Maruti Suzuki re-claims first place in JD Power Service Index

Published November 2, 2012
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The JD Power Customer Service Index (CSI) for 2012 revealed that customers' demand for convenient vehicle servicing facilities has increased considerably, and Maruti Suzuki came out trumps in the service index, achieving this acclaim for the 13th year in a row

Car makers across the country had better wake up and smell the coffee, as JD.Power’s study on Customer Services in India has revealed how highly the average Indian driver rates smooth flowing, comfortable servicing solutions for their four-wheelers.

The study now conducted for the 16th year since its inception, gauged satisfaction levels among car owners who visited authorised dealerships to service their vehicles. The study was conducted across five parameters, viz, service quality, vehicle pick-up, service advisor, service facility and service initiation. Each brand was rated on a total of a 1000 points.

Maruti Suzuki came in at the top with 879 points, a comfortable 64 points above second placed Honda who earned 815 points. Hyundai came in third at 803 points, with Toyota and Mahindra rounding off the top five with a closely contested 799 and 798 points respectively to claim the fourth and fifth places. The bottom of the table saw Volkswagen come in last on 775 points, with Skoda and Chevrolet completing the bottom three with scores of 783 and 786 points respectively.

Results from the study show that car owners today demand services to be completed more swiftly once their vehicle has been dropped off at the service centre, along with doorstep services and alternative conveyance options.

Mohit Arora, excecutive director at JD Power’s Asia Pacific section, said, “Vehicle owners view the service process as an essential errand that needs to be completed, With increasing stress of the daily commute, time commitments and other complexities in their daily life, owners highly appreciate the actions that dealers take to mitigate the effort required for service.”

The numbers indicate a conscious effort on behalf of car makers to provide a better dealership service experience, with the industry’s average rating going up to 834 points, a 10-point increase from the corresponding score in 2011. Maintenance and repair costs have also greatly reduced this year, as the number of problems faced by vehicle owners in the initial 12-24 months from the purchase of the car have fallen by 7 per cent and 10 per cent for petrol and diesel engined cars as compared to 2010.

Despite the lowering of costs, the upkeep of the car has become pricier. “While reduction in the number of problems experienced during ownership has contributed to the reduction in the cost of vehicle maintenance and repairs for owners, the overall cost of running vehicles has gone up,” said Arora. “Fuel price increases are the primary reason for the rising costs, especially for petrol models, for which a 13 per cent reduction in the cost of maintenance has been offset by a 31 per cent increase in the cost spent on fuel between 2010 and 2012.”

Vehicle producers across the country need to realise how significant it is to keep the customer happy, as according to the index, car owners tend to stay loyal to their brand, and even actively promote it if they achieve a high enough level of satisfaction from the quality of service provided by their dealers.