Toyota and Mahindra rank highest in JD Power customer satisfaction survey

An American-based global marketing information services firm, JD Power, has surveyed 7,895 new vehicle owners in India, who purchased their vehicle between September 2014 and April 2015. The survey which is now in its 16th year, measures satisfaction among new vehicle buyers in India across seven factors such as delivery process, delivery timing, salesperson, sales initiation, dealer facility, paperwork and deal.  

The survey was conducted on a 1,000-point scale across these seven factors, and based on the survey findings Mahindra and Toyota has scored highest points and has emerged triumphant. According to the findings of the survey, the overall customer satisfaction averages to 851 points in 2014 which is a six-point decline as compared to 2014. The survey also reveals that nearly one in five (18 per cent) customers is dissatisfied with several critical aspects of the purchase process, including negotiations for their new vehicle, delivery commitments and the overall delivery process.

The findings reveal that the satisfaction with the delivery process and delivery timing has declined the most year over year, dropping by nine points in each factor. The average time for vehicle delivery has increased to 11 days after booking in 2015 from 9 days in 2014. 

The study also reveals that more than 39 per cent of new vehicle owners visited showrooms at least three times during their shopping process, up by 4 percent from 2014. Satisfaction among these owners is 25 points lower than among those who visited showrooms two or fewer times.

Furthermore, 82 per cent new vehicle owners stated that they are highly satisfied with their purchase experience and said that they will definitely recommend their purchase dealer to family and friends, while 74 per cent consumers stated that they will definitely purchase the same vehicle make in future.

Based on these key findings, the study reveals that Mahindra and Toyota has been ranked highest in the overall customer survey, scoring a good 872 points each. Toyota performed particularly well in the sales initiation factor while Mahindra performed highest in the paperwork factor.