Maruti Suzuki India, India’s largest OEM, has topped the latest JD Power Asia Pacific study into customer satisfaction with dealer service. This the 14th consecutive year that the company has led the rankings.
In the 17th year of the India Customer Service Index Study, Maruti achieved 876 out of a possible 1,000 points with high results across all aspects. The market average was 836. The study noted that overall, the quality of service achieved indicated consistently strong performance across the automotive industry in India.
The study measured customer satisfaction among owners who visited an authorised dealership service centre during the first 12 to 24 months of owning a vehicle, for maintenance or repair work. To measure overall customer satisfaction, the report measured service quality (43% of the overall score), vehicle pick-up (17%), service adviser (14%), service facility (14%) and service initiation (11%).
Just behind Maruti in the results was Hyundai on 833 points. Hyundai saw the most improvement in 2013, scoring higher across all sectors. It was followed by Honda (825), Mahindra and Toyota (both 813) and Tata (799). Below these are Renault (790), Chevrolet (789), Nissan (781), Skoda (780), Volkswagen (774), Ford (762) and Fiat (740).
JD Power Asia Pacific Executive Director Mohit Arora said, “The quality of service remains consistently high, evidence that the automakers and their dealer networks are working hard to make service a satisfying experience for their customers.”
The study noted that over the past five years in India, convenience of location is one of the key reasons vehicle owners select a service workshop. However, there is still an issue with proximity and vehicle owners are still travelling an average of 30 minutes to reach a workshop. There has been an uneven growth of new-vehicle sales across India and sales have increased in areas that have fewer workshops.
Arora commented, “While there has been service network expansion by all automakers during the past five years, the locations of these establishments are not sufficiently meeting customer needs in many cases either due to real estate availability, cost and local regulations. Since vehicle servicing is seen as an essential errand, any steps taken to enhance customer convenience are likely to be appreciated.”
Overall customer satisfaction with dealership experience stayed constant from 2012 at 834 points. Satisfaction with service facility increased by four points this year, but there was a drop of four-points in the service initiation factor. Overall quality of services completed highlighted consistently impressive results across the industry. In 2013, 93% of owners indicated work was completed correctly the first time and 71% said their vehicles were returned cleaner after the service, up 7% from last year.
The study concluded that vehicle owners who are satisfied with the service at their dealerships are likely to have higher levels of loyalty to the vehicle brand. Out of vehicle owners who are ‘highly satisfied’ with their dealership service experience (scoring 949 or higher), 93% reported that they ‘definitely would’ return to the same dealership for a post-warranty service and 88% said they ‘definitely would’ purchase their next vehicle from the same place. However, only 32% of ‘less-satisfied’ customers (scores of 766 or lower) would return and only 30% would buy their vehicle from the same place.
The study was based on responses from 7,477 vehicle owners and took place between May and August 2013. It included owners who purchased their vehicle between May 2011 and August 2012.
China
In China, JD Power’s 2013 China Initial Quality Study showed that, like in India, domestic OEMs are making the most improvement in initial vehicle quality. The average problem rate in China is now at a record low.
The improvement to the Chinese domestic brands has been driven by a reduction in problems caused by engines, transmission, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Dr Mei Songlin, Vice President and Managing Director of JD Power China Operations, said, “Chinese domestic brands achieve tremendous improvement in vehicle quality in 2013, with four domestic brands—GAC Motor, Venucia, Roewe and Luxgen —performing above industry average. We have seen the gap with international brands continually narrow during the past 14 years from 396 PP100 in 2000.”
In the China study, which examines problems experienced by new-vehicle owners in the first two to six months of ownership, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz scored joint highest. Per 100 vehicles, both OEMs scored an average of 55 problems. This was followed by Subaru (64), Volkswagen (66) and BMW (67). Overall, 65 brands were rated and 213 models evaluated. A lower rate of problems generally indicates a higher quality.
Two Chinese OEMs, Changan and BYD, each had one vehicle which topped the respective segment. The Hyundai Verna and Sonata both ranked highest in their segments, and General Motors’ Chevrolet Sail and Buick GL8 also scored best.
The study was based on responses from 21,181 new vehicle owners who purchased their cars between October 2012 and June 2013. The study was compiled between April and August 2013 in 46 cities across China.
Rachael Hogg
