Unveiling the key dimensions of service quality in automobile maintenance and repair for enhanced electric vehicle users' intentions in Thailand

Purpose The purpose of this article is to propose measurements for assessing various service quality dimensions in the field of automobile maintenance and repair businesses. The study also examines the impact of service quality dimensions on continuance and recommendation intentions of electric vehicle (EV) users. Design/methodology/approach Samples comprised 397 EV users who experienced the services provided by automobile maintenance and repair centers. Convenience and snowball sampling methods were conducted to obtain suitable participants. Findings For continuance intention, the strongest dimension of service is reliability, followed by responsiveness, empathy, price fairness, queue and waiting management and physical environment. For recommendation intention, the strongest dimension of service quality is also reliability, followed by empathy, responsiveness, queue and waiting management, physical environment and price fairness. Research limitations/implications First, the samples of this study consisted of EV users only in Thailand. The findings may not be universally applicable to other nations due to varying levels of EV adoption. Second, the degree to which the six dimensions of service quality vary can be influenced by the demographic characteristics of customers. Practical implications Prioritize staff training in responsiveness, empathy and reliability to effectively meet customer needs. Enhance the physical environment for a comfortable experience. Promote transparent pricing aligned with service quality and explain the pricing rationale. Implement effective queueing and waiting management strategies for improved customer comfort during waits. These measures aim to enhance intention to reuse the service and positive recommendations. Originality/value This research undertakes an original survey comprising EV users who utilized services from automobile maintenance and repair centers in Thailand. The results sheds light on the influence of service quality on individual’s intentions.