As we reported a few weeks back vehicle sales have been rising steadily over the past few months. June sales, for instance, are up by some 14% over last year’s figures. Yet as vehicle sales continue to increase, so do the problems and issues faced by the auto industry.
This is particularly true in terms of after-sales service. A study by J.D. Power indicates that customer satisfaction at authorized dealerships in the Philippines decreased over the last few months. According to the J.D. Power Philippine Customer Service Index, customer satisfaction dropped to its lowest level since the study began in 2001.
The 2017 report finds that over a 1,000-point industry scale, total customer satisfaction dropped by 29 points from 822 in 2016 to an average of 793 this year. Among the five factors surveyed, vehicle pickup and service initiation scored the lowest, at 787 each.
The increased vehicle volume also translates to a rise in service appointments—from 40% a year ago to 47%. This naturally leads to a longer wait when booking your regular Preventive Maintenance Service. Around 72% of clients say it took them three days to get a booking, while 4 in ten customers (or 41%) say it takes about 30 minutes to complete vehicle turnover to a service technician.
Besides these factors, other service aspects seem to be suffering as well. Getting a cost estimate before vehicle service, for instance, has dropped from 83% to 78%, while 5% of clients say they had to pay more than the estimated cost. What’s even more telling is 10% of partons say their vehicle had not been washed or vacuumed before being returned to them.
All these, J.D. Power notes, is an indication that dealers are not able to keep up with increased demand.
In related news, Honda topped the J.D. Power 2017 Customer Service Index, coming in at 803 points. Hyundai followed with 798, with Mitsubishi coming in a closer third at 787 points. The survey takes into account the following factors: service quality, vehicle pickup, service facility, and service advisor
