Filed under:
Car Buying,
GMC,
Lexus
During the economic downturn, many car dealerships counteracted their slowing income by focusing on things that would set them apart from competition - things like the quality of customer service they provide. When the economy picked up and more sales and service followed, many also first invested those funds back into the business, improving their dealership facilities and service centers.
It looks like those investments are paying off, as
J.D. Power and Associates' latest Customer Service Index Study shows that overall consumer satisfaction with dealer service has increased to 797 (on a 1,000-point scale), up from 787 in 2012 and 29 points higher than the score in 2011. The study also finds that people are more satisfied with the service they get at dealerships compared to independent service providers, despite the much higher average out-of-pocket cost per visit ($118 vs. $44).
Note, however, that this study only looks at how people are treated by a dealer's service department during the first three years of ownership (the survey is based on responses from 91,000 owners and lessees of 2008 to 2012 model year vehicles), so we're talking about the experience had when bringing a car in for repair or maintenance work, most likely under warranty. In fact, maintenance work is increasing in share and accounted for 77 percent of service visits (up from 72 percent in 2012 and 63 percent in 2011). This helps explain why customer satisfaction has also risen, since a properly maintained car is one that's less likely to require a dealer visit for an unexpected repair.
Of the automakers,
Lexus again ranks highest in customer satisfaction for dealer service for the fifth consecutive year with a CSI score of 862. What might surprise you is that
GMC is the highest-scoring mass market brand, with a CSI score of 819.
Scroll below to see the rest of the rankings and pour over more data from the study.
Continue reading Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops
Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops originally appeared on
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Study: Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops
