Click to Enlarge.
Confirming decades upon decades of surveys and consumer purchasing patterns, J.D. Power said today that the ease of doing business with aftermarket service providers key advantage over franchised new-vehicle dealers. Because of the nature of the survey smaller independent repair shops are not included.
According to the 2022 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) StudySM, dealer service facilities hold an advantage in consumer one exception: customers say aftermarket service providers are easy to do business with – outperforming dealer service facilities specific to general maintenance, tire replacement and oil change services.
The study, now in its third year following its debut in 2019, measures customer satisfaction with aftermarket service facilities, providing a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing facilities in the U.S. aftermarket doing full-service maintenance and repair; quick oil changes; and tire replacement.
Ratings are based on the combined scores for seven measures that comprise the vehicle owner service experience. These are (in alphabetical order): ease of scheduling/getting vehicle in for service; fairness of charges; service advisor courtesy; service advisor performance; service facility; time to complete service; and quality of work.
Findings
Singular advantage: Across the measures of customer trust with a service provider, new-vehicle dealers perform better than aftermarket service providers in seven of eight attributes, with the exception being ease of doing business. The franchised new-vehicle dealer average score in this measure is 6.11[1] (on a 7-point scale) compared with independent full-service maintenance and repair facilities (6.18); tire replacement facilities (6.20); and quick oil change facilities (6.28).
Independents improve in fix it right the first time: Successfully completing work the first time is a key performance indicator (KPI) to increase customer satisfaction. When work is completed right the first time, customer satisfaction increases. Independent service providers improve on this important metric, climbing from already high scores in 2021. The percentage of full-service maintenance customers who say their problem was fixed right the first time increases to 97% from 94% in 2021. Among quick oil change customers, the percentage increases to 98% from 97% and among tire replacement customers, the percentage increases to 96% from 94%.
“Given that both franchised dealers and independents are finding it more difficult to hire qualified technicians, this result is heartening,” said Leonard Martin, director of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “It’s an indicator that the general level of service has improved despite labor challenges.”
Price and convenience equally important: Some 39% of service customers cite the lower cost of service as a reason for choosing independent service providers. In comparison, 38% cite ability to accommodate their schedule and 34% cite the perceived ease and speed of using the facility. Among Gen X,[2] Gen Y, and Boomer respondents, prior experience with the service facility trumps price and convenience.
“As American consumers emerge from the pandemic, the demand for automotive service is on the upswing, and their service expectations remain high,” Martin said. “This research confirms that independent specialty service providers still have a strong place in the market, especially if they emphasize strengths that include convenient locations and ease of doing business.”
Power Footnotes
- [1] J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study
- [2] J.D. Power defines generational groups as Pre-Boomers (born before 1946); Boomers (1946-1964); Gen X (1965-1976); Gen Y (1977-1994); and Gen Z (1995-2004). Millennials (1982-1994) are a subset of Gen Y.
Aftermarket Services Beat Dealers Again in Latest Survey
Click to Enlarge.
Confirming decades upon decades of surveys and consumer purchasing patterns, J.D. Power said today that the ease of doing business with aftermarket service providers key advantage over franchised new-vehicle dealers. Because of the nature of the survey smaller independent repair shops are not included.
According to the 2022 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) StudySM, dealer service facilities hold an advantage in consumer one exception: customers say aftermarket service providers are easy to do business with – outperforming dealer service facilities specific to general maintenance, tire replacement and oil change services.
The study, now in its third year following its debut in 2019, measures customer satisfaction with aftermarket service facilities, providing a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing facilities in the U.S. aftermarket doing full-service maintenance and repair; quick oil changes; and tire replacement.
Ratings are based on the combined scores for seven measures that comprise the vehicle owner service experience. These are (in alphabetical order): ease of scheduling/getting vehicle in for service; fairness of charges; service advisor courtesy; service advisor performance; service facility; time to complete service; and quality of work.
Findings
Singular advantage: Across the measures of customer trust with a service provider, new-vehicle dealers perform better than aftermarket service providers in seven of eight attributes, with the exception being ease of doing business. The franchised new-vehicle dealer average score in this measure is 6.11[1] (on a 7-point scale) compared with independent full-service maintenance and repair facilities (6.18); tire replacement facilities (6.20); and quick oil change facilities (6.28).
Independents improve in fix it right the first time: Successfully completing work the first time is a key performance indicator (KPI) to increase customer satisfaction. When work is completed right the first time, customer satisfaction increases. Independent service providers improve on this important metric, climbing from already high scores in 2021. The percentage of full-service maintenance customers who say their problem was fixed right the first time increases to 97% from 94% in 2021. Among quick oil change customers, the percentage increases to 98% from 97% and among tire replacement customers, the percentage increases to 96% from 94%.
“Given that both franchised dealers and independents are finding it more difficult to hire qualified technicians, this result is heartening,” said Leonard Martin, director of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “It’s an indicator that the general level of service has improved despite labor challenges.”
Price and convenience equally important: Some 39% of service customers cite the lower cost of service as a reason for choosing independent service providers. In comparison, 38% cite ability to accommodate their schedule and 34% cite the perceived ease and speed of using the facility. Among Gen X,[2] Gen Y, and Boomer respondents, prior experience with the service facility trumps price and convenience.
“As American consumers emerge from the pandemic, the demand for automotive service is on the upswing, and their service expectations remain high,” Martin said. “This research confirms that independent specialty service providers still have a strong place in the market, especially if they emphasize strengths that include convenient locations and ease of doing business.”
Power Footnotes