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D R I V E N |
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Ulysses Ang Photos By Jason Ang Originally Published in the December 2002 Issue |
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There’s little doubt that the Filipino consumer is one hard-to-please creature. Fifteen years ago, it wasn’t obvious, where the story of buying a new car had no remarkable or shocking twists. It was simple then: buy a Toyota…and learn to be happy with it. Why a Toyota? Mainly because it’s reliable and because...it’s a Toyota. However, with the continued entry of new players, the Philippine automotive industry is undergoing a metamorphosis, where the buying experience has remarkably changed. Nowadays, purchase isn’t dictated by badge alone. In fact, the most miniscule of details can’t go overlooked: everything from warranty to interior materials to emission standards and even the stereo can make or break a purchase. Auto makers, realizing the difficulty in satisfying their customers, have remarkably improved the sales experience during the past few years. Stylized showrooms complete with complimentary coffee, sodas and even flat-screen televisions are now commonplace. Some even spend good money in scientific studies to determine the customer satisfaction with the sales process. J.D. Power and Associates One such study is the J.D. Power and Associates Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI). Best known in conjunction with the BBC Motoring Program, Top Gear, J.D. Power and Associates has been doing studies in the Asian region since 1990. ASEAN-level studies such as the Philippine market’s SSI are handled by their Singapore office. The SSI study, according to a press release by J.D. Power and Associates, offers a complete perspective of sales satisfaction by analyzing customer satisfaction with pre-sales and vehicle delivery experience. The study focuses on what’s important to today’s consumers—process and sales transaction-related factors—and reveals the factors that determine customer satisfaction with the dealer. The SSI deals in six key areas: deal, paperwork, delivery timing, delivery process, dealer facility and salesperson. The Sales Satisfaction Index study done in 2001 revealed that Ford led the industry with a score of 872 over 1,000, while Honda trailed in second with 863 points. The former scored well in deal, paperwork, delivery timing and delivery process while the latter excelled in the areas of dealer facility and salesperson. Surprisingly, the rest of the manufacturers fell below the industry average of 856. Tied for third were Nissan, Mitsubishi and Toyota each with 852 points, while Isuzu fell to the bottom with 848. |
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