Americans are more satisfied with the service experience at car dealerships this year than last, according to a new study. It’s the second consecutive year scores have improved in J.D. Power’s annual U.S. Customer Service Index study.
“The study clearly shows that good service leads to loyal customers,” said John Tenerovich, director of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “This phenomenon proves true across all service types — oil changes, repair, tires, and brakes.”
Programs that offer some free maintenance on a new car help bring customers back to a dealership, he says, but once customers are paying for service, whether or not they return “depends on the service experience delivered by the dealer.”
Customers Care About Communication
Four of the most important factors in whether a customer is satisfied are matters of simple communication, researchers found. Keeping the customer informed through the process and reaching out afterward to ensure they are satisfied improved scores.
Baby Boomers Trust Dealers Most
The older a customer is, the more likely they are to trust dealers for service, J.D. Power says. Among baby boomers, “the overall level of trust in their dealership is 6.24 (on a 7-point scale), followed by Gen X (5.95), Gen Y (5.89) and Gen Z (5.77).”
Parts Availability Could Be a Problem Soon
The researchers found that 12% of repairs were not completed properly on the first visit. For 28% of those, “necessary parts were not available.” That could worry dealers about next year’s results, as a burgeoning trade war could restrict the supply of repair parts and raise their prices.
Scores by Brand:
J.D. Power calculates scores on a 1,000-point scale.