Globally renowned market research and information services firm JD Power has stated that Maruti Suzuki India has topped a survey that was conducted on the basis of customer satisfaction. 2011 is the 12th year on the trot that the popular automobile manufacturers has achieved this feat. JD Power said, "Maruti Suzuki ranks highest in customer satisfaction with dealer service for a 12th consecutive year, with a score of 879 points. Maruti Suzuki improves more than any other brand in 2011 compared with 2010 and also performs particularly well in the service advisor factor."
Customer services is one field that this Indian automobile manufacturer has always focussed on, right from the time it was founded in 1981. A car manufacturer's duty does not end simply after selling the car. With years on the road, the car requires maintenance at regular intervals. Also, if there is any scope of upgrades or installing any additional accessories, these are to be provided to the customer from time to time. Maruti, a subsidiary of Japanese car and bike manufacturers Suzuki, has outdone its competitors in this sector. This survey was conducted on a scale comprising 1,000 total points, consisting feedbacks of 6,821 car owners. Conducted over a period of four months, from May to August, 2011, this survey included those owners who bought their cars in between May, 2009 to August, 2010.
During this period, it was found that Maruti organised several campaigns to provide free checking of cars around various parts of the country. Around 3,000 existing workshops of this esteemed manufacturer across the country arranged for these services. Customers also said that the follow-up procedure of Maruti has also overtaken the rest. Timely servicing of cars and the co-operative nature of the staff also added to the customer's high satisfaction levels. "Maruti Suzuki's overall performance is largely due to its strength in critical operational measures, including performing service work correctly the first time and exceeding customer expectations for turnaround time," JD Power Asia-Pacific Executive Director Mohit Arora said.
Customers of Maruti Suzuki suggested that the company's high value for price strategy is evident from low service costs, when compared to other automobile brands. Maruti is followed by Honda at second spot with 804 points. General Motors and Volkswagen are the joint third, with 791 points. Also, other companies are fast catching up with high benchmark that Maruti Suzuki has set. Honda is the closest one that is giving excellent competition to Maruti Suzuki. Overall, this healthy rivalry among the manufacturers at the top of this list has increased the level of customer services as a whole. Buying a car and maintaining it efficiently has become considerably easier for customers than it was five years back. "Satisfaction has improved in all five factors, with the largest gains in the service initiation factor," JD Power said on overall customer satisfaction increasing 12 points to an average of 824 in 2011.
