Holden beats Toyota to top customer satisfaction survey

After a shocking 2018 that saw it slide down the national sales ladder, Holden has begun 2019 with the welcome news that it has ranked joint highest among the mass market brands for customer satisfaction.

The embattled Aussie brand tied with Mazda at the top of the prestigious JD Power 2018 Australia Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study with a score of 822 from a 1000-point scale, beating Toyota which ranked third with a score of 815, followed by Nissan (804) and Ford (802).

3

BMW ranked highest in sales satisfaction in the separate luxury brands survey, with a score of 861, ahead of Audi (836) and Mercedes-Benz (814).

The SSI measures satisfaction with the sales experience among new-vehicle buyers. Buyer satisfaction is based on six measures: dealer sales consultant; delivery process; dealership facility; working out the deal; paperwork completion; and dealership website.

It is based on responses from 3075 buyers who purchased or leased their new vehicle between March 2018 through to January 2019 to provide a ‘comprehensive analysis of the new-vehicle purchase experience and measures customer satisfaction with the selling dealer.

3

JD Power Australia director Bruce Chellingworth said the sales experience is extremely important given the slowdown in car sales both globally and in Australia, something Holden seems to have heeded.

“It is essential that sales consultants spend the required time with each shopper to identify the best model and variant for their requirements.

“Simply ‘pushing metal’ won’t help the dealership gain positive referral, ensure customer loyalty or promote the brand. In an increasingly competitive market, it is imperative that dealers understand and build trust with their customers,” Chellingworth said.