Study Provides Customer Service Insights

NEWS WATCH
Study Provides Customer Service Insights

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA (July 19, 2007) - Observations made in the recent J.D. Powers and Associates 2007 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, which focused on dealer service, provide insight and opportunity for independent service shops.

The study measures the customer satisfaction of vehicle owners who visit the dealer service department for maintenance or repair work during the first three years of ownership, which typically represent the majority of the vehicle warranty period. Overall customer satisfaction with dealer service is based on six measures - service initiation, service advisor, in-dealership experience, service delivery, service quality and user-friendly service - and summarized into a total CSI score, based on a 1,000 point maximum.

The study revealed that:

* Indicative of the automotive industry's continuing product quality improvements, more customers visit dealerships for maintenance rather than repairs. The percentage of maintenance visits increased by four points to 62 percent, whilejust 38 percent of visits were repair-based.

* Although more than three-fourths of vehicle owners report making an appointment with their dealership for a repair or maintenance, customers who drop in without a scheduled appointment are more satisfied with dealer service. Owners who drop in for service without making an appointment provide satisfaction scores averaging 882 on a 1,000-point scale, compared with 874 among those who make an appointment. 

* Personal interaction with customers by service staff can go a long way in impacting customer satisfaction with service. For example, among customers whose auto repairs and maintenance were not completed correctly the first time, proactive communication by the service staff helped to mitigate the decrease in satisfaction. 

* Customers who are delighted with the communication by the service staff demonstrate increased loyalty. Of those who were delighted with how work was explained - even when their repair was not completed correctly the first time - 72 percent said that they would definitely return for service covered under warranty, compared with only 42 percent of customers who were satisfied or indifferent. 

"While fixing a vehicle right the first time is important, personal interaction and communication from service staff can also be critical in keeping customers satisfied with their service experience," said Gauer. "Simple steps such as greeting service customers quickly upon arrival, paying special attention to customers with appointments, fully explaining charges and repairs and performing visual inspections of the vehicle with the customer can go a long way toward promoting satisfaction and loyalty."

(Source: J.D. Power and Associates)