Auto Dealers in Japan Must Actively Support Customers to Increase Satisfaction, J.D. Power Finds

TOKYO: 26 Aug. 2021 — To maintain and increase customer satisfaction, it is important for auto dealers to provide them with detailed suggestions or advice at the time of receiving or returning their vehicle for after-sales service, according to the J.D. Power 2021 Japan Customer Service Index (CSI) Study^SM, released today. Specifically, among customers who received suggestions such as maintenance and part replacements upon dropping off the car, customer satisfaction is 833 (on a 1,000-point scale) and 819 when they were given advice regarding the next maintenance and parts replacement schedule upon car delivery. These activities at the time of receiving or returning the vehicle are each nearly 100 points above the industry average.

“Despite some changes made by dealers in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, dealership activities such as an explanation about time required for completion of service and service have largely remained consistent,” said Taku Kimoto, senior managing officer of research at J.D. Power. “Dealerships that provide detailed suggestions or advice beyond the norm at the time of receiving or returning a vehicle for service, based on the vehicle’s condition and the customer’s needs, earn higher customer satisfaction.”

This year, customer satisfaction averages 722. By factor, the customer satisfaction score for dealer facilities and support is 719, while the scores are 727 for booking/dropping off the car and 719 for service quality/car delivery. By segment, satisfaction scores are 760 for luxury brands, 720 for mass market domestic brands and 729 for mass market import brands.

Study Rankings

Luxury Segment

Among the five luxury brands included in the study, Lexus ranks highest, with a score of 805. Lexus performs particularly well in all the three factors: dealer facilities and support; booking/dropping off the car; and service quality/car delivery. Volvo (769) ranks second.

Mass Market Domestic Segment

Among the eight mass market domestic brands included in the study, Honda ranks highest, with a score of 740. Honda performs particularly well in all factors; dealer facilities and support; booking/dropping off the car; and service quality/car delivery. Nissan (733) ranks second and Toyota (726) ranks third.

Mass Market Import Segment

Among the five mass market import brands included in the study, MINI (745) ranks highest and performs particularly well in the booking/dropping off the car factor. Volkswagen (744) ranks second.

The Japan Customer Service Index (CSI) Study measures satisfaction with after-sales service among new-vehicle owners after 14 to 49 months of ownership. The study surveys owners who visited a manufacturer-authorized service center for maintenance or repair work in the past year. Customer satisfaction is based on three factors that are comprised of multiple attributes (in order of importance): service quality/car delivery (35%); dealer facilities and support (34%); and booking/dropping off the car (31%).

The study, now in its 20th year and redesigned this year, is based on responses from 8,720 owners who purchased their new vehicle between April 2017 and March 2020. The online survey was fielded in May-June 2021.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Media Relations Contacts

Kumi Kitami; Japan; 81-3-4570-8410; release@jdpa.com

Geno Effler; USA; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

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