Guess which car brand ranks the highest in customer service in PH

A firm known for its customer satisfaction research on new-car quality and long-term dependability, J.D. Power Asia Pacific, released its 2015 Philippines Customer Service Index (CSI) Study. This study is the latest measure of customer satisfaction of service centers in authorized car dealers.

There are 5 factors used to measure satisfaction with after-sales service among new vehicle owners who visit an authorized service center for maintenance or repair work.

This is based on a 1,000-point scale, and is scored during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership.

Among the top 11 brands, three names arose in the study: Honda, Mazda, and Toyota. Honda leads this year’s study with 846 points as they perform particularly well in service facility and quality. Mazda and Toyota follow closely, tied at 844 points each. Mazda is notable in vehicle pick-up and service quality while Toyota excels in service advisor and service facility.

What’s interesting is the overall industry average for this study also increased significantly from 826 last year to 837 this year. Evidently, authorized car dealers have made significant efforts aimed at customer satisfaction by adding amenities such as internet access, refreshment counters, TV, air-conditioned waiting lounge, and free food. During their most recent service visit, 47 percent of the customers confirmed that they waited at the service centers the whole time. More than half (58%) of them advised that these amenities were offered to them.

So what does this translate to? Overall customer satisfaction promotes loyalty and advocacy.

65 percent of service customers say they “definitely would” recommend the same make to a friend/ relative, which is higher than 62 percent in 2014. In addition to that, 55 percent say they "definitely would" repurchase the same make, up from 52 percent last year.

The 2015 Philippines Customer Service Index (CSI) Study was conducted between February and May 2015. It is based on responses from 1,750 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between February 2013 and May 2014 and took their vehicle for service to an authorized service center between August 2014 and May 2015