Mercedes-Benz ranked highest in customer satisfaction with dealer service among luxury brands, according to J D Power 2015 India CSI Luxury Brand Rankings. With a score of 842, Mercedes-Benz performed well in all factors.
The 2015 India Customer Service Index Study is based on responses from 265 vehicle owners in the luxury segment who received delivery of their new vehicle between May 2013 and August 2014 and took their vehicle for service to an authorized dealer or service center between October 2014 and August 2015. The study was fielded between May and August 2015.
According to the study, the service advisors play a critical role in customer satisfaction with their vehicle service experience, according to the J.D. Power 2015 India Customer Service Index (CSI) StudySM—Luxury, released today.
“Luxury vehicle owners around the world normally expect a high level of personalized service, and that holds true for their service experience,” said Mohit Arora, executive director at J.D. Power, Singapore. “Customers expect their service advisor to have an ongoing dialogue with them so they can know the status of the work being done throughout the process. Luxury car manufacturers and their dealerships need to develop appropriate communication protocols in order to fulfill this expectation and drive greater customer engagement.”
The study, now in its third year, measures satisfaction among luxury vehicle owners who visit an authorized dealership service center for maintenance or repair work within the first 12 to 24 months of vehicle ownership. The study measures overall satisfaction in five factors (listed in order of importance): service quality (43%); vehicle pick-up (17%); service advisor (14%); service facility (14%); and service initiation (11%).
Here we have listed the key findings of the study
· Luxury Car Owners Expect End-to-End Interactions with Service Advisors: The study lists 11 points of interaction service advisors can have with their customers, from addressing them appropriately to reviewing work done on the vehicle. Satisfaction among customerswhose service advisor delivered on received all 11 points reported a satisfaction score which is higher by 28 index points above industry average. Such interactions have occurred less frequently in 2015, with 56% of customers indicating their service advisors were in frequent interaction with them, compared with 74% in 2014.
· Satisfaction with Dealer Service Drives Customer Loyalty: Among the 24% of customers who are highly satisfied with their dealer service (overall satisfaction scores of 897 and above), 79% say they “definitely would” return to their dealer for post-warranty service and 85% “definitely would” recommend their dealer to friends and family. In contrast, among customers who are less satisfied (scores of 786 and lower), only 46% indicate they “definitely would” return to the dealer for post-warranty service, and only 66% say they “definitely would” recommend the dealer to others.
· Areas in Need of Improvement: Areas of customer service with the greatest need for improvement are those that focus on reviewing work done on the vehicle, performing an inspection of the vehicle and returning the vehicle washed and vacuumed. For example, 21% of owners indicate their car was not washed and vacuumed when it was returned from service, up from 7% in 2014.
· Same-Day Service Improves Satisfaction: More service facilities in 2015 provide same-day vehicle delivery, compared with 2014 (64% vs. 56%, respectively). When service is completed on the same day, satisfaction is 847, compared with 817 when it takes longer than one day.
Overall vehicle owner satisfaction with their dealership service experience averages 836 in 2015, a 7-point decline from 2014. An 11-point drop in service advisor satisfaction is contributing to the overall decline.