Mazda tops Australian customer service survey

Mazda has climbed to the top of the Australian charts from a customer perspective, taking out the annual JD Power study for customer satisfaction.

New figures released today reveal customer retention and profitability is improving within the Australian car dealership industry. Figures show that 70 per cent of customers surveyed in 2016 returned to the same dealership for a service -- up from 60 per cent in 2012.

The result reflects continued efforts from car-makers to be more transparent at a dealership level, according to the JD Power, thanks in part to capped-price servicing, longer warranty periods and service packages.

The perception around car dealer services is also slowly improving, with car-makers including Volkswagen now allowing customers to rank their dealership service experience for other customers to see on the national website.

However, hot on the heels of its new CX-9 being named carsales.com.au Car of the Year, it was Mazda that finished atop this year’s satisfaction list, according to the figures.

The Japanese manufacturer finished with 834 points on a 1000-point scale to edge out Toyota (824), Subaru (816) and Kia (812), whose seven-year warranty continues to attract buyers.

Jeep finished at the bottom of the heap, on 764 -- a figure that presumably reflects a record amount of recalls from the US manufacturer.

“Aftersales service contributes significantly to a dealer’s overall profitability,” said Mohit Arora, executive director at JD Power.

“Customer retention is a vital aspect of a dealer’s business that not only allows them to grow their business but also builds long-term customer relationships.

"Offering service packages and capped-price servicing options entice customers to visit the dealership for their regular servicing needs, but it needs to be complemented with a proficient, convenient and an engaging customer experience.”

Capped-price servicing, which is now common across most brands, continues to lure in customers to dealerships. According to the survey of 4666 people, some 52 per cent of owners who purchased a new vehicle take up capped-price servicing offers, up from 47 per cent in 2015.

The study found that, not surprisingly, cost estimates and adequate communication with the customer was a sure-fire way to improving customer satisfaction.

South Australia was again rated the highest state in Australia, with customers in the ACT returning the lowest average customer satisfaction.