Country’s second largest car brand Hyundai has toppled market leader Maruti Suzuki to grab the top honour in the prestigious J D Power 2017 Customer Service Study for after-sales customer service among mass market brands.

Hyundai has been ranked highest in J D Power 2017 India Customer Service Index (Mass Market) Study, ahead of Maruti Suzuki, which was retaining the top rank for 17 years in a row till last year. It has been ranked first in after-sales customer satisfaction, with a score of 923 (on a 1000-point scale). Maruti Suzuki and Tata rank second in a tie at 893.

“It is a proud moment for us at Tata Motors to rank second (3rd rank in 2016). While the mass market average has gone down by 3 points (880 to 877), we have gone up by 5 points. With enriched purchase experience and consistent quality of service as its key pillars, customer centricity remains imperative, While we have improved our rank from last year, we will give our best and aim for rank 1,” Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicle Business, Tata Motors, said.

Vehicle owners in India are increasingly placing a greater level of importance on communication and interaction with the service advisor during their after-sales experience, the study said. The quality of service remains a critical driver of satisfaction. The study found that 87 per cent of vehicle owners said that the work carried out was right the first time and that their vehicle was washed and vacuumed. Overall satisfaction among these customers was 13 points higher than among those whose work was not done right the first time (vehicle was not washed or vacuumed).

Almost one-fourth (24 per cent) of customers indicated that they remained at the dealership throughout the entire service visit. Among these customers, 58 per cent said they were provided six or more amenities by the dealerships, compared with 34 per cent last year-an increase of 24 percentage points year over year. Such amenities include refreshment counters, internet access, televisions and mobile charging points.

Overall satisfaction for this mass segment has decreased marginally from last year by 3 points (877 vs. 880, respectively). Among the factors, the greatest decrease (-3 points) is in service initiation, service advisor and service facility.

This key driver of customer satisfaction encompassed aspects, such as the performance of a thorough multi-point inspection around the vehicle, confirmation of consumer requests, review and explanation of the work pre- and post-service, and regular vehicle status updates.

The study found that 79 per cent of vehicle owners received all such relevant advisor-led communication, which in turn results in a 23-point increase (on a 1,000-point scale) in satisfaction. Non-compliance with these aspects results in a significant 41-point drop in satisfaction.

“Dealerships that are successful in delivering on both service and improved communication can expect to achieve stronger recommendations and a higher customer retention level,” said Kaustav Roy, Director at J D Power.

The 2017 India Customer Service Index (CSI) Study is based on responses from 7,878 new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between May 2015 and August 2016. The study was fielded from May through August 2017.