John Csernotta of J.D. Power, left, presented Joe Eberhardt, center, and Eric Johnston, right, of Jaguar with a 2015 J.D. Power Customer Service Index award
While a record number of vehicles – about 64 million in all – were recalled in the U.S. last year, dealers helped take the sting out of things, according to a new survey by J.D. Power and Associates.
Power’s latest Customer Service Index found that dealers went out of their way to make the repair process as painless as possible.
“Manufacturers have shown that it is possible to turn a potential negative into a positive when it comes to recalls if they’re done in a way that doesn’t inconvenience the customer,” noted Chris Sutton, vice president of J.D. Power’s U.S. automotive retail practice.
On a 1,000-point scale, the new Customer Service Index, or CSI, found that dealers scored 789 points for recall-related work – up from 777 in the 2014 survey. When it came to more traditional service and repair work, dealers scored an average 781 points in the latest CSI.
British maker Jaguar topped the list with an overall service score of 877.
“The Jaguar brand has undergone a tremendous transformation over the last few years,” responded Joe Eberhardt, president and CEO, Jaguar Land Rover North America, “with increased focus on customer care and tremendous investment from our retailers in their facilities and processes.”
General Motors’ Buick brand, meanwhile, was the top-ranked mass-market brand with a score of 836. Both Buick and Jaguar have been gaining ground in a variety of other quality and customer care studies in recent years. The Detroit brand was second only to perennial leader Lexus in the latest Consumer Reports auto reliability study and one of the top marque’s in Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study.
Proper dealer handling of a recall can be a significant issue for an auto manufacturer. In Jaguar’s case, it is a critical step in helping reverse a long-standing reputation for quality problems. For Buick, it can help address the PR damage suffered by the brand’s parent, General Motors, which was responsible for nearly half of all the U.S. recalls in 2014.
Overall, Power studies have shown that smoothing the repair process can turn a frustrated or worried owner into a loyal customer.
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According to the CSI – which was based on responses from 70,000 vehicles owners and lessees – recall repairs accounted for 16% of dealer service visits in 2014. That was up from 10% the year before.
Considering the size of some of those recalls – such as the General Motors’ ignition switch issue, and the recall of roughly 10 million vehicles equipped with Takata airbags – not everything went smoothly. It took months for GM to come up with the necessary number of replacement parts. Automakers like Honda still are short on replacement airbag components.
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Nonetheless, said Stratton, “Even though recalls can create a large influx of customers into the service department and really strain capacity, automakers are better prepared to handle recalls than they were a few years ago.”
The annual Customer Service Index also found that dealers who provide express lane options for owners who need last-minute repairs without making an appointment tend to have higher satisfaction numbers.
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And while most customers now use the Internet during at least some part of the car buying process, the CSI found that 45% of vehicle owners and lessees don’t know that they can schedule appointments online. Only 9% of the survey’s respondents used that option, another 73% relying on the telephone to book a service appointment.