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Maruti tops J D Power India Sales Satisfaction Index Study 2005

Singapore: 17 August 2005

Maruti Suzuki ranks highest in customer satisfaction with the new-vehicle sales process for a second consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2005 India Sales Satisfaction Index StudySM released today.

“Maruti Suzuki’s performance reflects its consistent approach to building and promoting effective sales processes based on the voice of the customer,” said Mohit Arora, India director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific.  “In turn, Maruti Suzuki customers reflect their satisfaction with the brand by demonstrating the highest loyalty and advocacy intentions in the industry.”

The industry has improved its overall performance by 6 index points, with eight of the 11 manufacturers ranked in 2005 showing improvements over 2004.  Mahindra records the greatest improvement in the study, with an increase of 45 index points over 2004, and takes sixth place in the overall rankings.  Opel, a General Motors nameplate, improves 40 index points in performance to rank second overall.

Further, the study reveals a significant improvement in implementation rates of various dealer activities performed during the entire sales and delivery process, such as offering test drives and explaining the vehicle’s features.  On test drives offered—a key sales activity—implementation rates have improved 14 percent over 2004 for the industry, one of the highest year-over-year improvements registered in the past five years. 

“The improvements registered across most manufacturers are indicative of the growing competition in the industry as manufacturers strive to create a strong and positive first impression on their customers,” said Arora. “Owners of Mahindra and Opel vehicles report significant improvements across all factors that compose the Sales Satisfaction Index, with the greatest improvement for both nameplates on delivery timing.”

Additionally, the study finds that although making a booking for a new vehicle is an industry practice, customers report higher satisfaction if they are able to receive their vehicles with no booking time. Also, satisfaction scores decline rapidly with increased booking time. Customers not only report lower satisfaction, but also report a greater number of problems with their selling dealer if they have to book their new vehicle.

The study, in its sixth year, examines satisfaction of new-vehicle buyers with the sales and delivery experience at two to six months of ownership.  More than 4,150 owners of 36 different vehicle models participated in the 2005 study, which was fielded from March 2005 to May 2005. Overall sales satisfaction is assessed on 48 attributes, grouped into six pre-defined factors: delivery process, delivery timing, salesperson, dealer facility, paperwork and deal.

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