Category: United States

2014-01-15

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 15 January 2014 — Nicor Home Solutions, the Illinois-based affiliate of Pivotal Home Solutions, has been recognized for call center operation customer satisfaction excellence for a seventh consecutive year under the JD Power Certified Call Center Program.^SM The Certified Call Center Program distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Nicor Home Solutions call center operations to provide “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.”

To become certified, the call center successfully passed a detailed audit of more than 100 practices that encompass its recruiting, training, employee incentives, management roles and responsibilities, and quality assurance capabilities. As part of its evaluation, JD Power conducted a random survey of Nicor Home Solutions customers who recently contacted its call center in Naperville, Ill.

“Congratulations to the team at Nicor Home Solutions for earning our certification for the seventh consecutive year,” said Mark Miller, senior director at JD Power. “This is a significant achievement and demonstrates Nicor Home Solutions’ commitment to providing an outstanding customer experience.”

For certification status, a call center must also perform within the top 20 percent of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in JD Power’s cross-industry customer satisfaction research. The evaluation criteria include the customer service representative’s courtesy, knowledge and concern for the customer; promptness in speaking to a person; and timely resolution of the problem or request. Additionally, the experience with the automated phone system is evaluated based on the clarity of the information provided; the ease of navigating the phone menu prompts; and the ease of understanding the phone menu instructions.

“We recognize the importance of this certification as it highlights our commitment to not only provide our customers with the right home protection solutions to fit their lifestyle and budget, but also ensure that they receive an exceptional customer experience each and every time they engage with our team,” said Robin Boren, president of Pivotal Home Solutions.    
 
The Certified Call Center Program was launched by JD Power in 2004 to evaluate overall customer satisfaction with call centers and to help call centers in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing and continually updating leading practices for handling service calls.

For more information on the Certified Call Center Program, please visit JDPower.com.

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

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

Annette Martinez; Pivotal Home Solutions; Naperville, Ill.; 630-388-2781; [email protected]

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power. www.jdpower.com

Follow us on Twitter @jdpower

 

Satisfaction with Upright Vacuums Improves, Surpasses Canister Performance

2014-03-21

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 12 March 2014 — Shark ranks highest in customer satisfaction with canister and upright vacuums, according to the JD Power 2014 Vacuum Satisfaction Study^SM released today. Now in its third year, the study measures satisfaction with upright and canister vacuums by examining six key factors: performance; ease of use; features; styling and appearance; price; and warranty. The benchmark study is designed to help customers make more informed purchase decisions and to assist manufacturers in their efforts to meet customer needs and differentiate their brands in the marketplace.

“There are clear competitive differentiators among vacuum brands and, as customers rely more on in-store product displays and online ratings in shopping for a vacuum, it is critical that manufacturers align their brand and product messaging to include the value they are delivering,” according to Christina Cooley, director of home improvement industries at JD Power.

Satisfaction scores for the 10 upright vacuum brands and the nine canister vacuum brands included in the study have improved from 2013, with the upright vacuum segment improving 17 points to 769 (on a 1,000-point scale) and the canister segment improving by 2 points to 758.

Shark achieves the highest-ranked position in both the upright (819) and canister (799) segments due in part to earning the highest scores in the ease of use and price factors. Following Shark in both segment rankings is Dyson (upright, 815 and canister, 795), which performs particularly well in performance and styling and appearance in the upright segment and styling and appearance, features and warranty in the canister segment. Miele, which ranked highest in both segments last year, maintains a strong position in the canister segment (782), achieving the highest score in performance. Miele is not ranked in the upright segment in 2014. 

KEY FINDINGS

• Performance and ease of use are notably more important in 2014 for upright customers as the strongest drivers of overall satisfaction.
• In-store displays and online reviews are becoming increasingly important in driving brand consideration. The percentage of customers citing past experience as being most influential has declined to approximately 20 percent in 2014 from 31 percent in 2013 in both segments.
• Problem incidence is higher among customers with canister vacuums (5%), compared to those with upright vacuums (3%).
• Compared with 2013, overall satisfaction in the performance factor has increased to 795 from 778 in the upright segment, while performance satisfaction in the canister segment has declined slightly to 784 from 789 in 2013. Ease of use satisfaction rises to 799 in 2014 from 794 in 2013 in the upright segment, while satisfaction in the canister segment declines to 789 from 799.

The 2014 Vacuum Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 3,700 customers who purchased an upright vacuum and/or a canister vacuum from February 2013 through February 2014.

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules

About McGraw Hill Financial

 

 

Retail Light-Vehicle Sales Strengthening in March

2014-03-24

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 20 March 2014 — New-vehicle retail sales in March are showing signs of improvement, following slower-than-expected sales in the first two months of 2014, according to a monthly sales forecast developed jointly by JD Power and LMC Automotive.

Retail Light-Vehicle Sales

New light-vehicle retail sales are expected to reach 1.19 million units in March—a 7 percent increase compared with March 2013—with the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for retail sales projected to reach 12.6 million. Retail sales in February reached 946,766 with a SAAR of 12.4 million.

 “The severe weather had an impact on retail sales in January and February, but as the weather has improved, so have sales,” said John Humphrey, senior vice president of the global automotive practice at JD Power. “Additionally, stronger pricing coupled with lower reliance on fleet continues to bode well for the overall health of the sector.”

The average new-vehicle retail transaction price in March—as it has been for seven consecutive months—remains above $29,300, up nearly $700 from March 2013 and the highest level ever recorded for the month of March.  

 

U.S. Retail SAAR—March 2013 to March 2014

(in millions of units)

 

Source: Power Information Network^® (PIN) from JD Power

 

Total Light-Vehicle Sales

Total light-vehicle sales in March 2014 are expected to rise 6 percent to nearly 1.5 million units. Fleet sales as a percentage of total sales remain low, with March expected at 20 percent, which is 1 percentage point below March 2013. Fleet sales for the full year are projected to reach 17.3 percent, which is near the record low of 17.1 percent in 2009.

 

JD Power and LMC Automotive U.S. Sales and SAAR Comparisons

¹Figures cited for March 2014 are forecasted based on the first 13 selling days of the month.

²The percentage change is adjusted based on the number of selling days in the month (26 days in March 2014 vs. 27 days in March 2013).

 

Sales Outlook

Low fleet mix combined with a weather-impacted sales pace in January and February has led to a slight downward revision in the outlook for 2014. LMC Automotive has cut its forecast for total light-vehicle sales in 2014 to 16.1 million units from 16.2 million. The retail light-vehicle sales forecast remains 13.3 million units.

“The selling pace for the year was slow out of the gate, but the industry remains poised for stable growth in the near- to mid-term,” said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive. “Modest improvements are expected as 2014 progresses, the recovery from the deep recession nears an end and the market transitions to a post-recovery stage.”

North American Production

North American vehicle output in February 2014 finished at 1.4 million units, a 4 percent increase from February 2013. Inventory levels on a days’ supply basis are still hovering at nearly 80 days, which is 20 days higher than ideal levels. LMC Automotive expects a faster selling rate to continue to pull down inventory levels, ending the quarter on a positive note.

“In spite of flat January numbers and higher-than-normal inventory levels, output for the first quarter is expected to exceed 4 million units and to top first quarter 2013 levels by 3 percent,” said Bill Rinna, senior manager of forecasting at LMC Automotive.  “Although demand is starting to pick up, production growth is also being helped by new models, most notably the Jeep Cherokee, Nissan Rogue, and the Nissan Versa Note.”

LMC Automotive’s North American production forecast for 2014 remains 16.5 million units, with U.S. volume of 11.1 million units, a 3 percent increase over 2013. Production in Mexico is expected to increase 7 percent to 3.1 million units, while Canada volume is expected to drop nearly 5 percent, to 2.3 million units.

 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 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 29 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

About LMC Automotive

LMC Automotive, formerly JD Power Automotive Forecasting, is the premier supplier of automotive forecasts and intelligence to an extensive client base of automotive manufacturer, component supplier, logistics and distribution companies, as well as financial and government institutions around the world. LMC’s global forecasting services encompass automotive sales, production and powertrain expertise, as well as advisory capability. LMC Automotive has offices in the United States, the UK, Germany, China and Thailand and is part of the Oxford, UK-based LMC group, the global leader in economic and business consultancy for the agribusiness sector.  For more information please visit www.lmc-auto.com.

Media Relations Contacts

John Tews; JD Power; Troy, Mich.; 248-680-6218; [email protected]

Emmie Littlejohn; LMC Automotive; Troy, Mich.; 248-817-2100; [email protected]

 

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of JD Power or LMC Automotive. www.jdpower.com/corporate  www.lmc-auto.com

 

Concerns about Not Having Enough Health Coverage Drive Down Member Satisfaction

2014-03-25

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 10 March 2014 — While health insurance companies are introducing themselves to customers in new markets through new channels, 41 percent of existing health plan members feel they do not have enough coverage for routine visits, serious illness or injury, health and wellness programs, routine diagnostics and drug coverage. Concerns over not having enough health coverage negatively impacts overall satisfaction by 133 points, more than any other coverage-related issue, according to the JD Power 2014 Member Health Plan Study^SM released today.

Now in its eighth year, the study measures satisfaction among members of 136 health plans in 18 regions throughout the United States by examining six key factors: coverage and benefits; provider choice; information and communication; claims processing; cost; and customer service. In 2014, overall member satisfaction averages 669 (on a 1,000-point scale).

Key Findings

• The study finds that 55% of members indicate having experienced an increase in costs in 2013, which negatively impacts cost satisfaction.
• More than one-third (35%) of members say they received a notice of changes in their coverage, networks or rates from their health plan in the past 12 months.
• In the 2013 plan year, 74% of health plan members maintained their preferred physician and 83% retained their same hospital network.
• Seventy-five percent of members indicate having submitted a claim in the past 12 months.
• The average monthly premium paid in 2013 is $285.
• Nearly half (49%) of members indicate their plan does not offer the most common types of health and wellness discount/incentive programs.

“On average, members wait eight days for communication from their provider after a pre-approval request has been submitted,” said Rick Johnson, senior director of the healthcare practice at JD Power. “Health plans must look for ways to promptly communicate both pre-approvals and cost in order to minimize member anxiety and mitigate concerns about access to care, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction.”

Study Rankings

Satisfaction is highest among health plan members in the California and Michigan regions (in a tie); the Indiana-Illinois and Mid-Atlantic regions (in a tie); and the East South Central and South Atlantic regions (in a tie). Satisfaction is lowest in the New England, New York-New Jersey and Southwest regions.

West

• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan ranks highest among health plan members in the California region for a seventh consecutive year, with a score of 756. No other plans in this region perform above the region average.
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (703) ranks highest among health plan members in the Colorado region for a seventh consecutive year, followed by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Colorado (671).
• SelectHealth (698) ranks highest among health plan members in the Mountain region (which includes Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming) for a fifth consecutive year, followed by Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah (689) and BlueCross of Idaho (672).
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (732) ranks highest among health plan members in the Northwest region (which includes Oregon and Washington), followed by Group Health Cooperative (GHC) (706).
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (675) ranks highest among health plan members in the Southwest region (which includes Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada), followed by Aetna (668) and Cigna (666).

Midwest

• Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa (680) ranks highest among health plan members in the Heartland region (which includes Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma), followed by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City (in a tie at 678 each).
• Health Alliance Medical Plans (692) ranks highest among health plan members in the Indiana-Illinois region, followed by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois (689).
• Health Alliance Plan of Michigan (711) ranks highest among health plan members in the Michigan region for a seventh consecutive year, followed by Priority Health (685) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (683).
• Dean Health Plan (703) ranks highest among health plan members in the Minnesota-Wisconsin region, followed by HealthPartners (681) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (671).
• Medical Mutual of Ohio (697) ranks highest among health plan members in the Ohio region, followed by UnitedHealthcare (676) and Aetna (673).

East

• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (732) ranks highest among health plan members in the Mid-Atlantic region (which includes Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.) for a sixth consecutive year followed by CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield (696).
• Tufts Associated Health Plans (681) ranks highest among health plan members in the New England region (which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont), followed by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Connecticut (674) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (669).
• Capital District Physicians Health Plan (727) ranks highest among health plan members in the New York-New Jersey region, followed by Independent Health Association (705) and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield (679).
• Geisinger Health Plan (705) ranks highest among health plan members in the Pennsylvania region for a third consecutive year, followed by Highmark BlueShield (678) and Capital BlueCross and UPMC Health Plan (in a tie at 672 each).

South

• Cigna (689) ranks highest among health plan members in the East South Central region (which includes Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee), followed by BlueCross Blue Shield of Alabama (688) and Humana (677).
• AvMed Health Plans and Humana (in a tie at 690 each) rank highest among health plan members in the Florida region, followed by Cigna (680) and Florida Blue (677). AvMed ranks highest in the Florida region for a third consecutive year.
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (784) ranks highest among health plan members in the South Atlantic region (which includes Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina) for a fifth consecutive year, followed by UnitedHealthcare (684) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (681).
• Aetna (677) ranks highest among health plan members in the Texas region, followed by Cigna (672) and UnitedHealthcare (668).

JD Power plans to release a study focused on health plan members satisfaction with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in April 2014.

The 2014 Member Health Plan Study is based on responses from more than 34,000 members of 136 commercial health plans across 18 regions in the United States. The study was fielded in December 2013 and January 2014. For more comprehensive health plan rankings for all 18 U.S. regions, please visit www.jdpower.com.

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules
About McGraw Hill Financial

 

JD Power and Associates Reports: Automotive Websites Focused on Greater Usefulness Integrate Social Media Throughout

1970-01-01

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All automotive brand websites provide users with the ability to access various social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, to connect with the brand’s social media presence or share information about a brand or model under consideration. However, there is wide variation among websites in the pervasiveness of social media access–for example, whether it’s available from only the site’s home page, or from a variety of pages.

The study finds websites that are the most useful tend to provide users with social media access from a variety of pages, including the home page, model pages, configurator tool and photo gallery. Brands that do not perform well in usefulness tend to have limited social media availability throughout their sites, such as access only from the home page and model pages.

“The widespread usage of social media has created an expectation of constant availability,” said Arianne Walker, senior director of media and marketing solutions at JD Power and Associates. “By integrating links to social media platforms throughout several site features, automotive brand websites enhance convenience for users and also increase the possibility that website users will promote the brand within their social networks.”

Overall satisfaction with the usefulness of automotive brand websites has decreased significantly to an average of 772 on a 1,000-point scale in Wave 1 of the 2012 study from 784 in Wave 2 of the 2011 study, which was released in August 2011. Much of this decline is due to decreased satisfaction with navigation and information/content. These declines may be attributable to the challenges that automotive brand websites are facing in designing sites that are usable on both tablets and desktop computers.

While only 20 percent of new-vehicle shoppers say they own a tablet, among those who do, 47 percent say they have used their tablet to access automotive information. Tablet ownership is expected to increase during the next several years, which makes it particularly important for brand websites to be able to accommodate both tablets and desktop computers without sacrificing usability on either type of device.

“As automotive brand websites attempt to accommodate the dimensions, resolution and layout best suited for tablet use, some have changed their design in ways that inhibit usage on desktop computers,” said Walker. “For example, pages that require scrolling to view all of the content on a particular page may be preferred by tablet users, but they are quite frustrating for desktop computer users, who are used to clicking to access content directly, rather than finding it on the page by scrolling.”

In addition to differing levels of tolerance for scrolling, following are two key differences in navigation conventions between tablets and desktop computers:

• For tablet devices, big button links are preferable to text links, while text links work well for website navigation on desktop computers.
• Users of tablet devices often utilize finger swiping to access website content, while desktop computer users click and drag their mouse cursors. Effective websites should allow for navigation both ways. 

Acura’s website ranks highest with a score of 808 on a 1,000-point scale, and performs particularly well in the navigation and speed measures. Rounding out the five highest-performing automotive websites are Honda (806), Hyundai (803) and Infiniti and Lincoln, in a tie (802 each).

The 2012 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study–Wave 1 is based on evaluations from more than 9,400 new-vehicle shoppers who indicate they will be in the market for a new vehicle within the next 24 months. The study was fielded in November 2011.

About JD Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., JD Power and Associates 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. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. JD Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide.  McGraw-Hill Financial’s leading brands include Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services and JD Power and Associates.  With sales of $6.2 billion in 2010, the Corporation has approximately 21,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries.  Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

 

Positive Automotive Social Media Experience Impacts Purchase Decisions across All Generations

2014-04-09

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 10 April 2014 — Social media provides consumers the opportunity to engage with companies to gather information and address customer issues. It also plays a critical role in driving consumer purchase and service decisions across all generational groups in the automotive marketplace, according to the JD Power 2014 Social Media Benchmark Study^SM—Auto released today.

“Auto manufacturers that focus just on reaching Millennials through social media are missing a tremendous opportunity, as social media is a channel that reaches all generations of consumers,” said Arianne Walker, senior director, automotive media & marketing at JD Power. “Today for the first time, we have an in-depth understanding of what helps drive satisfaction in social media interactions across generations, and not just among consumers who are highly engaged in social media, but also those who are more casually engaged with a brand through this channel. It is important to provide a satisfying social media experience for all consumers because it helps drive current and future business.”

The study, now in its second year, measures the overall consumer experience in engaging with companies through their social media platforms for both marketing and servicing needs across 30 U.S. automotive brands. Marketing engagements include connecting with consumers to build brand awareness and affinity as well as communicating about products and promotions. Servicing engagements include answering specific consumer questions or resolving problems. The study establishes quantitative performance benchmarks and industry best practices that provide automakers and dealers with insights to help them maximize their social media efforts.

KEY FINDINGS

•  Consumers who are delighted with their servicing and marketing experiences (satisfaction scores of 901-1,000 on a 1,000-point scale) have a positive impression of the automotive brand and an increased likelihood to repurchase from the same brand in the future.
  • Consumers delighted with their social media servicing experience and those delighted with their marketing experience indicate they are more likely to purchase from the same automotive brand in the future.
  • Consumers delighted with their social media servicing experience indicate they are more likely to return to the automotive brand dealer for service.
• One-fifth (20%) of consumers use social media as their primary source of information about automotive brands.
• Nearly one-third (29%) of social media users get recommendations about a product or service from friends and family exclusively through social media.
• The most frequently used social media marketing channel is Facebook (29%), followed by YouTube (19%) and Twitter (11%). The most frequently used social media servicing channel is Facebook (84%), followed by Twitter (34%) and YouTube (25%).

Social Media Benchmark Study—Auto Rankings

Toyota ranks highest among automotive brands, with a score of 845. Ford ranks second with a score of 842, followed by Chevrolet at 838. The social media benchmark auto industry average is 824.

The 2014 Social Media Benchmark Study—Auto is based on responses from more than 9,800 U.S. online consumers who have interacted with a company via that company’s social media channel. The study was fielded from November 18, 2013, through February 9, 2014.  

The overall Social Media Benchmark Index is comprised of the Social Media Marketing Index and the Social Media Servicing Index, each representing 50 percent of the overall score. The overall index measures consumers’ social media experiences across marketing and servicing interactions.

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules http://www.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

About McGraw Hill Financial www.mhfi.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leading Paint Brands Continue to Achieve High Levels of Customer Satisfaction;
Application Is the Most Important Factor across Product Lines

2014-04-14

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 16 April 2014 — The highest-performing paint brands in customer satisfaction also receive high ratings in the application experience across both interior and exterior product lines, according to the JD Power 2014 Paint Satisfaction Study^SM—released today.

“Paint brands that show a pattern of high customer satisfaction over time reap the benefits of customer loyalty,” said Christina Cooley, director of home improvement industries at J. D. Power.  “A customer’s decision to purchase a specific paint brand is largely based on their prior experience with that brand, primarily regarding application, product offerings and durability.”

The study measures customer satisfaction with interior paint brands and for the first time, exterior paint brands. Satisfaction with paint brands is based on evaluations from customers who purchased and applied interior and/or exterior paint during the past year, and is measured in six key factors of the painting experience (in alphabetical order): application, design guides, durability, price, product offerings, and warranty/guarantee.

KEY FINDINGS

• Application, specifically, adequacy of paint coverage, is the most important driver of customer satisfaction with interior and exterior paint (34% each).
  • Seventy-eight percent of paint customers who purchased interior paint apply it themselves, and 74 percent of those who purchased exterior paint did the same.
  • More than 90 percent of customers who purchased interior or exterior paint indicate the new color covered the previous color (94% and 93%, respectively).
  • Approximately one-half of customers do not use primer or paint with primer mixed in for their interior or exterior paint jobs (52% and 50%, respectively).
  • On average, customers apply two coats of paint for both interior and exterior projects
    (1.67 times each). 
• Customers paint the inside of their homes for a variety of reasons, including remodeling (28%), changing the color (27%), or repainting due to previous paint condition (26%). Exterior painting projects typically address existing paint in poor condition (65%).
• Less than one-fifth (15%) of customers who purchased interior paint used the Internet as an information resource to help with their project, while a higher percentage (20%) of those who purchased exterior paint used the Internet for information.

Interior Paint Brand Satisfaction Rankings

Benjamin Moore ranks highest in customer satisfaction with interior paint brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 815, which is a 15-point increase from 2013. Benjamin Moore performs particularly well in three of the six factors: application, durability and product offerings. Following Benjamin Moore in the interior paint brand ranking is Sherwin-Williams (808) and BEHR (802). Overall customer satisfaction with interior paint brands is 795 (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2014, an increase of 16 points from 2013.

Exterior Paint Brand Satisfaction Rankings

Sherwin-Williams ranks highest among exterior paint brands, with a score of 819, and performs well    across all six factors. Following Sherwin-Williams in the ranking are BEHR (804) and Benjamin Moore (803). Overall customer satisfaction with exterior paint brands is 803.

The 2014 Paint Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 8,690 customers who purchased and applied interior and/or exterior paint within the previous 12 months. The study was fielded in January through March 2014.

About JD Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules http://www.jdpower.com/about/index.htm

About McGraw Hill Financial www.mhfi.com 

 

Retail Staff Is the Single Most Important Factor Driving Customer Satisfaction with Paint Retailers

2014-04-22

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 24 April 2014 — High satisfaction with paint retailers is driven by staff, the single most important factor differentiating the purchase experience among customers, according to the JD Power 2014 Paint Satisfaction Study^SM—Retailer Segment, released today.

 “A well-trained, courteous and accessible staff really impacts satisfaction among customers shopping at a paint retailer. The proper guidance ultimately affects the success the customer has with their project,” said Christina Cooley, director of home improvement industries at JD Power. “Satisfied customers are more likely to repurchase from a paint retailer and recommend that retailer. For paint retailers with lower satisfaction, there is a great opportunity to provide a differentiated retail experience to move customers toward a stronger commitment to repurchase and recommend.”

 The study measures customer satisfaction with major paint retailers. Satisfaction with paint retailers is based on evaluations from customers who purchased paint during the past year and is measured in five key factors of the painting experience (in alphabetical order): merchandise; sales and promotions; staff; store facility; and store services.

 KEY FINDINGS

• Staff, including their availability, courtesy, paint knowledge and concern for the customer’s needs, is the most important factor differentiating the customer experience and in driving customer satisfaction with paint retailers.
• Among paint retailer customers, 41 percent say they “definitely will” repurchase paint from their retailer, while 55 percent “probably will” repurchase.
• More than one-third (40%) of customers say they “definitely will” recommend their paint retailer.
• Overall customer satisfaction with paint retailers is 818 (on a 1,000-point scale).

Paint Retailer Satisfaction Rankings

Sherwin-Williams ranks highest (848) in customer satisfaction with paint retailers. Sherwin-Williams performs particularly well with staff, store services and merchandise and also has the highest repurchase (46%) and advocacy (48%) rates. Ace Hardware follows in the paint retailer ranking with a score of 835 and performs particularly well in store facility.

 The 2014 Paint Satisfaction Study—Retailer Segment is based on responses from more than 6,700 customers who purchased paint within the previous 12 months. The study was fielded in January through March 2014.

 

JD Power Acquires Korrelate

2014-04-23

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — JD Power, a business unit of McGraw Hill Financial, today announced the acquisition of Korrelate, an Orlando-based company that measures consumers’ online behaviors and links them to offline sales activity. 

Korrelate’s unique privacy-safe way of matching anonymous online behaviors combined with JD Power’s Power Information Network® (PIN) new- and used-vehicle retail sales data will enable a unique level of timeliness, depth and transparency in measuring the effectiveness of digital marketing. This capability allows JD Power to help automakers, dealers, third-party automotive websites and advertising agencies to quickly and accurately evaluate their websites and online marketing efforts. It will also help ad networks and online publishers accurately report the effectiveness of those online ads, all with the same, transparent metrics. 

“We are delighted to add Korrelate and its cutting-edge capabilities to JD Power,” said Finbarr O’Neill, president of JD Power. “Consumer behavior is changing dramatically in today’s Internet-powered world.  The auto industry spends billions of dollars annually on digital marketing. Measuring online activity and linking it to actual vehicle sales will enable marketers to measure and optimize their digital strategy.”

Using Korrelate’s insights on consumer online shopping behaviors and PIN data on actual new- and used-vehicle retail transactions, JD Power will be able to identify which websites and ad campaigns shoppers are exposed to before they buy their vehicle. By linking online shopping behaviors to actual retail sales, JD Power will be able to measure and enhance the effectiveness of automaker, dealer and third-party websites and ad campaigns.

“Offline sales measurement is the future of the automotive industry’s efforts to measure the success of online campaigns,” said Christian Kugel, vice president of consumer research and analytics at AOL, a Korrelate client. “This metric, combined with traditional key performance indicator (KPI) measurement, creates a more complete, 360-degree view of how to evaluate campaign success.  JD Power’s acquisition of Korrelate is a smart move, and once again shows their commitment to bring scalable, accurate vehicle sales measurement to the forefront of digital automotive metrics. We look forward to working with JD Power to redefine how the automotive industry measures the success of online campaigns.”

 

Wireless Smartphone Manufacturers Struggle to Differentiate Themselves; Price Is Increasingly Important for Customers

2014-04-23

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif: 24 April 2014 — As wireless manufacturers  have struggled to find ways to differentiate themselves with advanced features and technology since 2011, price has become an increasingly important driver in the device selection process, according to the JD Power 2014 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study^SM—Volume 1 released today.

“Over the past three years, wireless OEMs have focused on advanced technology and features to edge out the competition, however, with such similar technology across carriers and devices offered, price is becoming a key component in the selection process,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of telecommunications services at JD Power. “To get ahead of the competition and satisfy customers, manufacturers must meet the expectations of customers, ensuring the features they want next are intuitive and rewarding. Providing an easy-to-use, yet powerful operating system with the ability to customize applications to suit individual needs is essential to providing a high-quality and positive wireless experience.”

KEY FINDINGS

• More than one-fifth (21%) of smartphone owners cite “price” as the main reason they chose their particular device, an increase from 13 percent in the 2011 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study—Volume 2.
• While smartphone owners continue to cite “features” as the primary reason for selecting their device (35%), the rate has declined significantly from the 2011 Vol. 2 study (57%).
• Reasons for purchase have an impact on customer satisfaction and future loyalty. Selecting a smartphone device based on price generates significantly lower levels of satisfaction (808 on a 1,000-point scale) and repurchase rates (18%) than selections based on product-specific reasons such as operating system (860 and 35%, respectively).
• In 2014, the average purchase price for smartphone devices has increased and owners are less likely to receive a discount. On average, smartphone owners indicate that their device cost $202 in the
  2014 Vol. 1 study, an increase from $174 in the 2011 Vol. 2 study. More than half (52%) of owners have received a discount on their smartphone in 2014 Vol. 1, compared with 60 percent in the 2011 Vol. 2 study. 
• When asked which features they would like on their next device, smartphone owners most often cite seamless voice control (36%); built-in sensors that can gauge temperature, lighting, noise and moods to customize settings to the environment (35%); and facial recognition and biometric security (28%).  
• Overall satisfaction with smartphone devices is highest among AT&T customers (844), followed by Sprint (839); T-Mobile (835); and Verizon Wireless (829) customers. Overall satisfaction among smartphone owners is 837.

The 2014 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study—Volume 1 is based on experiences evaluated by 13,237 smartphone customers who have owned their current smartphone device less than one year and who are customers of the four Tier 1 carriers. The study was fielded between September 2013 and February 2014. The study measures customer satisfaction in four factors: performance (31%); physical design (23%); features (23%); and ease of operation (23%).

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