Relaunched in 2021 along with NielsonIQ, the second edition of JD Power’s Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) study puts MG Motor India at the top spot when it comes to the overall customer experience when buying a new car from the company’s showrooms across India.

According to the findings of the study, MG scored the highest at 881 points to clinch the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row, with Toyota coming in a close second with 878 points. Hyundai Motor India is the No. 3 catmaker with an overall score of 872 points.

The study measures the satisfaction levels of new vehicle owners with a company’s sales process by examining their contentment on six parameters – delivery process (20%), dealer facility (18%), paperwork completion (17%), working out the deal (15%), sales consultant (15%), brand website (14%). The study only examines the after-sale satisfaction in the mass-market segment and excludes the luxury car segment.

The 2022 India SSI study is based on responses from 6,618 new vehicle owners who purchased their vehicles from January through December 2021. The study was fielded between June and September this year.

Seamless product discovery experience drives satisfaction​
​​Among the most relevant finds of the JD Power-NielsonIQ 2022 SSI study is the continued importance of product discovery at a showroom, despite the substantial growth in digital mediums witnessed over the last couple of years.

According to Sandeep Pande, lead, Automotive Practice India, NielsenIQ, “Even in an era of instant information availability with more than 73 percent of vehicle shoppers in India knowing the exact model to be purchased and 88 percent researching online, the importance of sales consultant-led product discovery continues to drive purchase experience.

“With customers returning to showrooms for their purchases, a seamless product discovery will aid satisfaction and will drive dealer referrals,” he adds.

The study finds that customers with a seamless product discovery engagement have an increase of 28 index points (on a 1,000-point scale) over those who do not (872 vs. 844, respectively). However, more than one-third (36%) of customers in India mentioned that the product discovery engagement was not seamless.

The additional findings of the study highlight the commercial engagement issues affecting overall satisfaction, with nearly 27 percent of customers mentioning about facing one or more issues with the dealer during their commercial engagements. Furthermore, millennials and ‘Gen Z’ customers remained the least satisfied with an overall satisfaction of 852 points.

Finally, customers continue to remain sensitive towards key explanations about the vehicle by the showroom sales staff on the day of delivery and a little beyond. Customers who are provided all explanations, a special ceremony and a follow-up call have an average score of 871. When a dealer fails to complete one of these steps, satisfaction declines to 835, as per the 2022 study.