concept of consumer behaviour

Meaning
Consumer behaviour is the study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society. It blends elements from psychology,sociology, social anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the decision-making processes of buyers, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioural variables in an attempt to understand people's wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Customer behaviour study is based on consumer buying behaviour, with the customer playing the three distinct roles of user, payer and buyer. Research has shown that consumer behaviour is difficult to predict, even for experts in the field. Relationship marketing is an influential asset for customer behaviour analysis as it has a keen interest in the re-discovery of the true meaning of marketing through the re-affirmation of the importance of the customer or buyer. A greater importance is also placed on consumer retention, customer relationship management, personalisation, customisation and one-to-one marketing. Social functions can be categorized into social choice and welfare functions.

FACTORS BEHAVIOUR

INFLUENCING

CONSUMER

1. Cultural Factors Consumer behavior is deeply influenced by cultural factors such as: buyer culture, subculture, and social class. Culture Basically, culture is the part of every society and is the important cause of person wants and behavior. The influence of culture on buying behavior varies from country to country therefore marketers have to be very careful in analyzing the culture of different groups, regions or even countries. Subculture Each culture contains different subcultures such as religions, nationalities, geographic regions, racial groups etc. Marketers can use these groups by segmenting the market into various small portions. For example marketers can design products according to the needs of a particular geographic group. Social Class Every society possesses some form of social class which is important to the marketers because the buying behavior of people in a given social class is similar.

In this way marketing activities could be tailored according to different social classes. Here we should note that social class is not only determined by income but there are various other factors as well such as: wealth, education, occupation etc. 2. Social Factors Social factors also impact the buying behavior of consumers. The important social factors are: reference groups, family, role and status. Reference Groups Reference groups have potential in forming a person attitude or behavior. The impact of reference groups varies across products and brands. For example if the product is visible such as dress, shoes, car etc then the influence of reference groups will be high. Reference groups also include opinion leader (a person who influences other because of his special skill, knowledge or other characteristics). Family Buyer behavior is strongly influenced by the member of a family. Therefore marketers are trying to find the roles and influence of the husband, wife and children. If the buying decision of a particular product is influenced by wife then the marketers will try to target the women in their advertisement. Here we should note that buying roles change with change in consumer lifestyles. Roles and Status Each person possesses different roles and status in the society depending upon the groups, clubs, family, organization etc. to which he belongs. For example a woman
4

is working in an organization as finance manager. Now she is playing two roles, one of finance manager and other of mother. Therefore her buying decisions will be influenced by her role and status.

3. Personal Factors Personal factors can also affect the consumer behavior. Some of the important personal factors that influence the buying behavior are: lifestyle, economic situation, occupation, age, personality and self concept. Age Age and life-cycle have potential impact on the consumer buying behavior. It is obvious that the consumers change the purchase of goods and services with the passage of time. Family life-cycle consists of different stages such young singles, married couples, unmarried couples etc which help marketers to develop appropriate products for each stage. Occupation The occupation of a person has significant impact on his buying behavior. For example a marketing manager of an organization will try to purchase business suits, whereas a low level worker in the same organization will purchase rugged work clothes. Economic Situation

Consumer economic situation has great influence on his buying behavior. If the income and savings of a customer is high then he will purchase more expensive products. On the other hand, a person with low income and savings will purchase inexpensive products. Lifestyle Lifestyle of customers is another import factor affecting the consumer buying behavior. Lifestyle refers to the way a person lives in a society and is expressed by the things in his/her surroundings. It is determined by customer interests, opinions, activities etc and shapes his whole pattern of acting and interacting in the world. Personality Personality changes from person to person, time to time and place to place. Therefore it can greatly influence the buying behavior of customers. Actually, Personality is not what one wears; rather it is the totality of behavior of a man in different circumstances. It has different characteristics such as: dominance, aggressiveness, self-confidence etc which can be useful to determine the consumer behavior for particular product or service. 4. Psychological Factors There are four important psychological factors affecting the consumer buying behavior. These are: perception, motivation, learning, beliefs and attitudes. Motivation

The level of motivation also affects the buying behavior of customers. Every person has different needs such as physiological needs, biological needs, social needs etc. The nature of the needs is that, some of them are most pressing while others are least pressing. Therefore a need becomes a motive when it is more pressing to direct the person to seek satisfaction. Perception Selecting, organizing and interpreting information in a way to produce a meaningful experience of the world is called perception. There are three different perceptual processes which are selective attention, selective distortion and selective retention. In case of selective attention, marketers try to attract the customer attention. Whereas, in case of selective distortion, customers try to interpret the information in a way that will support what the customers already believe. Similarly, in case of selective retention, marketers try to retain information that supports their beliefs. Beliefs and Attitudes Customer possesses specific belief and attitude towards various products. Since such beliefs and attitudes make up brand image and affect consumer buying behavior therefore marketers are interested in them. Marketers can change the beliefs and attitudes of customers by launching special campaigns in this regard.

IMPORTANCE OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

The modern marketing management tries to solve the basic problems of consumers in the area of consumption. To survive in the market, a firm has to be constantly innovating and understand the latest consumer needs and tastes. It will be extremely useful in exploiting marketing opportunities and in meeting the challenges that the Indian market offers. It is important for the marketers to understand the buyer behaviour due to the following reasons. The study of consumer behaviour for any product is of vital importance to marketers in shaping the fortunes of their organisations. It is significant for regulating consumption of goods and thereby maintaining economic stability. It is useful in developing ways for the more efficient utilisation of resources of marketing. It also helps in solving marketing management problems in more effective manner. Today consumers give more importance on environment friendly products. They are concerned about health, hygiene and fitness. They prefer natural products. Hence detailed study on upcoming groups of consumers is essential for any firm. The growth of consumer protection movement has created an urgent need to understand how consumers make their consumption and buying decision. Consumers tastes and preferences are ever changing. Study of consumer behaviour gives information regarding colour, design, size etc. which

consumers want. In short, consumer behaviour helps in formulating of production policy. For effective market segmentation and target marketing, it is essential to have an understanding of consumers and their behaviour.

INTRODUCTION TO TWO WHEELER INDUSTRY

10

ABSTRACT
Two-Wheeler industry is one of the largest industries in the automobile sector of global market. Being the leader in product and process technologies in the manufacturing sector, it has been recognized as one of the drivers of economic growth. During the last decade, well-directed efforts have been made to provide a new look to the automobile policy for realizing the sector's full potential for the economy. The liberalization policies have led to continuous increase in competition which has ultimately resulted in modernization in line with the global standards as well as in substantial cut in prices. Aggressive marketing by the auto finance companies have also played a significant role in boosting automobile demand, especially from the population in the middle income group. Presently many international brands like Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha etc. are competing with Indian brands such as Hero, Bajaj, and T V S, etc. to capture Indian markets. These aggressive marketing strategies have resulted in making the consumer the major k e y f o r s u c c e s s i n t h e i n d u s t r y. E a c h product o f f e r i ng is now designed to me e t and exceed

the expectations of the consumer. But understanding consumer behaviour and knowing consumers is never simple. And it is more difficult that to understand what a consumer perceives about the product. Customers may say one thing but do another. They may not be in touch with their deeper motivations. They may respond to influences that change their minds at the last moment. Small companies such as a corner gro cery

11

store and huge corporations stand to profit f r o m u n d e r s t a n d in g h o w a n d wh y t h e i r consumers buy.

12

TVS MOTORS COMPANY PROFILE

13

COMPAANY PROFILE
TVS Motor Company is the third largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India and one among the top ten in the world, with annual turnover of more than USD 1 billion in 2008-2009, and is the flagship company of the USD 4 billion TVS Group.

TVS Motor traces its origins back to the entrepreneurial spirit of Trichur Vengaram Sundaram Iyengar who gave up lucrative careers in the Indian Railways and in banking to set up his own business. He began with Madurai's first bus service in 1911 and founded T.V.Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Limited, a company that consolidated its presence in the transportation business with a large fleet of trucks and buses under the name of Southern Roadways Limited.[2] When he died in 1955 his sons took the company ahead with several forays in the automobile sector, including finance, insurance, manufacture of two-wheelers, tyres and components. The group has managed to run 33 companies that account for a combined turnover of nearly $3 billion.

14

Early Years
Sundaram Clayton, then the flagship company, was founded in 1962 in collaboration with Clayton Dewandre Holdings, United Kingdom. It manufactured brakes, exhausts, compressors and various other automotive parts. The company set up a plant at Hosur in 1978 to manufacture mopeds as part of a new division.[3] A technical collaboration with the Japanese auto giant resulted in the joint-venture Ind-Suzuki Limited in 1982 between Sundaram Clayton Ltd and Suzuki Motor Corporation. Commercial production of motorcycles began in 1984.

TVS motors in recent days

Over the years TVS Motor has grown to be the largest in the group, both in terms of size and turnover, with four state of the art manufacturing plants in Hosur, Mysore and Nalagarh in India and Karawang in Indonesia. TVS Motor is credited with many innovations in the Indian automobile industry, notable among them being the introduction of India's first two-seater moped, the TVS 50cc. The company became the leader in its category of sub 100 cc mopeds, having sold 7 million units. It also introduced the TVS Scooty, which is India's second largest brand in the scooterette segment. The TVS Jive launched in November 2009 became India's first clutch-free motorbike aimed at a stress-free rider experience[8] while the unisex scooter TVS Wego is targeted at urban couples, featuring body-balance technology for easier handling. On 1 June 2012, TVS Motors reported a dip of 5% in its total sales for May 2012. In July 2012, TVS Motors and BMW Motorrad were reported to be in talks for technology sharing.[11]

15

Awards and Recognition

TVS Motor won the Deming Application Prize in 2002, becoming the first and only Indian two-wheeler company to win the award given to companies that do outstanding work in the field of Quality Management. It is considered to be one of the world's most prestigious quality awards. The same year, the work done for the TVS Victor motorcycle won TVS Motor the National Award for successful commercialization of indigenous technology from the Technology Development Board, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. In 2004, TVS Scooty Pep won the 'Outstanding Design Excellence Award' from Business World magazine and the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The effective implementation of Total Productivity Maintenance practices won TVS Motor the TPM Excellence Award given by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance in 2008. TVS Motor has won several management awards, notable among them being the Emerging Corporate Giant in the Private Sector awarded by The Economic Times and the Harvard Business School Association of India. Business Today magazine awarded TVS Motor the Best Managed Company and the Most Investor Friendly Company awards. Its advertising practices won it the Good Advertising award by Auto India Best Brand Awards 2009. Company Chairman Venu Srinivasan is a recipient of several awards for corporate excellence such as the Star of Asia Award by Bloomberg Business Week and the JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award. The University of Warwick, United Kingdom gave him an honorary Doctorate of Science degree while the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian distinctions.

16

Innovative implementation of Information Technology has won TVS Motor the Ace Award for Most Innovative Net Weaver Implementation in 2007 awarded by technology major SAP AG and the Team Tech 2007 Award of Excellence for Integrated use of Computer-aided engineering Technologies.

Manufacturing Excellence
Launch of 7 vehicles on the same day - Manufacturing Excellence makes this feasible At the heart of the new product launches is the Production Team, setting to motion the dream put forward by the R&D. Driven by the Five Pillars of TQM The management philosophy is based on five pillars of TQM (Total Quality Management) which rests on the foundation of Total Employee Involvement, daily management and Kaizen (Continuous improvement). The Total Employee Involvement The Total Employee Involvement program ensures that responsibility for the company's performance is the shared responsibility of all levels of employees. It provides all employees with the opportunity to be involved in breakthrough activities and other improvements, over and above their daily routine. Daily work management Daily work management consists of defining and monitoring key processes, ensuring that they meet set targets, detecting abnormalities and preventing their recurrence. TVS Motor encourages continuous improvement in all aspects of work,

17

using Cross Functional Teams (CFT), Supervisory Improvement Teams (SIT) Quality Control Circles (QCC) and suggestion schemes

The five pillars start with policy management, which is used to arrive at the annual breakthrough objectives. There are generally not more than three company objectives, arrived at after a detailed exercise, which are deployed and reviewed periodically.

The company conducts an exhaustive range of training programs, utilising both inhouse skills and consuftants from all over the world. The programs are conducted for all employees, at all levels. The Inspiration Moment When we won the Deming Prize in Quality in 2002, we were the only two wheeler manufacturer in the world to have won the award. However, our penchant for quality continues as we work in line with the principles of Kaizen (Japanese for Continuous improvement) and TQM (Total Quality Management).

TVS Motor company Ltd (TVS Motor)- member of the TVS group is the largest company of the group in terms of size and turnover.

18

MARKET RESEARCH

19

INTRODUCTION
Market Research is a process of systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing of data about customers, competitors and the market. Market Research can help in creating a business plan, launch a new product or service, fine tune existing product or service, expand into new markets, etc. It can be used to determine which portion of the population will purchase product or service, based on variable age, gender, location and income level. It can be used to find out what market about current and potential customers. The purpose of market research is to help companies make better business decisions about development and marketing of new products. Market research represents the voice of the customers in a company. We define marketing research as the systematic design, collection, analysis and reporting of data and findings relevant to a specific marketing situation facing the company -Philip Kotler

The systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of data about the problems relating to the marketing of goods and services

-American Marketing Association In this particular market research we focused on two important aspects which influence buying behavior, product selection and building customer lifetime value these are: Perception Satisfaction
20

Research Design
A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting marketing research projects. It specifies the details of the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure and /or solve marketing research. There are three types of research design:

Research Design

Exploratory Research Design

Descriptive Research Design

Conclsignusive Research Design

Figure 1: Different types of Research Design Exploratory Research Design: A type of research design, which has its primary objective the provision of insight into, comprehension of, the problem situation confronting the researcher.

21

Descriptive Research Design: A type of conclusive research that has as its major objective the description of something usually market characteristics or function. Conclusive Research Design: Research designed to assist the decision maker in determining, evaluating and selecting the best course of action taken in a given situation. In our research study we used a combination of all three designs, i.e., exploratory research, descriptive research and conclusive research design since it demands various types of information. In our research not only perception and satisfaction level of customer are checked but other important perspective are also measured such as usage pattern and a conclusive result of cause and effect pattern is also checked.

SAMPLING
For the purpose of our market research as said earlier a combination of all three types of research design was adopted. Our research design included the survey of consumers using TVS bikes and scooters so as to check their perception and satisfaction level. Primary data was collected with the help of sampling method and complete sampling design process was used. The sampling design process includes five steps. These steps are closely interrelated and relevant to all aspects of market research project. Therefore, sample design decision was selected in research project.

22

 TARGET POPULATION: SAMPLING FRAME: SAMPLE SIZE: EXECUTION:

TVS customers of Patna Random Sampling Method 100 Personal Interview

SOURCE OF DATA
In our research project we used both primary as well as secondary data obtained from different sources and survey. Primary Data: Primary data are obtained from the structured set of formal questionnaire. Various customers were randomly personally interviewed regarding the various purchasing pattern and the parameters with the help of number of questions which were mainly close ended.

Secondary Data: Relevant and related data were also collected from the various secondary sources like internet, newspapers, magazines, journals, management books, etc.

23

TARGET SEGEMENT
Target segment the collection of elements or objects that possesses the information sought by the researcher and about which inferences are to be made. In our research project we divided the market into six major segments. They are businessman, professionals, students, employee, housewife, and others.

Businessman

Employee

Professionals

Housewife

Students

Others

Figure 3: Target segments

24

AREA of OPERATION
Area of operation is the target area where the execution of the sampling takes places. It is the field of area where the researcher goes and performs his or her research work. It is also called field area or field work. It includes finding the target segment, conducting the survey, conducting personal interview of each target element. Area of operation : Patna Area Covered: Survey Period: Whole Patna 1st March to 29th March

25

DURATION
The duration of this research project was four weeks. The research period was divided into several phases including choosing of topic, organizing, formulation of research plan and structure, survey period and preparation of research report.

Duration of the Project: 4 weeks Year Research Period : 2014 : 1st March to 29th March

26

LIMITATIONS
Although the study has been done with proper care, certain shortcomings could not be ruled out. The various limitations are as follows: Limitation of time: In a short span of 4 weeks, it was not possible to cover each every area. Therefore only selected and important area was considered. Limitation of sample size: Only 100 respondents were selected which is inadequate of a large organization like TVS Motors. Insufficiency of data: The response of some of the respondents might be a biased one. In any case, market study is not exact science. It relates to the responses given by the customer/ respondents as against the question pertaining to their behavior and preferences. Most of the responses are subjective in nature. Mathematical deduction is possible but the accuracy of data is bound to suffer from biasness and prejudices of the respondents, no matter what be the degree of sophistication. Hence, this being the universal deficiency of market research, may have affected this particular research as well.

27

MARKET ANALYSIS

28

INTRODUCTION
This research was aimed at finding the perception and satisfaction level of customer using TVS Motors products and TVS Scooty. With this research not only perception level and satisfaction level was checked but market share, brand preference and buying behavior was also examined. Since perception plays a very important role in the buying behavior of the customer, the values they perceived helps them in selecting the brand. Similarly, satisfaction also plays a very important role in binding the customer. If a customer is satisfied with the brand then he will use the brand otherwise he will switch over to another brand. In this chapter, we will see data collected from the consumers and respondents and analysis and interpretation of such data in order to derive sufficient conclusion. Collection of data and their interpretation and analysis takes the main time of the research project and there may be a chance of errors and biasness. Extreme care is taken in collection of data and their interpretation and analysis.\ In the first section, data of general information are analysed, then perception and satisfaction level are taken.

29

DATA COLLECTION
This area involves the study of a set of statistical method or statistical techniques. Data are broadly categorised as primary and secondary. The collection of primary data in this study is done by the questionnaire method. Primary data are in the shape of raw materials to which statistical method are applied for the purpose of analysis and interpretation, where as secondary data are collected from different sources like internet, magazine, newspaper, etc. This section is subdivided into general information, perception and satisfaction level. Data collection of these three category are taken in their respective headings.

30

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

1. TARGET AGE GROUP. C AGE NO.OF RESPONDENTS 18- 25 25-40 40-55 > 55 39 26 21 14 RESPONDENTS IN % 39 % 26% 21% 14%

RESPONDENTS BELONGING TO DIFFERENT AGE GROUP

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 18-25 25-40 40-55 >55

NO OF RESPONDENTS

Total number of respondents 100.

31

2. GENDER SEX NO OF RESPONDENTS MALE FEMALE 74 36 RESPONDENTS IN % 74% 36%

RESPONDENTS IN TERMS OF GENDER

36%
MALE FEMALE

74%

Total number of respondents 100.

32

3. RESPONDENTS BELONGING TO DIFFERENT PROFESSION:

OCCUPATION BUSINESS EMPLOYEE STUDENT OTHERS

NO. OF RESPONDENTS 16 26 45 13

RESPONDENTS IN % 16% 26% 45% 13%

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 BUSINESS EMPLOYEE STUDENT OTHERS

OCCUPATION

Total number of respondents 100

33

4 .SOURCE OF AWARENESS ABOUT TVS MOTORS: Source Friends and Relatives Advertisements Others 45 18 45% 18% No. Respondents 37 Respondents in % 37%

SOURCE OF AWARENESS ABOUT TVS MOTORS

18% 37%
Friends and Relatives Advertisements

45%

Others

Total number of respondents 100

34

5. SATISFACTION LEVEL OF THE CUSTOMERS ABOUT THE PRODUCT BRIEFING DONE BY THE SALES EXECUTIVE? OPPINION NO OF RESPONDENTS SATISFIED NOT SATISFIED 84 16 84% 16% RESPONDENTS IN %

CUSTOMERS SATISFACTION LEVEL IN RESPECT OF PRODUCT BRIEFING

16%

NO YES

84%

Total number of respondents 100

35

6. OVERALL OPINION OF THE CUSTOMERS ABOUT THE SALES PROCESS? OPPINION VERY GOOD GOOD POOR NO OF RESPONDENTS 20 71 9 RESPONDENTS IN % 20% 71% 9%

CUSTOMERS OPPINION ABOUT SALES PROCESS

9% 20%

VERY GOOD GOOD FAIR

71%

Total number of respondents 100

36

7. SATISFACTION LEVEL OF THE CUSTOMERS IN RESPECT OF AFTER SALES SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE DEALER? OPINION NO. OF RESPONDENTS SATISFIED NOT SATISFIED 77 23 77% 23% RESPONDENTS IN %

CUSTOMERS OPINION ABOUT AFTER SALES SERVICE

23%
NOT SATISFIED SATISFIED

77%

Total number of respondents 100

37

8. TVS TWO WHEELER MODELS MARKET SHARE: MODEL NO. of RESPONDENTS 41 12 15 9 3 20 % OF RESPONDENTS 41% 12% 15% 9% 3% 20%

SCOOTY VICTOR STAR CITY WEGO CENTRA APPACHE

TVS Model's Market Share

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

TVS MODELS

Total number of respondents 100

38

9. RANKING OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE TVS BIKES AND SCOOTERS AS PER THE PREFERENCE OF THE CUSTOMERS. RANK 1 MOST ATTRACTIVE, RANK 6 LEAST ATTRACTIVE.

PREFERENCE STYLE PERFORMANCE BRAND NAME MILEAGE COMFORT PRICE

NO OF RESPONDENTS 11 28 14 19 21 7

RESPONDENTS IN % 11% 28% 14% 19% 21% 7%

39

0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 0.05 0

CONSUMER'S PREFERENCE FOR DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES OF TVS PRODUCTS

Total number of respondents 100

40

10.WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF TVS SCOOTY? OPINION Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor NO OF RESPONDENTS 28 11 8 3 RESPONDENTS IN % 56% 22% 16% 6%

CONSUMER'S OPINION ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE OF TVS SCOOTY

3%
VERY GOOD

16% 22%

56%

GOOD SATISFACTORY POOR

Total number of respondents 50

41

11. FACTORS

INFLUENCING

THE

CUSTOMER

FOR

THE

PURCHASE OF TVS SCOOTY. FACTORS STYLE BRAND NAME COMFORT MILEAGE PERFORMANCE NO. OF RESPONDENTS 6 9 16 8 11 RESPONDENTS IN % 12% 18% 32% 16% 22%

CUSTOMER'S PREFERENCE TOWARDS DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES OF TVS SCOOTY

12%
22% 18% 16% 32%

PERFORMANCE MILEAGE COMFORT BRAND NAME STYLE

Total number of respondents 50

42

12.CUSTOMERS PREFERENCE TOWARDS TVS SCOOTY WITH RESPECT TO OTHER COMPANIES SELLING THE SAME PRODUCT:

BRAND NAME

NO. OF RESPONDENTS

RESPONDENTS IN PERCENTAGE 22% 27% 38% 10% 3%

HERO TVS HONDA SUZUKI MAHINDRA

22 27 38 10 3

43

CUSTOMER'S PREFERENCE FOR TVS SCOOTY WITH RESPECT OF OTHER COMPANY'S SIMILAR PRODUCT
3% 10% 22%
TVS

HERO

38%

27%

HONDA MAHINDRA SUZUKI

Total number of respondents 100

FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY

1. Out of the total number of respondents, maximum respondents were from the age group of 18-25 years. 39% of the respondents belonged to this group. This suggests that TVS bikes and scooters are preferred among the younger section of the society. 26% of the respondents belonged to the age group of 25-40 years. This age group consists of young as well as middle aged people. This shows that TVS motors product is more popular among younger generation of the society. Its product such as TVS Apache and TVS Scooty is very popular among younger generation because of its sporty look and good performance.

44

2. Out of the total number of respondent 71 were male and 39 were female. Female have a good liking for this brand because its product Scooty is a favourite among them. 3. Advertisement is the biggest source of awareness among all the respondents with 45% agreeing to it. 37% of the respondents said that they purchased or came to know about the TVS motors or its products from family and friends. 18% of the respondents belonged to the other category which comprised of sales promotion and other means. 4. Out of the total respondents surveyed,16% of the target group belonged to business profession, 26% worked as employees under different organization, 45% were students and 13% belonged to other category which comprised of housewifes, retired persons, etc. this clearly makes it evident that majority of the TVS users are students and young people. 5. Out of the total number of respondents surveyed, 84%, i.e. majority of them were satisfied with the product and 16% were not satisfied. Among the satisfied customers, some of them confessed that they have been using the product for more than 5 years and they never faced any problem with the product. Majority considered the product to be very durable and sturdy. Some businessmen also used their bikes for transporting goods from the market place and remarked that their bikes made them do it very conveniently. 6. In respect of overall sales process, 20% of the respondent considered it to be very good, 71 % considered it as good, and the remaining 9% said it was poor. Among those who considered it to be good said that all the queries were dealt with and the staffs did their best to make the entire purchase
45

process hassle free. Those who considered it to be poor said that the entire process was time taking and at times were unresponsive. 7. However, when it comes to after sales service provided by the company, the satisfaction level among the customer takes a hit as compared to satisfaction level in using the product. In contrast to 84% of the respondent being satisfied with the product, only 77% of the customers were satisfied with the after sales service. Those not satisfied with the product complained that the staffs are unresponsive and are not able to meet the expectation at times. Some said that in some cases the condition of the vehicle deteriorated after the service instead of improving. 8. Out of all the respondents surveyed, 41% of them used Scooty, 20% used Appache, 12% used Victor, 15% used Star City, 9% used Wego and 3% used Centra. Scooty and Appache are two largest selling vehicle for TVS Motors and it shows that it is a popular choice among youngsters. 9. When the respondents were asked to rank the attributes of TVS Motors, Performance secured the top rank with 28% of the respondents agreeing to it, comfort was 2nd most important attribute with 21% of the respondents agreeing to it. It was followed by mileage at 19%, brand name at 14%, style at 11% and price came last at 7%. Respondents agree that TVS Motors product is good on performance in both rural and urban condition. Respondents, especially women, swear by the comfort level of Scooty. Respondents were also of the view that TVS vehicles were good on mileage and on an average its products gave mileage of around 50-55 kmpl in city conditions.

46

10.When respondents were asked to rate the performance of Scooty, 56% of them considered it to be excellent, 22% considered it to be good, it was satisfactory for 16% of the respondents and 6% considered it as poor. Majority of the responded were very much satisfied with the performance of Scooty and this is the reason for it being one of the highest selling scooter in India. So much so that Scooty has become the staple name for all the scooters. 11.When respondents were asked to rate the factors responsible for purchase of Scooty, for 32% of the respondents it was the comfort provided by Scooty, performance came 2nd at 22%, followed by brand name at 18%, mileage at 16% and style came last at 12%. Scooty is very popular among female because of it offers great comfort. Respondents said that it is light weight and easy to handle and this feature makes it ideal for the use among ladies. Respondents were also of the view that Scooty is a very good performing vehicle and due to this reason even some young boys and housewives prefer to use Scooty. Scooty is by far the most popular scooter available in the market and respondents also considered the brand name of TVS Scooty as a factor responsible for purchase. 12.However, in terms of other brand preference for similar product, the respondents had most preference for Honda at 38%, Hero came 2nd at 27%, TVS came 3rd at 22% followed by Suzuki at 10% and Mahindra at 3% . It must be noted that Hondas Activa is the largest selling scooter in India and it enjoys a very good brand preference even from non users. Hero has Pleasure and Maestro in offering and even these are popular among masses. TVS, apart from Scooty has Wego in its stable and therefore people still
47

prefer TVS apart from Scooty. Suzuki has Access and Swish. Mahindra also has two scooters in its stable namely, Rodeo and Duro.

48

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

49

CONCLUSION
To conclude, it can be said that TVS motors being an indigenous company has managed to maintain a hold on Indian customers and masses but over the years it is facing stiff competition from companies like Hero and Honda in motorcycle segment and scooter segment as well. In the scooter segment the competition is tougher as the presence of companies like Suzuki, Mahindra, and Yamaha with one or more products. TVS Motors was 3rd in terms of market share in India but its position is over taken by Honda and now TVS Motors is lagging at 4th position. This downfall is mainly because it has not been able to offer anything new to the customer. There only premium offering, Appache is 6 years old. In mid segment, they have TVS Star City which itself is 7 years old. Therefore, lack of new and modern bikes is hurting TVS Motors very much. Their largest selling product is TVS Scooty and they are too much dependent on it. Both Scooty and Wego are considered as scooter for ladies and market is dominated by Hondas unisex scooter Activa. The consumers experience with the after sales service is not as good as the experience of using the product. This has proved to be a dent on companys image.

50

RECCOMMENDATION
In order to regain the position and market share, the company urgently needs some new product in different categories. It cannot remain dependent on its old offerings. Female constitutes a small segment as compared to male segment. It cannot only rely on Scooty because masses prefer something which is appealing to both the sex, i.e., male and female. Thats why Hondas Activa is the most preferred scooter as it is preferred by both the section of the society. Therefore, the company must develop a new scooter which is appealing to both male as well as female. It has also been observed that scooter segment is fastest growing segment in auto industry and more and more people are preferring scooter because it is easy to use and handle. It is safer than motorcycle. In todays competitive environment, selling the product is not the only thing. In order to retain the customers and maintain the brand loyalty, a company must keep the customer satisfied even after the sale is made. So, the role of after sales service becomes all the more important. Therefore, the company must focus on providing better after sales service to its customers.

51

BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.wikipedia.com www.icra.in www.tvsmotors.in Consumer Behaviour- Schiffman and Raunak

52

QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Name: 2. Age: 18-25

25-40

40-55

>55

3. Sex:

Male

Female

4. How did you come to know about about TVS Motors? Family and Friends Advertisements Others

Q1. Whether Training is given adequate importance in your organization a. Strongly agree c. Strongly Disagree b. Agree d. Disagree

Q2. The Skill learnt in Training and Development program are helpful to me. a. Strongly agree c. Strongly Disagree b. Agree d. Disagree

Q3. Training is periodically evaluated and improved the performance level. a. Strongly agree c. Strongly Disagree b. Agree d. Disagree

Q4. The HR Department conducts briefing sessions for employees before the actual training program.
53

a. Yes

b. No

Q5. Employees and Organization participate in determining the Training they need. a. Strongly agree c. Strongly Disagree b. Agree d. Disagree

Q6. Senior Line Manager is eager to help their juniors develop through training. a. Strongly agree c. Strongly Disagree b. Agree d. Disagree

Q7. Whether, your Management takes training program take training seriously. a. Yes b. No

Q8. There is an adequate emphasis on developing managerial capabilities of the managerial staff through training. a. Strongly agree c. Strongly Disagree b. Agree d. Disagree

Q9. Induction Training is given adequate importance in your organization. a. Yes b. No

54

Q10. Senior management takes interest and spends time with the new staff during induction training. a. Yes b. No

Q11. Quality of the Training programme needs to be improved. a. Yes b. No

Q12. Employees are given appraisal in order to motivate them to attend the training. Do u agree with this statement? a) Strongly agree c) Somewhat b) Agree d) Disagree

Q13. What are the skills that the trainer should possess to make the training effective? a) Technical skills b) People skills or Soft skills

c) Generalist makes better Personnel managers than Specialist d) Fond of talking to people Q14. What are the general complaints about the training session? a) Take away precious time of employees b) Too many gaps between the sessions c) Training sessions are unplanned

55

d) Boring and not useful Q15. Reason for shortage of skilled man power at workplace are : a) Lack of planning b) Lack of support from senior staff c) Lack of proper guidance and training at workplace d) Lack of quality education at primary and secondary level

5.

56