JD Power have just released the findings for their 2008 customer satisfaction survey and it’s good news for Saab dealers, who find themselves above the curve this year.
The upper portion of the whole ratings scale is as follows:
Jaguar took out the honors with five “power circles” (wooooooooooo) for almost every category. Three is average. The top five were:
1. Jaguar
2. Hummer
3. Lexus
4. Cadillac
5. Mercedes Benz
The survey recorded the thoughts of over 35,000 new vehicle purchasers. From JDPower:
Now in its 22nd year, the study is a comprehensive analysis of the new-vehicle purchase experience. Overall customer satisfaction is measured based on five factors: dealership facility; salesperson; paperwork/finance process; delivery process; and vehicle price.
So this is more about the dealership experience than the car itself. New cars are measured by JD Power’s Initial Quality Survey.
Saab’s ratings were as follows. Again, it’s the overall rating first, followed by dealership facility; salesperson; paperwork/finance process; delivery process; and vehicle price:
So it’s 4 out of 5 for all factors except for the dealership itself, huh? I wonder if that’s a reflection of having to get past all that Caddy and Hummer stuff to get to the Swedish section of the showroom floor?
anyway, good work by the Saab dealers. They’re having such a tough time that it’s very nice to be able to celebrate a win.
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Talk about a cup half full mentality, it’s great to see Saab get “above average”, but when they’re still behind every luxury brand (including such bastions of the good dealer experience as Pontiac and Mercury) save for Volvo and Acura, that says to me that they still have a long ways to go.
With the dearth of product that Saab dealerships have to work with it’s just that much more important that they be the absolute best in the business. A so-so dealership can get by with good product (see Acura) while a good dealership can get by with bad product (see Hummer or Mercury), but marginal dealerships combined with poor product offerings just doesn’t bode well for Saab as a brand.
Alex, I have the feeling you cup is half empty in this matter. Pontiac is above Saab ’cause P is before S in the alphabet. And who knows what differences there are behind getting four or five “dots”.
I’s say that Saab is up there, they are not above the best brands but close enough in my book. Now we need the right product to fill those showrooms.