Service quality of the distributors who offer after sales services in international markets and satisfaction of the companies: A Study in machinery manufacturing industry

The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality of after-sales services offered by distributors that mediate after-sales services of companies operating in international industrial markets and to measure satisfaction and loyalty of firms. In the first part of the study, the services provided by the distributors to the companies in international industrial markets were mentioned and the scope of the study was limited to the companies operating in the machinery manufacturing industry. Then, the satisfaction and loyalty of these companiesfrom their distributors' services was measured. Businesses operating in international industrial markets, where competition and customer satisfaction and loyalty gained importance along with globalization, had to keep up with the requirements of the era in order to provide better service to their customers. In order to achieve this, it becomes a necessity for the competition to benefit from the distant geographies and the different features and advantages in the regions. Within the scope of this study, service quality perceptions and satisfaction and loyalty will be evaluated for the services offered by the distributors that mediate the after-sales service processes of the companies in the machinery manufacturing sector marketing their products to international markets. Keywords: International Industrial Markets, Distributors, After Sales Services, Servqual Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyality