'One-fifth vehicle buyers dissatisfied with purchase process'

Nearly one in every five vehicle buyers in India is dissatisfied with several aspects of the purchase process including negotiations for their new vehicle, delivery commitments and the overall delivery process, a study today said.
"Overall sales satisfaction in the mass market segment is 851, a 6 point decline from 2014," JD Power Asia Pacific 2015 India Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study which examines factors that contribute to new-vehicle owners' overall satisfaction with their sales experience said.
These factors include the delivery process, delivery timing, salesperson, sales initiation, dealer facility, paperwork and deal. Satisfaction is calculated on a 1,000-point scale.

The study ranked Mahindra and Toyota highest in sales satisfaction among mass market brands in India.
"Toyota performs particularly well in the sales initiation factor and Mahindra performs highest in the paperwork factor," according to the study.
"Intense competition and pressure to maximize sales conversions has shifted focus from a customer-centric approach to a sales-driven approach for dealers, impacting customer satisfaction," JD Power Asia Pacific Executive Director Mohit Arora.

He added, "Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and dealerships need to provide a pressure-free environment that is conducive to sales, which can lead to a positive and lasting impression of the brand and dealerships in the minds of customers."

The average time for vehicle delivery has increased to 11 days after booking in 2015 from 9 days in 2014.
More than one-third (39 per cent) of new-vehicle owners visited showrooms at least three times during their shopping process, up by 4 per cent from 2014. Satisfaction among these owners is 25 points lower than among those who visited showrooms two or fewer times, the study pointed out.
Among new-vehicle owners who are highly satisfied with their purchase experience, 82 per cent say they "definitely will" recommend their purchase dealer to family and friends and 74 per cent say they "definitely will" purchase the same vehicle make in the future.

The study findings show that purchase reasons and shopping behaviour vary significantly across demographics.
A larger proportion of younger buyers (30 years and younger) place a greater emphasis on vehicle design, performance and features as purchase criteria for their vehicle, compared with all other age groups combined.
Additionally, using the internet as a source of information for vehicle purchase is higher among younger buyers than among all other age groups combined.