

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LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Every research has its own limitations. It is not possible that a research is accomplished without having any bindings and limitations. There are always some shortcomings, which come into the way of the accomplishment of a particular research study. It is almost impossible for researcher to get away from it. In the particular research, the study duration was limited to a time of few weeks. So having a limited time span, I had to collect information subject to the availability of various sources i.e. customers, dealers etc. As the research study provides me an insight of estimation of Original Tyre Customer satisfaction Study, it suffers from various limitations. Following are the few limitations of the particular research study: Sometimes the consumer does not reveal the correct information so biases come People do not like to waste times in giving the reply. The scope of the study is limited to the dealers and consumers of Jaipur (Raj.) Thus confined to this city only and is not universal applicable. The result determined by the survey is of the selected respondents based on the information given by the prospects. Human error factor is always involved as a basic limitation in study. The objective of the project was very limited therefore it was not possible to go in details in many aspect market and consumer satisfaction. The study is limited to the OE tyre dealer of Jaipur. 20

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is the way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understand as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. In it I study the various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in his research problem along with the logic behind them. It is necessary for the researcher to know not only the research method but also the methodology. I not only talk off research method but also consider the logic behind the methods. The use in conduct of my research study and explain why I am using a particular matter for technique and why I am using others. So those research result are capable for being well evaluated by others. Research Design: Research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection & analysis in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure. Research Instruments: - A complete questionnaire is prepared on the basis of consumer behavior & satisfaction with regard to radial tyres. The questionnaire was designed keeping the following point / question in mind: 1. Is the question required? 2. Has the respondent experienced the situation described in the question? 3. Is the question testing the respondents memory? 4. Is the respondent likely to remember such information?

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23 5. Will the respondent part with the information voluntary? 6. Can a single question be fragmented into small but multiple questions for better understanding? Sampling Plan: 1. Sample method: Non probability sampling (random & stratified) 2. Sample Size: 250 consumers of radial tyres & 20 dealers of radial tyres.

A definite plan was drawn up for obtaining a sample from different areas of Jaipur. Thus sample size has been determined using a particular method. The availability of resources in terms of infrastructure of field force. Time and cost was also taken into account. We have taken vehicles, which had run more than 10000km so that we can analyze data more effectively. Sampling Frame: - The sampling frame is the whole population since is based on the selling behavior of all units presents in the population that is the targeted to all the units in the population. The process involved breaking up the wide area of Jaipur division. This division was made in such a way that each one major market, two or three colonies. There by each of these areas sample were drawn randomly. Sample Design: - A sample design is a definite plan for obtaining technique or procedure. The researcher would adopt in selecting items for the sample.

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24 Types of sample design: 1. Random sampling: - In random sampling, each of the population has a definite reassigned probability of being selected in the sample. 2. Stratified sampling: - Under stratified sampling the population is divided into several sub population (strata) that are individually more homogeneous than the total population & then select items from each stratum to constitute a sample. Data collection: Since the study, undertaken by me is descriptive research, I have concentrated on primary data through survey and collection secondary data. Source of data collection: Data is collected from two methods: Primary data: - The questionnaire for data collection according to the information required from the consumers was designed. The region undertaken for the research is Jaipur (Raj.). Different areas selected for collection of data through questionnaire and interviews. Secondary data: - Secondary data is collected from books, newspaper, magazine and websites.

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ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE

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1. What is the present fitment you have in your car? a. Bridgestone e. JK b. Goodyear f. Apollo c. MRF

2. Are you satisfied with tour tyre Wear Life? Yes No

3. Are you satisfied with cornering or braking of your car due to tyre? Yes No

4. Are you satisfied with your tyre comfort level? Yes No

5. Are you satisfied with puncture resistance of the tyre? Yes No

6.Are you satisfied with the noise level of the tyre? Yes No

7.Are you satisfied with present fitment? Yes No

8. Which brand of tyre you will purchase next?

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27 a. Bridgestone d. JK 9. Why? Reason. b. Goodyear f. Apollo c. MRF

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QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Name the company that first comes to your mind in car radial tyre industry.

2. Have you heard about Bridgestone tyre? YES NO

3. How did you come to know about BRIDGESTONE tyre? a. Advertisement d. Dealer b. Friends e. Mechanics c. Family f. Fitted with car

4. Have you brought BRIDGESTONE tyre. YES NO

5. Where did you buy it? (Please specify the place and the shop) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. What are the considerations when you buy a tyre? (Please rank in order) a. Price b. Safety c. Durability d. Ride comfort e. Availability f. Fuel efficiency

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29 7. What promoted you to buy a BRIDGESTONE tyre? a. Quality b. Brand image c. Features d. Dealers 8. Where the after sales services provided to you by the shopkeeper. YES NO

9. What were the after sales services? (Please mention) a. Tyre change through automatic machine. b. Balancing] c. Alignment 10. How would you rank the BRIDGESTONE tyre? V.Good Price: Quality: Safety: Breaking: Fuel Efficiency: 11. How do you compare BRIDGESTONE with its competitors? Excellent Good Ok Poor Good Ok Poor

12. Would you buy BRIDGESTONE tyre (again). YES NO

13. Please mention the problem faced by you. (If any)

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30 a. At the time of purchase b. In use 14. Have you seen the BRIDGESTONE advertisement? YES (If any) a. TV d. Hoardings b. Magazine e. Wall paintings c. Newspaper NO

QUESTIONNAIRE
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Name: Address: Tele No: Occupation: Age: Sex: 1. Which company tyre you are using for your vehicle. MRF JK GOODYEAR CEAT BRIDGESTONE APPOLO

2. Which is your priority while purchasing a new tyre? (Rank them) Price Brand name Features Quality Durability Comfort

3. What advantage you expect from using a particular tyre. Advantage Mileage Fuel Efficiency Price Grip in Road Wear Life 4. What is the Average daily running of your car?
(Please Specify)

Important

Neutral

Not Important

5. Do you seek information before making purchase?

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6. If yes, from where you gather your information. TV Advertisement Friends Trade Journals News Paper Reference Any Other (Specify)

7. Which companys name comes in your mind when you think of tyres?
(Rank them)

MRF CEAT APPOLO 8. Are you satisfied with the brand you are using. YES NO

BRIDGESTONE JK GOODYEAR

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ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

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ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

1. Present fitment: Option B. S. GY MRF JK Apollo Maruti 45% 0% 10% 45% 0% Honda 64% 36% 0% 0% 0% TATA 55% 10% 0% 20% 15% Toyota 90% 10% 0% 0% 0% Ford 42% 33% 25% 0% 0% Hyunda i 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% GM 75% 25% 0% 0% 0%

PRESENT FITMENT
120%
PERCENTAGE

100% 80% 64%

90%

100% 75% B.S. GY MRF JK Apollo

55% 42% 60% 45% 45% 36% 33% 20% 40% 25% 25% 10% 10% 0% 0% 0% 10% 0% 0% 20% 15% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%0% 0%
ar ut i Fo rd TA H yu nd ai H on da To yo t TA G M a

From the study it was found that Maruti uses Bridgestone and JK tyre mostly as a OE tyre, Honda uses Bridgestone and Goodyear tyre as a OE tyre, TATA mostly uses Bridgestone and JK tyre as a OE tyre, Toyota mostly uses Bridgestone tyre as a OE tyre, Ford uses Bridgestone, Goodyear and MRF as a OE tyre, Hyundai mostly uses Bridgestone tyre only as a OE tyre and GM uses Bridgestone tyre mostly and then Goodyear as a OE tyre. 2. Satisfaction with Wear Life:

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35 Option B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY Yes 61% 84% 58% 28% 19% No 39% 16% 42% 72% 81%

Level of Satisfaction
100% Percentage 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% YES NO 84% 61%58% 28% 72% 39%42% 16% B.S MRF JK Apollo GY

Studying the graph it was found that most of the customers satisfied with MRF (84%), Bridgestone (61%), and JK (58%) in terms of Wear Life and rest was not satisfactory.

3. Satisfaction with Cornering & Braking:

Option

Yes

No 35

36 B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY 79% 81% 73% 71% 68% 21% 19% 27% 29% 32%

Level of Satisfaction
100% Percentage 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% YES NO
29% 27% 32% 19% 21% 81% 79% 73%71% 68%

B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY

After study the graph it was found that 79% customers satisfied with Bridgestone, 81% customers satisfied with MRF, and 73% customers satisfied with JK tyre regarding the cornering and braking. Apollo and Goodyear tyre was also satisfactory regarding the cornering and braking.

4. Satisfaction with Comfort Level:

B.S. MRF JK Apollo

Yes 84% 89% 81% 78%

No 16% 11% 19% 12%

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37 GY 61% 39%

Level of Satisfaction
100% percentage 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Yes
19% 11% 16% 89% 84% 81% 78% 61% 39% 12%

B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY

No

After analyze the graph it was found that Bridgestone, MRF, JK and Apollo was good in this category. 5. Satisfaction with Puncture Resistance:

Option B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY

Yes 63% 79% 65% 56% 52%

No 37% 21% 35% 44% 48%

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Level of Satisfaction
100% Percentage 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Yes No
79% 63% 65% 56% 52% 37%

44%48% 35% 21%

B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY

From the above graph it was found that Bridgestone and MRF tyres are good puncture resistance but Apollo and Goodyear was not at all good puncture resistance. 6. Satisfaction with the Noise Level:

Option B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY

Yes 81% 79% 72% 64% 57%

No 19% 21% 28% 36% 43%

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Level of Satisfaction
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
81% 79% 72% 64% 57% 43% 36% 28% 21% 19%

B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY

Percentage

Yes

No

It was found by the survey that mostly consumers satisfied with the noise level. In which 81% satisfied with Bridgestone, 79% satisfied with MRF, 72% satisfied with JK, 64% satisfied with Apollo and 57% satisfied with Goodyear.

7. Are you satisfied with your present fitment? Option B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY Yes 68% 79% 64% 32% 16% No 32% 21% 36% 68% 84%

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Level of Satisfaction
100% Percentage 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
32% 32% 16% 36% 21% 79% 68% 64% 84% 68%

B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY

Yes

No

On the basis of survey it was found that most of that consumers satisfied with Bridgestone and MRF in which 68% customers satisfied with Bridgestone and 32% not satisfied. In case of MRF 79% customers satisfied with MRF and 21% not satisfied. In case of JK tyre only 64% customers satisfied with tyre and rest 36% not satisfied. Customers were not satisfied with Goodyear and Apollo. 8. Next purchase of tyre: Option B.S. GY MRF JK Apollo CEAT Not Decided Percentage 18% 1% 35% 8% 8% 3% 27%

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Next Purchase
35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
35% 27%

18% 8% 8% 1%

3%

Response

B.S. GY MRF JK Apollo CEAT Not Decided

From the above graph it found that maximum customers wanted to buy MRF (35%), Then Bridgestone (18%). Very less customers wanted to buy Goodyear, JK, Apollo and CEAT and 27% customers had not decided the tyre brand to purchase, because they are not aware about the tyres. They depend on the dealer preference. 9. Buying habit of tyre. Medium Cash Credit Percentage 97% 3%

Percentage

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BUYING HABIT
100% 80% Percentage 60% 40% 20% 0% 3% Cash Credit 97%

It was found from the survey that the mostly customer was purchased their tyre in cash i.e. 97% means they are fully capable in purchasing any brand of tyre and they are financially sound. Very small number of customers purchased their tyre in credit i.e. only 3%.

10. Have you heard about Bridgestone tyre? Option Yes No Percentage 80% 20%

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AWARENESS
80% Percentage 60% 40%
20% 80%

Yes No

20% 0%

From the study, it was found that the consumers were fully aware about Bridgestone tyre i.e. 80% and only 20% consumers werent heard about Bridgestone tyre.

11. What promoted you to buy a Bridgestone tyre? Factors Quality Brand Image Feature Dealer Percentage 21% 26% 0% 9%

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PROMOTED TO BUY
30% 25%
Percentage 26% 21%

20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

9% 0%

Quality Brand Image Feature Dealer

Studying the graph it was found that the most of the customers buy Bridgestone tyre because of its brand image i.e. 26% and quality i.e. 21%. The features of tyre cant please the consumers and the share of features was nil.

12. What is your priority while purchasing a new tyre? Factors Price Quality Brand Name Durability Comfort Features 1st Rank 11% 68% 23% 0% 0% 0% 2nd Rank 11% 33% 2% 51% 4% 0% 3rd Rank 16% 1% 12% 41% 28% 1% 4th Rank 32% 0% 12% 6% 53% 0% 5th Rank 30% 0% 50% 2% 16% 3% 6th Rank 1% 0% 2% 0% 1% 97%

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PURCHASING PREFERENCE 120% 100%

PERCENTAGE
97% 68% 51% 23% 33% 41% 28% 32% 53% 50% 30%

80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Price Quality Brand Name Durability Comfort Features

16% 12% 11% 11% 4% 0% 2% 0% 1% 1% 0% 0%

16% 12% 1% 0% 6% 0% 0% 0%2% 3% 0% 1% 2%

1st

2nd

3rd
RANK

4th

5th

6th

After the survey it was found that the consumers purchased a new tyre of any company because of its quality i.e. 68%. Price wasnt a good excuse of purchasing a new tyre. They said that price has no matter while purchasing a tyre but the quality should be good. Durability and comfort can rank on 2 nd and 4th position. 13. How would you rank the Bridgestone tyre?

Factors Price Quality Safety Breaking Fuel Efficiency

Very Good 1% 2% 0% 2% 1%

Good 28% 35% 37% 28% 32%

Ok 11% 2% 3% 10% 7%

Poor 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

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RANKING
40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 35% 28% 37% 28% 32% Very Good Good Ok Poor

Percentage

11% 1% 3% 0% 2% 2% 0% 0% 0% 2% Safety Factors

10% 0% 1%

7% 0%

Price

Fuel Efficiency

From above study it was found that Bridgestone has a good response in Jaipur market. Consumers ranked Good for Bridgestone tyre in all feature of tyre, i.e. price of Bridgestone tyre was good i.e. 28%, quality was also good i.e. 35%, safety wise tyre was also good i.e. 37% etc. So Bridgestone tyre got Good response in Jaipur market. 14. How do you compare Bridgestone tyre with its competitors?

Factors Excellent Good Ok Poor

Percentage 0% 31% 9% 0%

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COMPARISION
Poor Factors Ok Good Excellent 0% 0% 10% 20% Percentage 30% 40% 0% 9% 31%

After analyzing the graph it was found that Bridgestone tyre is a Good competitor for the rest players of tyre market in Jaipur. Bridgestone tyre is a Good challenger for its competitors in Jaipur market i.e. 31%.

15(a). Have you seen the Bridgestone advertisement?

Option Yes No

Percentage 87% 13%

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ADVERTISEMENT 100% 87% 80%

Percentage

60% 40% 20% 0% 13%

Yes No

On the basis of advertisement, it was found that most of the customers have seen the advertisement of the Bridgestone tyre i.e. 87% and only 13% consumers have not seen the advertisement of Bridgestone tyre.

15(b). If yes, then through which media.

Media TV Magazine News Paper Hoardings Wall painting

Percentage 0% 0% 0% 13% 0%

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MEDIA
14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% 13%

Percentage

0% TV

0% Magazine

0% News Paper Hoardings

0% Wall Painting

Medium

Advertisement of Bridgestone tyre wasnt very affected in Jaipur market. Only 13% consumers have seen the Bridgestone tyre and they have seen only hoardings on the name of advertisement i.e. 13%. In Jaipur, there wasnt any TV or Magazine or News Paper or Wall Painting advertisements have seen by the consumers.

16.Name the company that first comes to your mind in car radial tyre industry. Company MRF Bridgestone CEAT JK Apollo Goodyear 1st Rank 29% 18% 17% 14% 5% 10% 2nd Rank 27% 13% 19% 15% 7% 4% 3rd Rank 12% 11% 16% 21% 12% 13% 4th Rank 1% 3% 1% 3% 5% 0%

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COMPANY AWARENESS
Responses 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1st Rank
29% 17% 18% 14% 10% 5% 27% 21% 19% 16% 15% 13% 12% 13% 11% 12% 7% 5% 3% 3% 4% 0% 1% 1%

2nd Rank

3rd Rank

4th Rank

MRF Bridgestone CEAT JK Apollo Goodyear

Rank

From the study it was found that the company, which was, comes first in the mind of the consumers were MRF i.e. 39%. Bridgestone was the second company, which was, comes in the mind of the consumers i.e. 36%. So MRF got a tough competition by the Bridgestone tyre in Jaipur market. 17. Do you seek information before making purchase?

Response Yes No

Percentage 2% 98%

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INFORMATION GATHERING
120% 100% Percentage 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Information 2% Yes No 98%

It was found from the survey that mostly consumer wasnt seeking information before making purchase i.e. 98%. They are only purchase the tyre because of its quality. Only 2% consumers was seeking information before making purchase.

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OVERALL SATSFACTION WITH TYRES OF CONSUMERS

13% 16%

24%

20%

27%

B.S. MRF JK Apollo GY

From above graph it shows that MRF is the most preferred tyre brand of Jaipur. After analyzing the data it MRF has 27% market share in Jaipur market. After MRF Bridgestone is the second preference of the consumers. Bridgestone has 24% market share in Jaipur market. JK tyre has 20% market share, Apollo tyre has 16% market share and Goodyear tyre has 13% market share in Jaipur market.

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FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION

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The first priority of the customer is the wear life and the overall customer satisfaction with tyre based on the factors (in order of importance): wear life; comfort level; cornering & breaking; puncture resistance and noise level. I have studied different factors / criteria regarding the tyre, on which customer satisfaction depend and I found that in MRF, most of the customer are satisfied with wear life and puncture and in Bridgestone, maximum customers are satisfied with wear life but some are not at all satisfied and customers are not satisfied with puncture resistance in Bridgestone. Other factors are average satisfactory in both MRF and Bridgestone. In JK and Apollo tyre all the factors are average satisfactory. In Goodyear all the factors are not satisfactory. From the study it found that most of the customer prefer the company fitted as a next purchase. In rural areas, consumers are known to MRF & JK tyres only they are not aware about the MNCs, which are also there in the country.

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SUGGESTIONS

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SUGGESTIONS

Company should optimize all the factors like wear life; comfort, cornering & breaking; puncture resistance and noise level so that customer satisfaction level with the tyre can increase. Company should introduce some more patterns of the tyres because customers are always ready to purchase new patterns. Company should arrange an awareness program regarding the tubeless tyres so that customers can know about it and buy it as a next purchase. Company should manufacture such type of tyre patterns, which is suitable for Indian roads especially for rural areas so that company can rise from its competitors.

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CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

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I have studied customers satisfaction with original fitted tyre in the Jaipur market and I found that most of the customers of Jaipur market are brand conscious and very few customers are quality conscious. There are lots of customers who are not aware about the tyre and they depend on the preference of dealer. Which dealer will suggest that they prefer as a next purchase. For higher end vehicles like Honda, GM, Toyota etc. customers are ready for new technology like tubeless tyre. They expect such technology from MNCs. After analysis I have given rank to different factors responsible for customer satisfaction level, these factors are as follows: Factors Wear life Comfort level Cornering & Breaking Puncture Resistance Noise Level Rank 1 2 3 4 5

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS REFERRED: Research Methodology Page No. 37,38,51,60 C.R. KOTHARI

MAGAZINES REFERRED: Motoring Autocar Overdrive Page No. 27 Page No. 43 Page No. 39 Annual Report Editors report Company focus

WEBSITE REFERRED: www.bridgestone.com> Home > Europe > Corporate > History

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