Chevrolet ranks highest in Customer Satisfaction with After-Sales Service in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Customers receiving their vehicle within 10 minutes when picking it up after service is completed are more satisfied with their overall service experience, compared with those who waited more than 10 minutes to receive their serviced vehicle, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 Philippines Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) StudySM released recently.

The study finds that more than half (55%) of customers waited longer than 10 minutes at the dealership counter to complete paperwork and pick up their vehicle after service was completed. Just 14 percent of customers waited five minutes or less to pick up their serviced vehicle, and approximately 30 percent of customers waited between six and 10 minutes. Satisfaction averages 815 on a 1,000 point-scale among customers who waited five minutes or less when picking up their vehicle. Among customers who waited six to 10 minutes, satisfaction decreases to 808 and further decreases to 783 points among owners who waited beyond 10 minutes.

“For new-vehicle owners in Philippines, the amount of wait time required to receive their serviced vehicle punctuates their impressions of the way work is managed at dealerships,” said Mohit Arora, executive director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “Dealerships that promptly serve customers are likely to generate higher customer satisfaction and positive recommendations for their service center.”

Now in its 11th year, the study examines five factors that contribute to overall satisfaction of vehicle owners who visit an authorized service center for maintenance or repair work during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership (in order of importance): service quality; vehicle pick-up; service initiation; service advisor; and service facility.

Among the 11 brands ranked in the study, Chevrolet ranks highest with an overall score of 827, followed by Suzuki (821) and Ford (811). In 2011, Suzuki achieves the greatest improvement in score from 2010 (+43 points), followed by Chevrolet (+41) and Mazda (+20). Overall customer satisfaction averages 796 points in 2011, with a total of seven of the 11 ranked brands demonstrating year-over-year improvements.

The study finds that advocacy and loyalty are closely related to satisfaction levels with the overall service performance of the dealer. Nearly 59 percent of highly satisfied customers (service satisfaction scores averaging above 856) say they “definitely will” return to the same dealership for post-warranty service. In contrast, fewer than one-third (29%) of customers with low satisfaction (scores averaging 745 and lower) say the same.

“Manufacturers and dealerships today realize the bottom-line impact of satisfying owners and are investing in driving service excellence in their dealerships,” said Arora. “The improvements in the industry in 2011 demonstrate this impact, with five nameplates achieving double-digit gains from 2010.”

The 2011 Philippines Customer Satisfaction Index Study is based on responses from 1,674 vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles between January 2009 and April 2010 and took their vehicle for service to an authorized dealer or service center between July 2010 and April 2011. The study was fielded between February 2011 and July 2011, and includes evaluations of 60 vehicle models.