Hyundai tops post-sales customer satisfaction survey; Tata Motors second

Hyundai Motor India has topped the after-sales customer satisfaction survey among mass market brands, according to global market research firm JD Power.

Hyundai, the country's second largest car seller, scored the highest 912 points in after-sales customer satisfaction survey, the JD Power 2018 India Customer Service Index (Mass Market) Study said.

The South Korean firm had topped the rankings in the mass market category for India last year as well.

Tata Motors was ranked second with a score of 874 points followed by Mahindra & Mahindra at the third position with a score of 865.

Ford with a score of 829 points was placed fourth followed by Toyota at fifth with 827 points. Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India stood at the eight position with a score of 804.

The study, now in its 22nd year, measures new-vehicle owner satisfaction with the after-sales service process by examining dealership performance.

The study measures overall satisfaction in five factors service quality, vehicle pick-up, service advisor, service facility and service initiation.

The latest study is based on evaluations from 9,045 new vehicle owners who purchased vehicle between March 2015 and August 2017. The study was fielded from March through August 2018.

The study also found that customers who are 30 years and younger expect a higher quality service experience when their vehicle is being serviced.

This is significant as the automotive industry in India is continuing to experience an influx of younger customers, with 28 per cent of customers who visit dealerships for service aged 30 years or younger, the study noted.

"India's population is expected to be among the youngest in the world by 2020. This shift in demographics will likely further attract more customers in this age group to dealerships, so it is imperative to understand the needs of this set of customers in terms of convenience, speed and transparency," JD Power Regional Director Kaustav Roy said.

Dealers will then be in a better position to meet the expectations of this demographic by providing a superior service experience and, in turn, enhancing customer loyalty, he added.