SINGAPORE: Vehicle owners in Malaysia are expecting more out of their dealer service experience, and authorised service centres are struggling to keep pace with those rising demands, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2015 Malaysia Customer Service Index (CSI) StudySM released last week.
The study, now in its 13th year, measures overall service satisfaction among owners who took their vehicle to an authorised service centre for service maintenance and/or repair work during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. Service satisfaction is examined exclusively in the mass market segment.
The study evaluates new-vehicle owner satisfaction with the service experience by examining dealership performance in five factors (in order of importance): service quality (32%); service initiation (22%); vehicle pick-up (18%); service advisor (15%); and service facility (13%).
Satisfaction among mass market brands averages 749 index points (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2015, which is a 5-point decline from 2014. Customers are expecting to receive a higher level of service, overall satisfaction averaging 815 among the 12 percent of customers who indicate they had a“better-than-expected” service experience, compared with 842 in 2014.
Mazda ranked highest in customer satisfaction with dealer service among mass market brands.
The greatest drop in satisfaction is in service facility, where satisfaction has declined to 773 in 2015 from 785 in 2014. Ease of approach to and convenience of service centers contribute to the decline in satisfaction in the service facility factor.
Among the 3 percent of customers who indicate having a “worse-than-expected” service experience, overall satisfaction is558, down from 590 in 2014.
“Clearly, customer expectations are on the rise; hence, it is critical for service centers to provide a positive experience throughout,from service initiation, which is gaining importance,to delivering the vehicle back to customers,while remaining focused on delivering service quality,“ said Rajaswaran Tharmalingam, country head, Malaysia, J.D. Power Asia Pacific.
The study also shows the importance of satisfying customers to improve loyalty and repeat visits. Among mass market vehicle brand owners who are highly satisfied with their service experience (overall satisfaction scores of 815 and higher), 42 percent say they “definitely would” revisit their service dealer for post-warranty service, compared with 12 percent of those who are highly disappointed (scores of 698 or lower).
Among the 22 identified service standards thatenhance the overall customer service experience,notifying customers for routine maintenance and contacting customers after the service visit have the most significant positive impact on satisfaction (+22 points and +15 points, respectively). Overall satisfaction among the 18 percent of customers who indicate their service centre executed both of those standards averages 778, compared with 737 among those whose service centredid not deliver on both of these services.
“Service centres must strive to always enhance their service standards, specifically in offering the value-added standards to their customers,” Rajaswaran said. “This is precisely what delights customers with their service experience.”
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Keyword: Dealerships huff and puff to keep up with car owner demands, says study