India’s After-Sales Process is More Satisfactory When Communication is Led by Service Advisors

J.D. Power 2022 India Customer Service Index (CSI) Study published recently finds that vehicle owners in India place a high amount of value on proactive service advisor-led involvement during their service experience. The India Customer Service Index (CSI) Study was suspended in 2021, but J.D. Power and NielsenIQ have since resumed it.

A thorough multi-point check, confirmation of repair requests, a review and explanation of the work performed before and after the service, and regular status updates are just a few of the components that make up service advisor communication. According to the study, consumers’ satisfaction rises by 25 index points (on a scale of 1,000) when all interaction aspects are implemented as opposed to when they are not (863 vs. 838, respectively).
Additional significant conclusions from the 2022 study include the following:

More than three-fourths (80%) of customers report that important aspects of service quality were completed, such as all required work was completed, work was done correctly the first time, and the car was cleaned. Customers who complain that even one of these components was overlooked report a 22-point reduction in satisfaction.

Younger customers are more difficult to please: Millennials1 and Gen Z customers have the lowest overall satisfaction scores of 822, 22 points below the norm. They are far more critical of any oversights made in the implementation of interaction and service quality. In contrast, customers over the age of 35 are typically more understanding and place greater value on receiving high-quality service.

Research Ranking MG With a score of 860, India comes in first. Toyota (852), Honda (852), and Hyundai (852) tie for second place. By evaluating dealership performance in five factors—service initiation (26%), service advisor (20%), vehicle pick-up (20%), service quality (19%), and service facility (15%)—the survey gauges new-vehicle owners’ satisfaction with the after-sales process. The mass market segment is the only one that the study looks at for after-sales satisfaction.

The 5,586 new car owners whose replies made up the 2022 India Customer Service Index (CSI) Study acquired their cars between July 2019 and September 2021. Between July and September 2022, NielsenIQ conducted in-person interviews with vehicle owners in 25 important Indian cities, asking them 125 questions regarding their most recent service at the brand’s approved workshop. The replies were calculated and processed for data quality once the surveys were completed. The study’s brands are ranked based on their overall score.