Great customer service separates ‘best’ brands from the rest – J.D. Power

Lexus and Buick.

Brands that you wouldn’t necessarily think have much in common.

But one thing Lexus and Buick do share is recognition by J.D. Power as having the highest customer satisfaction among luxury and mainstream brands, respectively.

Customer service made a big difference for Buick owners in J.D. Power survey.
Customer service made a big difference for Buick owners in J.D. Power survey.

Power’s U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study measures customer satisfaction with service at franchised dealers or independent service facilities for maintenance or repair work on owned or leased vehicles ranging from one to five years old.

The 2017 CSI Study is based on responses from more than 70,000 owners and lessees of 2012 to 2016 model-year vehicles between October and December 2016.

Despite leading its category, Buick ranked just ninth among the top-10 brands scored by J.D. Power and its 1,000-point scale, with the remainder of the top brands falling in the luxury category.

However, Buick was the only manufacturer that received a perfect score (25/25) from owners and lessees for service initiation, service adviser, service facility, vehicle pickup and service quality, the criteria comprising an overall customer satisfaction score.

Among all manufacturers, MINI received the second-highest overall customer satisfaction score (24/25), while Lexus scored highest (22/25) among luxury brands and third-highest satisfaction overall.

Among manufacturers, General Motors scored strongest with four brands in the top five of their respective categories – Cadillac, fifth among luxury brands, and Buick, first; GMC, third, and Chevrolet, fourth, among mainstream brands, according to J.D. Power.

Following is J.D. Power’s CSI ranking of the top-10 mainstream brands based on its 1,000-point scale, along with JDPower.com Power Circle Ratings for customers:

Five circles

(among the best)

  1. Buick, 860
  2. MINI, 850

Four circles

(better than most)

  1. GMC, 837
  2. Chevrolet, 829
  3. Nissan, 822

Three circles

(about average)

  1. Kia, 818
  2. Subaru, 818
  3. Toyota, 815
  4. Volkswagen, 814
  5. Hyundai, 812

Others: Honda, 797; Ford, 796; Mitsubishi, 793; Chrysler, 785; Mazda, 784

The mainstream brand average was 807/1000 points.

Following is J.D. Power’s CSI ranking of the top-10 luxury brands based on its 1,000-point scale, along with JDPower.com Power Circle Ratings for customers:

Five circles

(among the best)

  1. Lexus, 874

Four circles

(better than most)

  1. Audi, 869
  2. Lincoln, 868
  3. Porsche, 867
  4. Cadillac, 865
  5. Jaguar, 864
  6. Mercedes-Benz, 864

Three circles

(about average)

  1. Infiniti, 861
  2. BMW, 852
  3. Acura, 836

The luxury brand average was 859/1000 points.

“Quality of automotive service continues to show significant improvement and is driving an increase in overall customer satisfaction,” according to J.D. Power.

And it’s clearly something shoppers should have in mind when they’re looking for their next car.

More Like This

These 10 car models from 2016 are something to brag about
January 4, 2017

These 10 car models from 2016 are something to brag about

It’s not bragging if it’s true. But some automakers have more to back it up than others, especially if you’re a fan of Kelley Blue Book, which produces numerous best-buy-type lists during the year. KBB’s latest, “Our 10 most-awarded cars…

Car floor mats for Mother’s Day gift may not be a good idea
April 29, 2014

Car floor mats for Mother’s Day gift may not be a good idea

There are two schools of thought on automotive-related gifts for Mother’s Day. No. 1, don’t do it. Or, No. 2 if you’re going to do it, make it something other than floor mats, an oil change, new windshield wiper blades…