JD Power Asia Pacific Reports: Explaining the Work to Be Performed Prior To and Immediately Following Vehicle Service Helps Dealers Improve Customer Satisfaction
2013-11-01
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SINGAPORE: 01 November 2013 — Customer satisfaction improves when dealers explain the type and scope of service work to customers before and after performing maintenance or repairs on their vehicle, according to the J. D. Power Asia Pacific 2013 Vietnam Customer Service Index (CSI) StudySM released today.
Now in its fifth year, the study measures new-vehicle owner satisfaction with the after-sales service experience by examining dealership performance in five factors. In order of importance, they are service quality; vehicle pick-up; service facility; service advisor and service initiation. CSI performance is reported as an index score based on a 1,000-point scale, with a higher score indicating higher satisfaction.
The study finds that customers prefer to have the work explained prior to their service visit and after maintenance or repairs have been completed, as satisfaction improves 24 index points when the service advisor does both.
“Customers expect to understand the work being done to their vehicles not only prior to the service, but also after the service completion,” said Rajeev Nair, director at JD Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “This ensures customers are informed about all work done on their vehicles, and helps to improve transparency and potentially builds trust with their dealer.”
The study finds that 70 percent of customers indicate their service advisor knew their vehicle’s service history, a nine-point decline from 2012. Satisfaction averages 833 points among customers whose service advisor knew their vehicle’s service history, compared with 807 points among customers whose service advisors were not aware of their vehicle’s history.
“Service advisors play an important role in engaging with the customer, as they are the face of the brand when a customer visits the authorized service center,” says Nair. “Knowing the vehicle’s service history helps service advisors anticipate customer needs and determine more accurately the actual work required on the vehicle.”
Customer satisfaction with the service experience builds loyalty and advocacy. The study finds that 75 percent of customers who are highly satisfied with their service experience (index scores of 865 or higher) say they “definitely would” revisit the service dealer for warranty service, compared with only 49 percent of customers who have lower satisfaction (scores below 790 index points) who say the same. Moreover, 60 percent of highly satisfied customers who indicate that their overall service experience was better than expected say they “definitely would” revisit the same dealer for post-warranty work, compared with only 47 percent of customers who had a service experience about the same as expected.
Additionally, 61 percent of highly satisfied customers say they “definitely would” recommend their vehicle brand to friends and relatives, while only 26 percent of customers who have lower satisfaction say the same.
Among the five brands ranked in the study, Kia ranks highest in overall satisfaction with a score of 830. Kia performs particularly well in the service facility, vehicle pick-up and service quality factors. Ford ranks second with 825, performing particularly well in the service advisor factor. Overall customer satisfaction with dealer service averages 825 in 2013, a six-point decline from 2012.
The 2013 Vietnam Customer Service Index (CSI) Study measures the overall satisfaction of vehicle owners who visited an authorized dealer/service center for maintenance or repair work during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. This study is based on responses from 1,148 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between May 2011 and July 2012, and took their vehicle for service to an authorized dealer or service center between November 2012 and July 2013. The study was fielded between May and July 2013.
About JD Power Asia Pacific
JD Power Asia Pacific has offices in Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok that conduct customer satisfaction research and provide performance analytics services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries. Together, the five offices bring the language of customer satisfaction to consumers and businesses in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Information regarding JD Power Asia Pacific and its products can be accessed through the Internet at JDPower.com. Media email contact: [email protected].
About JD Power
JD Power is a global marketing information services company providing performance improvement, social media and customer satisfaction insights and solutions. The company’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., JD Power has offices in North/South America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. JD Power is a business unit of McGraw Hill Financial.
About McGraw Hill Financial
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company’s iconic brands include: Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, JD Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.
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