POST-SALES SERVICE QUALITY AND BRAND IMAGE AS PREDICTORS OF CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN MALAYSIA’S AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR

Abstract

This study examines the interaction between post-sales service quality and brand image in shaping customer loyalty within Malaysia’s national automotive sector. Grounded in SERVQUAL, Expectation-Confirmation Theory, and the Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) framework, we examine an integrated model highlighting the mediating role of brand image between technical and interpersonal service quality and customer loyalty. Based on a survey of 311 customers from Proton and Perodua service centres, findings reveal brand image as a significant mediator, emphasizing its strategic role in sustaining customer relationships in emerging markets. The study contributes a contextualized loyalty framework applicable to high-involvement, post-purchase service settings in developing economies, offering theoretical and managerial insights for brand resilience and competitive differentiation.