J.D. Power Asia Pacific Reports:
Providing Strong, Consistent After-Sales Service for Heavy-Duty Truck Owners in Japan is Key for Customer Retention

Hino Ranks Highest in Owner Satisfaction with Heavy-Duty Commercial and Cargo Trucks in Japan for a Third Consecutive Year 

TOKYO: 27 October 2011 ? Heavy-duty truck owners who are highly satisfied with after-sales service provided by the manufacturer are less likely to switch to another brand for their next truck purchase, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2011 Japan Heavy-Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction Study ^SM released today. 

Now in its seventh year, the study measures the overall satisfaction of commercial fleet owners, including managers of truck freight companies with heavy-duty truck manufacturers and their respective authorized truck dealers. The study examines four key factors: service (50%), sales (24%), vehicle (14%), and cost (13%). 

Overall satisfaction averages 621 on a 1,000-point scale in 2011, an improvement of seven points from 2010. Among the four brands included in the study, Hino ranks highest for a third consecutive year with an overall score of 629 and performs particularly well in the after-sales service and vehicle factors. Following Hino in the rankings is Isuzu (626). 

The study finds that as customer satisfaction increases, so does the proportion of owners who say that they ?definitely will? purchase a vehicle from the same manufacturer again or use after-sales services at the same dealer. 

?Significant expansion of new demand in the domestic truck market is not expected, so in order for individual manufacturers to expand sales, it is clear that they conquest customers from the competition,? said Taku Kimoto, director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific. ?Specifically, manufacturers need to gain customers from the competition when fleet owners purchase more trucks or replace vehicles, as well as focus efforts on strategies for retaining new sales and service demand. For this, it is important to raise customer satisfaction.? 

This study finds that 21 percent of owners switched from their previous manufacturer in 2010 and 2011 when expanding their fleets or purchasing replacement trucks. Among customers who purchased additional trucks from the same manufacturer they previously purchased from, overall satisfaction averages eight points higher than among customers who switched. 

?Despite the fact that manufacturers gain opportunities for new sales and services demands by acquiring switching customers, their satisfaction levels are lower than those of loyal customers, so there is a risk that such opportunities may be lost in the future,? said Kimoto. 

Owners who switched were slightly more satisfied with the purchase experience than non-switching owners. However, non-switching owners were more satisfied with after-sales service than were owners who switched. The difference in after-sales service satisfaction between the two groups was particularly large for manufacturers providing quick response to breakdowns and accidents. 

The study finds that satisfaction with after-sales service improves when it takes less than one hour for a repairperson to reach the site when there is a roadside breakdown. A higher percentage of non-switching customers (29%) than switching customers (23%) say that a repairperson arrived in one hour or less.

?Raising satisfaction not only with the purchase experience but also with after-sales service may translate a one-time switch into repeat purchases and future use of after-sales service,? said Kimoto. 

J.D. Power Asia Pacific plans to publish the 2011 Japan Light-Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction Study, which measures overall customer satisfaction with light-duty truck manufacturers (including dealerships), in late November. 

The 2011 Japan Heavy-Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 3,492 truck owners nationwide, from 2,314 businesses. Each respondent evaluated up to two manufacturers. The study was fielded between July and August 2011. 

About J.D. Power Asia Pacific
J.D. Power Asia Pacific has offices in Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok that conduct customer satisfaction research and provide consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries. Together, the five offices bring the language of customer satisfaction to consumers and businesses in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. Information regarding J.D. Power Asia Pacific and its products can be accessed through the Internet at www.jdpower.com. Media e-mail contact: shizue_hidaka@jdpower.co.jp 

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company?s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies. 

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
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