Mazda ranks highest in sales satisfaction in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Although new-vehicle sales in the Philippines have been gaining strong momentum since mid-2009, overall satisfaction with the new-vehicle purchase experience had declined in 2010, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2010 Philippines Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) StudySM released recenty.

The study finds that satisfaction with the initial sales experience has declined primarily due to customers incurring longer wait times before being greeted by sales staff and fewer customers being offered test drives. In 2010, a greater proportion of customers indicate waiting before being greeted at the dealership – 5 percent, compared with 3 percent in 2009. Among these customers, wait times average 9.5 minutes in 2010, compared with an average of 7.7 minutes in 2009. “Increased showroom traffic may put some strain on dealerships with limited sales staff, but it is imperative that customers are acknowledged and greeted immediately upon entry to the showroom,” said Taku Kimoto, general manager of J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore.

The percentage of customers who were offered test drives in 2010 has declined to 76 percent in 2010 from 84 percent in 2009. Among those customers who were offered test drives, a higher proportion took test drives in 2010, compared with 2009, indicating that test drives are becoming increasingly important in the purchase decision making process.

Sales satisfaction is typically higher, on average, among customers who test drive vehicles during the sales process (826 points on a 1,000-point scale), compared with customers who did not receive a test drive (797 points). The percentage of customers who did not experience test drives due to lack of model availability has increased slightly from 6 percent in 2009 to 9 percent in 2010.

The study finds that the average number of days between vehicle purchase and delivery has increased slightly in 2010, compared with 2009. While the proportion of owners who indicate having received their new vehicle within one day has increased by four percentage points from 2009 to an average of 39 percent in 2010, the percentage of owners who indicate that delivery time took more than one week has increased to 13 percent in 2010 from 8 percent in 2009.

“When delivery time exceeds one week, customer satisfaction with the overall purchase experience declines sharply,” said Kimoto. The study also finds that an increasing number of customers indicate experiencing problems and sales pressure in 2010, compared with 2009. The most commonly cited problem is that dealerships have small selections of models in stock. In addition, the proportion of customers who indicate having experienced some sales pressure has increased by five percentage points to 17 percent in 2010, compared with 2009.

Now in its 10th year, the study measures new-vehicle owner satisfaction with the sales and delivery experience in seven key factors that contribute to overall satisfaction. In order of importance, they are delivery process; delivery timing; salesperson; paperwork; deal; sales initiation; and dealer facility. Overall satisfaction has declined by 14 points from 2009 and averages 819 in 2010. Among the 10 brands included in the study, only two – Nissan and Suzuki – improved in 2010, compared with 2009. Mazda ranks highest with a score of 832 and performs particularly well in four of the seven factors: delivery process, salesperson, delivery timing and dealer facility.

Following Mazda in the rankings are Ford (828) and Mitsubishi (823). Among new-vehicle owners in the Philippines, word of mouth is the most frequently used source of information during the shopping process. Approximately seven in 10 owners indicate seeking information from friends and relatives, while one in three owners indicate they asked for information from an owner of the brand they were considering. More than one-half of new-vehicle owners indicate that a brand’s good reputation for reliability is the key reason for purchasing their vehicle.

The study finds that high levels of customer satisfaction with the sales process have a strong positive impact on customer recommendation and repurchase rates. Among highly satisfied owners (satisfaction scores averaging 870 and higher), approximately 67 percent say they “definitely would” recommend their dealer, compared with 39 percent of owners with lower levels of satisfaction.

“As new-vehicle sales increase, it is important for brands and dealerships to not lose focus on ensuring that customers receive high levels of service during the sales process, as this may translate into favorable word of mouth – a critical source of information for new-vehicle shoppers,” said Kimoto.

The 2010 Philippines SSI Study is based on responses from more than 1,400 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between August 2009 and February 2010. The study was fielded from February to May 2010.