Team ZEEGNITION
When it comes to the art of selling of cars, it appears Mahindra and Toyota know best how to keep customers happy. The two car makers jointly secured the top spot in the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2015 India Sales Satisfaction Index Study aimed at finding out which company offers the best shopping experience to car buyers.
Both Toyota and Mahindra scored 872 points each in a scale of 1,000, with the Japanese car maker performing particularly well in the sales initiation factor while Mahindra scoring the highest in the paperwork factor.
However, overall sales satisfaction is still on a decline compared to last year. Nearly one in five (18%) customers is dissatisfied with several critical aspects of the purchase process, including negotiations for their new vehicle, delivery commitments and the overall delivery process.
In fact, satisfaction with the delivery process and delivery timing has declined the most year over year, dropping by 9 points in each factor. The average time for vehicle delivery has increased to 11 days after booking in 2015 from 9 days in 2014.
The study, based on responses from more than 7,895 new car owners who purchased their vehicle between September 2014 and April 2015, and includes evaluations of more than 75 models within the mass market segment. The study examined seven factors that contribute to new-vehicle owners’ overall satisfaction with their sales experience (listed in order of importance): delivery process, delivery timing, salesperson, sales initiation, dealer facility, paperwork and deal.
“Intense competition and pressure to maximize sales conversions has shifted focus from a customer-centric approach to a sales-driven approach for dealers, impacting customer satisfaction,” said Mohit Arora, executive director, J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and dealerships need to provide a pressure-free environment that is conducive to sales, which can lead to a positive and lasting impression of the brand and dealerships in the minds of customers.”
