Customer satisfaction: Honda leaves other brands sniffing the dust

Among the 10 brands included in the study, Honda ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction for the first time since the study’s inception in 2000, with an overall CSI score of 902. Honda performs particularly well in service initiation, service advisory and service facility, the study stated. 

The 2013 CSI Study, now in its 14th year, measures overall satisfaction among vehicle owners who visit an authorised dealer/service centre for maintenance or repairs during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. The study is based on responses from 3,463 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles between January 2011 and April 2012 and took their vehicles for service to an authorised dealer or service centre between July 2012 and April 2013. The study was fielded between January and April 2013. 

According to JD Power, the process of initiating the service experience and handing the vehicle over to service-centre staff has become the second most important area for overall customer satisfaction with after-sales service at authorised service centres. The study measures new vehicle owner satisfaction with the after-sales service process by examining dealership performance in five factors: service initiation; service advisory; service facility; vehicle pick-up; and service quality. Dealership service performance is reported as an index score based on a 1,000-point scale. The contribution of the service initiation factor to the overall CSI index has increased to 26 per cent in 2013 from 12 per cent in 2012. Service quality, while remaining a factor with the most impact on overall satisfaction, decreases to 29 per cent from 42 per cent in 2012. 

“As service quality improves and the traffic at service centres dramatically increases as a result of market growth, customers are concerned about long queues and have therefore become increasingly interested in the appointment process, a dealer’s flexibility to accommodate their schedule and how prompt and thorough the handover process is,” said Loic Pean, senior manager at JD Power Asia Pacific. 

Overall customer satisfaction averages 889 in 2013, a 43-point improvement from 2012. Across the industry, satisfaction has increased year over year in all factors, particularly in service advisory (+48 points) and service quality (+47). Satisfaction scores for all nameplates have also improved, compared to 2012. 

“Despite the growing number of customers, service centres have improved at attending to customers more promptly, putting them at ease and fully understanding their service needs, ensuring a more efficient service,” said Pean. 

“On the other hand, cost estimates are provided less often in 2013, and insufficient seating space in the service centre waiting area during peak service hours has become an issue. Dealers may be able to avoid this situation and increase satisfaction among their customers by notifying them in advance and encouraging them to come during off-peak hours, particularly on weekdays or later in the morning.” 

The study also finds that among the reasons customers select their service centre is that vehicle owners are increasingly considering mechanics’ skills, speedy service and the use of original equipment and parts, and also positive recommendations from acquaintances and their own past experience. 

“Customers have alternative servicing options, and delivering a superior service experience is starting to pay off for dealerships,” said Pean. “As overall satisfaction with after-sales service dramatically increases, we indeed observe that a much greater number of customers are not only likely to revisit their service centre for post-warranty service and recommend it to their friends and family, but are also willing to travel a longer distance to get there.”