Mazda best in customer service: J.D. Power Customer Service Index Study

MANILA: With a score of 824, Mazda Philippines has topped the J.D. Power Customer Service Index Study. The survey included ten brands where Nissan and Hyundai grabbed the second and third positions with a score of 814 and 811, respectively. A total of 2,384 new-vehicle owners took part in the study that was conducted on the basis of customer satisfaction with regards to servicing and vehicle-return process. The participating candidates were people who purchased their vehicles between January 2016 - April 2018 and got their vehicle serviced at an authorized service centre between January 2018 - April 2019.

The deciding factors with their influence on the study were: service quality 28%, service initiation 20%, service facility 20%, vehicle pick-up 17%, and service advisor 16%. The average customer satisfaction, however, dropped from 812 in 2018 to 803 points in 2019. One of the major reasons behind the drop in the average rating has been the increase in time that customers have had to wait before handing over their vehicle to the service centre. Around 35% of the total customer said that they had to wait for more than 30 minutes.

“This situation is not new to the industry, the time spent by customers to drop off a vehicle for service is a key contributor towards their overall satisfaction. However, this is an issue that can be mitigated through the efficient use of a proper appointment system. Dealers need to actively encourage the scheduling of appointments and ensure they consistently deliver not only a more personalized service to after-sales customers but also a faster turnaround from drop-off to pick-up”, said Sigfred M. Doloroso, Country Manager for the Philippines, J.D. Power.

Around 69% of the total participants reported that services times have increased with most of them having to wait for more than three hours. In 2018, only 58% of people had reported about slow service process. Also, 72% of people stated that the vehicle pick-up paperwork took more than 10 minutes. Moving on, around 74% of the participants scheduled a service appointment with 62% preferring to schedule the appointment on the telephone.

Another drop was seen in the express service as only 39% of people were offered with the same. However, in 2018, express service was offered to 55% of customers. Also, the customers who were offered the express (820) service were more satisfied than the ones who weren’t (797). Compared to 72% in 2018, only 59% of customers were intimated about the time needed for the service of their vehicle. While 815 people were satisfied with the service when they were notified about the time needed, only 797 were satisfied when they were not informed.