Mahindra Beats Toyota To Top 2017 JD Power Sales Satisfaction Index

Mahindra and Mahindra ranked the highest in the 2017 Sales Satisfation Index (SSI) as per JD Power. The Indian automaker managed to beat international players including Toyota and Ford to take the top spot. Mahindra ranked highest in sales satisfaction, with a score of 866, followed by Toyota coming in second with 856 points, while Ford ranked third with 846. The market average was recorded at 840 points. The 2017 India Sales Satisfaction Index (mass market) Study is based on responses from 7831 new-vehicle owners, who purchased vehicles between September 2016 and April 2017.

The 2017 JD Power SSI study was based on six factors that contributed to overall customer satisfaction with respect to their new-vehicle purchase experience in the mass market segment. The factors include sales initiation (17 per cent); dealer facility (17 per cent); deal and paperwork (17 per cent); delivery timing (17 per cent); salesperson (16 per cent) and delivery process (16 per cent).

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JD Power, in a statement said that "the overall sales satisfaction index for the industry improved signficantly." The SSI increased by 31 points (on a 1000 point scale) in 2016. The main factors contributing to the improvement included a higher implementation rate on process standards; increase in the number of amenities made available at dealer facilities; and a drop in pressures and problems experienced by customers during the shopping experience.

The study also concluded that satisfaction in dealer facilities factor improved year-on-year with 65 per cent of customers saying their dealer offered all the amenities measured including, Wi-Fi, comfortable seating space and product brochures among others. Furthermore, the study said that 4 per cent fewer customers experienced problems or pressure during the buying process, down from 37 per cent to 33 per cent.

The study also found that 49 per cent of new-vehicle buyers in India researched vehicles online, which is an increase of 15 percentage points from last year.

In its 18th year, the JD Power Sales Satisfation Index (SSI) saw Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki scored 838 points respectively, followed by Datsun coming in sixth with 836 points. Honda and Tata finished next with 834 points each, while Volkswagen and Renault made it to the bottom with 826 and 819 points respectively.