KUALA LUMPUR: Mitsubishi owners are the most satisfied customers in Malaysia, followed by Toyota and Mazda, according to the results of the J.D Power 2019 Malaysia Customer Service Index study released yesterday.
The study, now in its 17th year, queried 2,644 vehicle owners and was conducted from February to June this year.
Mitsubishi received a score of 791 points, while Toyota and Mazda received 788 and 785 respectively. Overall satisfaction for the industry averaged 761 points.
The study conducted by J.D Power looked at overall service satisfaction of owners who sent their vehicle to authorised service centres and measured dealership performance in five factors, namely, service quality (25%); vehicle pick-up (21%); service initiation (20%); service facility (17%); and service advisor (16%).
It found that dealers in Malaysia were improving in terms of service satisfaction. Part of it came down to improved communication between dealers and their customers.
For routine maintenance, this year 80% of the customers were notified on the status of their vehicle this year as opposed to 75% last year, which is important because there is a 60-point difference in satisfaction between those who are notified, compared with those who were not.
When it came to the service process, 86% were kept informed about their vehicle status compared to 74% in 2018. There was a 119-point difference in satisfaction between those who were kept informed and those who were not.
Among the key findings this year was that Malaysian customers are slowly moving to digital channels to book and manage their appointments, as a new form of communication with the dealers.
Calls remain the primary method to book appointments at 73%,, but manufacturer apps (9%); messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messenger (8%); website (4%); and SMS/text messages (4%) are gaining more use.
The study found the capability of the digital services to be improved as well. For example, out of the customers who made online appointments, 28% said they were able to enter all required information and complete service scheduling online without any other follow-ups, compared to 18% last year.
The survey found service facilities improving overall. As has now become commonplace in Malaysia, complimentary snacks and beverages, as well as workplaces to plug in computers have made dealerships more inviting places to wait. However, survey findings show that fewer people are waiting at the dealer while their vehicle is serviced. Perhaps this has something to do with the popularity of ride-sharing apps which have made commutes much easier.
While customers did become more satisfied in many areas, there are areas which could be improved.
Service turnaround time has increased. For the majority of customers (89%), vehicles were serviced within the day. However, this year, fewer customers received their vehicle within two hours (52% vs. 62% in 2018). More customers were also not told when their vehicle would be ready, from 6% last year to 12% this year.
“As sales trends are flattening, dealers are putting in more effort to enhance customer service experience,” said E-Ling Cheah, Country Manager for Malaysia at J.D. Power.
“Though there are improvements in the overall service experience, it will not be fully realised until areas such as time management improves. Dealers must keep in mind that growth is not always linear; consistent and continuous efforts are critical to further boost customer satisfaction,” she added.