J.D. Power 2019 Japan Heavy- &  Light- Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction Study

Hino Ranks Highest for 10th Consecutive Year in Heavy-Duty Segment and Fifth Consecutive Year in Light-Duty Segment

TOKYO: 18 Jan. 2019 — Strong ties with customers who want their truck manufacturer to be a logistics business partner is an important component of customer service, according to the J.D. Power 2019 Japan Heavy-Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction Study^SM and the J.D. Power 2019 Japan Light-Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction Study^SM, both released today.

The annual studies measure overall satisfaction with heavy- and light-duty truck manufacturers and their respective authorized truck dealers among commercial fleet owners, including managers of truck freight companies. Satisfaction is determined by examining owners’ evaluations of 10 attributes grouped into four factors (listed in order of importance): vehicle (44%); service (23%); sales (21%); and cost (12%). Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale.

"In a truck market where market share has been rigid among major manufacturers, efforts aimed at building stronger relationships with customers are necessary,” said Yuji Sasaki, Director of the Automotive Division at J.D. Power Japan. “To realize this, it is important to become a logistics solution partner of customers, not just a vehicle manufacturer. It is becoming increasingly important for sales representatives to understand their customers’ needs and make efforts to provide appropriate solutions.

Following are some of the key findings of the study:

•  Truck owners looking for more: One- third (33%) of truck owners consider the truck manufacturer they use as a logistics solution partner, not just a vehicle supplier. This percentage rises to 58% of owners who are highly satisfied (overall satisfaction scores of 700 or higher) with their vehicles. Among owners who consider the truck manufacturer to be their logistics partner, 95% say they “definitely would” repurchase from the same OEM. Focusing on developing deeper relationships is key to building a solid business foundation for customer retention.
• Sales operation carries weight: The sales operation has a great influence on customer perceptions of the manufacturer being a logistics business partner. Those among who showed high satisfaction score with sales (700 or higher), 53% of customers say the truck manufacturer to be their logistics partner. However, this figure drops down to 12% among those who dissatisfied with sales (less than 400).
•  Heavy-duty after-sales satisfaction declines: Service satisfaction among owners of heavy-duty trucks decreased to 584, from 598 last year. The decline in satisfaction among owners who took their vehicle to the dealer for repair is substantial (26 points lower than last year). Additionally, fewer owners were able to have their truck serviced on their desired day, compared with last year (77% vs. 83%, respectively).

Study Rankings

Hino ranks highest in customer satisfaction for the 10th consecutive year in the heavy-duty truck segment (590) and for the fifth consecutive year in the light-duty truck segment (575). Hino is followed by Isuzu (564) in the heavy-duty truck segment and Toyota (567) in the light-duty truck segment.

The 2019 Japan Heavy-Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction Study is based on 3,550 records from 2,303 truck owners, and the 2019 Japan Light-Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction Study is based on 2,825 records from 1,945 truck owners. Fleet owners in each segment evaluated up to two manufacturers. The mail survey was conducted from September through October 2018.