JD Power plans to survey customer satisfaction levels
OUR CORPORATE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, Jan 17: JD Power of USA is planning to conduct two surveys next year on the car market in India. The first survey will be done in various countries, including USA, Malaysia, Thailand and India, and focus on customer satisfaction.The second is the automotive performance execution and layout (APEAL) survey which will be done only in India next year. It will focus on customers' opinion about the performance level of the car. The company conducts customer satisfaction surveys within 90 days of possession of a car and ranks them according to the total number of problems by the customers per hundred units. The company's director, Asia Pacific, Christofer Bonsi told The Financial Express that currently its methodology for customer satisfaction survey is being modified and the number of parameters have been updated to 140. Bonsi further said that the test for J D Power's new methodology was done during its survey in the country and would be used extensively in other parts of the world as
well as in the cross country surveys. He stated that in the new survey would also include parameters such as comparison between petrol and diesel. "However, we would restrict ourselves to the four-wheeler segment", Bonsi added. The company is also being approached by most of the leading market research companies for a tie-up. "However, we will first do a feasibility study before setting up office here", Bonsi added. On the investment that J D Power has made for the survey in the country Bonsi said it is approximately $1,30,000. On the working conditions in the country he observed that the survey in the country is extremely labour intensive and hence is more rigorous. "This has compelled us to consider the possibility of a tie-up with a local company", Bonsi remarked. The company's partner James D Power when asked about the long term plans in the country said that it would concentrate syndicated industry-wise surveys and may also offer consultancy to companies. The company on Friday presented the best
model award and the customer satisfaction award to Mahindra Ford. The award was received by Mahindra Ford's managing director John Parker. Ford Escort in the J D power survey has topped the chart with a score of 312. The other 14 cars above the industry cut off point of 456 include Opel Astra (second position), three models from Maruti, Daewoo, Ambassador from Hindustan Motors and Premier (118NE and Padmini).
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
|
