Maruti, Honda top rankers in J D Power survey

Country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki and Japanese firm Honda have bagged the top spot for after-sales customer service in the recently conducted study by J D Power 2016 India Customer Service Index.
Honda and Maruti Suzuki ranked highest in the satisfaction, in a tie, with after-sales customer service among mass market, the study said.
"While Maruti Suzuki performed well across all factors, Honda too has shown strong improvement across all factors with greatest improvement in service initiation and service quality," it said.
Korean auto maker Hyundai Motor and Tata Motors were ranked third as per the study.
More than one-third of customers in Southern region indicate that their dealer implemented all 22 standards (during service) compared to just 19 per cent of customers in Northern region, it said.

Strong differences in customer behaviour, preferences and expectations of their after-sales experience contribute to the substantial disparity in the regional scores, it added.

"For example, 82 per cent of vehicle owners in Western region schedule an appointment for their service visit, while it is only 55 per cent in Northern region," the study said.
Percentage of customers who have indicated that their vehicles were returned washed and vacuumed has increased by 11 per cent as against the the numbers seen last year, it said.
"In an astoundingly diverse market like India where every region and state has its own unique characteristics and needs, dealers need to capitalise on every customer interaction and opportunity to develop points of differentiation and deliver on those expectations", J D Power Executive Director Mohit Arora said.

The study also revealed that the dealers were improving their communication to customers as 89 per cent of them said they were reminded by dealership for vehicle service.
93 per cent of the customers said, their service advisor ensured that they fully understood the scope of work to be performed on their vehicle while 89 per cent said they were informed about the next service schedule.
The study is based on responses from 7,843 new vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between May 2014 and August 2015.