New J.D. Power U.S. Aftermarket Service Index Fueled by SurveyMonkey Audience Evaluates Customer Service Experience in General Maintenance and Tire Replacement Segments

COSTA MESA, Calif.: 30 Oct. 2019 - Satisfaction scores tend to increase when aftermarket service advisors perform consistent service processes, such as a vehicle walkaround before initiating service and when the customer is contacted after the work was completed; however, these activities aren’t regularly implemented into the service process, according to the inaugural J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study fueled by SurveyMonkey Audience,℠ released today.

The study measures customer satisfaction with aftermarket service facilities, providing a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing U.S. aftermarket service facilities, split into two segments—general maintenance and tire replacement—which are based on the combined scores of six different measures (in order of importance) that comprise the vehicle owner service experience. These measures for general maintenance are fairness of charges (19%); service quality (18%); service advisor (18%); service facility (16%); service initiation (15%); and vehicle pick-up (14%). For tire replacement, the measures are service initiation (20%); fairness of charges (18%); service quality (18%); service advisor (16%); vehicle pick-up (15%) and service facility (13%). In total, customers are most satisfied with their service quality (755 points on a 1,000-point scale).

“Owners are holding onto their vehicles past when factory scheduled maintenance packages and warranties expire, meaning they’ll be responsible for footing the full repair bill when their vehicles need service,” said Chris Sutton, Vice President, U.S. Automotive Retail Practice at J.D. Power. “Depending on the work needed, this can be a pretty significant expense, so owners want to be assured their vehicle is in capable hands and that they’re getting what they pay for. Aftermarket service providers need to ensure a great experience so customers will want to return for future service, and might even recommend the facility to family members and friends. A lot of times, simple things like following up with a customer after a service experience can make the difference between a good and great experience.”

Vehicle walkarounds are the second-most influential Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for general maintenance and tire replacement. However, this only occurs 72% of the time for general maintenance and 75% for tire replacement. When a vehicle walkaround is performed, satisfaction scores improve 49 points for general maintenance and 47 points for tire replacement. Follow-up calls are only made approximately 33% of the time for general maintenance and 38% for tire replacement, but such calls can account for satisfaction scores that are 28 points higher for general maintenance service and 21 points higher for tire replacement service.

Following are key findings of the 2019 study:

“Customer experience is the cornerstone when it comes to satisfaction with aftermarket service,” said Jon Cohen, Chief Research Officer at SurveyMonkey. “The data show how providers who excel at basic customer touchpoints—from vehicle walkarounds to check-up calls—have a clear edge among consumers. The data are also clear that even as larger companies embrace customer centricity, they’re lagging behind many of the regional providers.”

“Shops that specialize in more complex work may be at a slight disadvantage compared to those that solely focus on oil changes,” Sutton concluded, “so it’s vitally important to compensate by focusing on other activities that can improve customer satisfaction, like the amenities offered while customers wait and developing positive relationships between the customer and service advisor.”

Study Rankings

Les Schwab Tire Centers and Christian Brothers Automotive rank highest in a tie for satisfaction for general maintenance, with a score of 823. Grease Monkey (782) ranks third, followed by Goodyear Tire & Auto Service (780) and Valvoline Instant Oil Change (754).

Les Schwab Tire Centers ranks highest in satisfaction for tire replacement, with a score of 824. Discount Tire ranks second (793), followed by Costco Wholesale (780), Goodyear Tire & Auto Service (771) and Sam’s Club (763).

The 2019 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index Study is based on responses from 12,554 vehicle owners and was fielded in August-September 2019.

For more information about the 2019 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index Study, visit
https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/us-aftermarket-service-index-asi-study.

See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2019194.

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power has offices serving North America, South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

SurveyMonkey (NASDAQ: SVMK) is a leading global survey software company on a mission to power the curious. The company’s People Powered Data platform empowers over 17 million active users to measure and understand feedback from employees, customers, website and app users, and the market. SurveyMonkey’s products, enterprise solutions and integrations enable 335,000+ organizations to solve daily challenges, from delivering better customer experiences to increasing employee retention. With SurveyMonkey, organizations around the world can transform feedback into business intelligence that drives growth and innovation.

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler, J.D. Power; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com
Shane Smith; East Coast; 424-903-3665; ssmith@pacificcommunicationsgroup.com
Sandra Gharib, SurveyMonkey; sandrag@surveymonkey.com
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