Suzuki has been ranked as the top volume car brand for customer service in the 2019 JD Power survey while Audi has taken the lead when it comes to premium brands.
The study – which measures UK customer satisfaction with their service experience at a franchised dealer facility for maintenance and repair work based on five different areas – saw Suzuki gain a score of 813 points out of a possible 1,000 – a 22-point improvement from its 2018 performance. Toyota ranked second (800), followed by Honda (798).
Audi ranked the highest among premium brands, with a score of 815, a 23-point improvement from 2018, followed by Mercedes-Benz (802), and BMW (798).
The study – now in its fifth year – once again shows that satisfaction with dealer service continues to lead in customer loyalty and advocacy.
The research found that for service customers when overall satisfaction scores are 901 or higher, 83% say they “definitely will” recommend their dealer for service; 82% say they “definitely will” return for paid service work; 78% say they “definitely will” purchase or lease again from the same dealer; and 70% say they “definitely will” purchase the same brand again.
This compares to moderately satisfied customers (when satisfaction scores are 751-900) where the percentages of “definitely will” recommendations in those four areas dip to 47%, 53%, 43% and 52%, respectively.
The study also found that UK dealers lag behind those in the US in several key performance indicator (KPI) completion rates.
“There are still areas where UK dealers can differentiate themselves by providing an exceptional service experience,” said Josh Halliburton, vice president and head of European operations at JD Power. “Top performers one year can end up below the industry average the next, so paying attention to the little things can make a huge difference in cultivating customer relationships.”
