Toyota ranks highest in sales satisfaction for a second year

The brand also ranked top among 12 brands in Malaysia, the global marketing information services company found. Among the 12 brands included in the 2013 study, Toyota ranked highest with a score of 826. The carmaker has been improving across all factors, with the largest year-over-year improvements in salesperson, deal, paperwork and dealer facility. Nissan ranked second with 823 points, followed by Suzuki (821), Mazda (813) and Ford (812). Suzuki was called the most-improved brand with a 61-point increase in overall score from 2012.

In the Philippines, among the 10 brands included in the study, Ford ranked highest with an overall score of 855. Ford was seen as having performed particularly well in five factors: delivery process; delivery timing; paperwork; deal; and dealer facility. Nissan and Toyota came in second, with a score of 849 each. Hyundai ranked third at 847 and performed particularly well in the deal and sales initiation factors.

What contributed to the SSI?

In the Thai market, the study found that adherence to a comprehensive and consistent implementation of 19 sales standards among salespersons was directly related to customers’ positive recommendations. When shown the list of 19 sales standards and asked to identify which ones the salesperson followed, 83 per cent of the customers who checked at least 17 of the 19 also said that they will “definitely” recommend their dealer to friends, family or acquaintances. Among customers who checked 10 or fewer standards, only 47 per cent indicated the same advocacy for their dealer. 

“Dealer principals and managers should actively monitor the sales experience and follow up with their customers after purchase to make sure they’re satisfied with their sales experience,” Loic Pean, senior manager at JD Power Asia Pacific, Singapore, said. “A satisfied customer is a loyal customer, as well as one who will help promote the dealer to others.” 

The 2013 Thailand SSI Study was based on responses from 3,612 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between August 2012 and March 2013. The study was done between February and May this year. 

The study found that new-vehicle buyers in Thailand were increasingly using multiple sources to gather information prior to visiting dealer showrooms and making their purchase decisions.

Now in its 14th year, the study examined seven factors that contribute to overall customer satisfaction with their new-vehicle purchase experience (in order of importance): delivery process; salesperson; dealer facility; sales initiation; paperwork; delivery timing; and deal. Sales performance was reported as an index score based on a 1,000-point scale, with a higher score indicating greater satisfaction with the new-vehicle sales and delivery process. 

The study found that new-vehicle shoppers, on average, used three sources to gather information before they visited a dealership, up from 2.5 sources in 2012. Among information sources shoppers use are television, friends and relatives and the Internet. The Internet is also fast becoming a source of information, reaching 45 per cent among new-vehicle shoppers in 2013, up from 33 per cent in 2012. 

A growing proportion (83 per cent) of new-vehicle shoppers decide on their desired vehicle prior to visiting the dealership, compared with 2012 (79 per cent). In addition, 79 per cent of shoppers do not consider any models other than the one they decided upon before visiting the dealer. 

“New-vehicle buyers in Thailand are becoming more aware and knowledgeable before their purchase, which is necessary as the number of models and options, demand and competition increase,” Pean said. 

“With an increased proportion of first-time buyers, who are typically younger and more educated, we’re finding that they do their homework in order to be more comfortable and efficient in their discussions with sales advisers once in the showroom.

“Salespeople are starting to put uncomfortable pressure on customers again, reversing a trend observed during the past several years,” he added. 

“Likely feeling more confident due to the high demand for new vehicles, sales advisers’ attention to their customers is dropping and they are perceived as more aggressive in trying to persuade customers to buy immediately, pay more or select a vehicle without the exact options the customer wants.”