Kuala Lumpur, 5 August 2009 - Toyota ranks highest in customer satisfaction with authorized dealer aftersales service in Malaysia for a second consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2009 Malaysia Customer Service Index (CSI) StudySM released today.

The study, redesigned in 2009, measures new-vehicle owner satisfaction with the after-sales service process by examining dealership performance in five factors. In order of importance, they are service quality, vehicle pickup, service initiation, service advisor and service facility. CSI performance is reported as an index score based on a 1,000-point scale.

Among the nine brands included in the study, Toyota ranks highest, achieving an overall score of 736. Toyota performs particularly well in the areas of service initiation, service advisor and service facility. Honda follows Toyota in the rankings with a score of 733. Also ranking above the industry average are Nissan, Inokom and Mitsubishi, respectively.

Overall customer satisfaction averages 705 in 2009. Among Malaysian national brands—which include Inokom, Naza, Perodua and Proton—Inokom performs above industry average with a score of 715.

The study identifies 22 standard operating procedures for dealers that enhance the service experience for customers. Aspects examined within these standard operating procedures range from the service facility appearance, to convenience of operating hours and after-sales service, to the service advisor’s overall competency in dealing with customers.

“There is a very strong relationship between the implementation of standard operating procedures and overall satisfaction,” said Taku Kimoto, general manager at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore. “Brands that consistently provide the greatest number of service standards also post higher overall CSI scores.”

The study also finds that dealers must deliver an average of at least 17 standard operating procedures to achieve satisfaction scores that are higher than the industry average. For example, among the top ranking CSI makes, Honda, Nissan and Toyota each provide particularly high numbers of standard operating procedures— more than 17, on average.

Satisfaction levels are lowest for dealers that performed 12 or fewer standard operating procedures. Among these dealers, satisfaction averages 619, which is 86 points below the industry average. Conversely, among dealers that provide at least 20 procedures, the average score is 779—74 points above industry average.

“Fewer than one in five customers report that their dealer performed at least 20 standards during their most recent service, indication that there is still plenty of room for improvement in the industry,” said Kimoto.

The study finds that customer satisfaction with authorized service has clear benefits in terms of customer loyalty and advocacy for the vehicle brand and its dealerships. Approximately 60 percent of customers who say they are “delighted” (providing a rating of 10 on a 10-point scale) with dealer service state they “definitely will” revisit their service dealer after the warranty period expires. However, only 7 percent of “disappointed” customers (providing a rating of 5 or lower on a 10-point scale) say the same.

Similarly, 46 percent of “delighted” customers say that they “definitely will” repurchase the same make, compared with only 9 percent of “disappointed” customers. Considerably more “disappointed” customers than “delighted” customers (24% vs. 14%, respectively) visited a non-authorized facility to have their vehicle serviced.

“In these challenging times, satisfying customers is crucial for securing future business and increasing loyalty,” said Kimoto.

The 2009 Malaysia Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, now in its seventh year, measures the overall satisfaction of vehicle owners who visit an authorized dealer or service center for maintenance or repair work during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership.

This study is based on the responses from 2,827 new vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles between February 2007 and May 2008 and took their vehicle for service to an authorized dealer or service center between August 2008 and May 2009. The study was fielded between February 2009 and May 2009.