About a month ago, J.D. Power released its annual Vehicle Dependability Study, showing 173 problems per 100 MINIs and 187 issues for the same number of BMWs. Based on their less-than-impressive scores, two brands ranked 11th and 15th, respectively. Now, the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study is out and it’s looking significantly better for the two brands.
The British marque based in Oxford took the number one spot among mainstream brands with 873 points, only one more than Buick. As for BMW, it too performed decently by grabbing fifth in the rankings for luxury car manufacturers with 866 points. Lexus was #1 with 897 points, followed by Cadillac, Porsche, and Acura.
J.D. Power’s U.S. Customer Service Index is now in its 42nd year and has been overhauled for 2022. It includes new features varying from remote vehicle servicing and valet service. In addition, online payment options have also been taken into consideration. This year’s edition is based on no fewer than 67,185 confirmed owners and lessees of 2019MY through 2021MY vehicles. The marketing firm conducted the study between July – December 2021.
How J.D. Power Determines The U.S. Customer Service Index:
To elaborate the study, J.D. Power relies on five measures to calculate the rankings. Listed in order of importance are service quality (32%), service advisor (19%), vehicle pick-up (19%), service facility (15%), and service initiation (15%). Unsurprisingly, the 2022 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) study revealed dealership service departments are facing hurdles caused by supply chain shortages. In addition, some repair shops are understaffed despite an increasing number of cars that have to be serviced.
Based on the analysis, J.D. Power was able to make an interesting discovery. Wait times to schedule service appointments have increased by almost an entire day. It’s at 4.3 days for owners of mainstream cars and a slightly higher 4.5 days for luxury vehicles.
[Source: J.D. Power]
