Overall Sales Satisfaction Declines in Mexico, Even as New-Vehicle Sales Hit Record High, J.D. Power Finds

MEXICO CITY: 18 May 2017 — With new-vehicle sales in Mexico increasing at a rapid pace, buyers’ overall sales satisfaction declines as expectations during the purchase cycle present challenges to automotive manufacturers and dealers, according to the J.D. Power 2017 Mexico Sales Satisfaction Index Study,^SM released today.

The overall sales satisfaction index drops to 860 from 864 (on a 1,000-point scale) in last year’s study. Overall sales satisfaction in the luxury segment is 869, while satisfaction in the mass market segment is 859. This comes on the heels of an all-time sales record in 2016 when 1.6 million retail units were sold, a 20% increase over 2015. While this sales success has increased the amount of foot traffic coming into car dealership showrooms, the largest index declines are in test drive (-20 points) and delivery (-7 points).

“We’re seeing a shift as car buyers are conducting more research online than ever before, and are coming into the dealership better informed,” said Gerardo Gomez, senior director and country manager at J.D. Power de Mexico. “Auto manufacturers and dealers need to pay special attention to their online storefronts as they continue to grow in importance for generating higher customer satisfaction. A majority of consumers rely on manufacturers’ and dealers’ websites for pricing information compared with third-party websites, a fact that manufacturers and dealers must capitalize on.”

Following are some of the study’s key findings:

• Simplify test drive paperwork process: Only 46% of all customers indicated they took a test drive, a decrease of six percentage points from 2016. The average SSI score for customers who took a test drive is 852 vs. 825 for those who were not offered a test drive. When mass market vehicle customers had to fill out paperwork to take a test drive, their scores dropped an average of 15 points. When dealers do not require paperwork or keep the paperwork process to less than five minutes, satisfaction scores average 865.
• Vehicle insurance concerns: Consumers financing a new vehicle are required to purchase insurance at the dealership, and two of the most common issues they cite are customer service and invoicing problems. Combined, these problems (28%) occur nearly as frequently as the number of owners who actually need to submit an insurance claim for accidents (29%).
• Car buyers with a vehicle trade-in have higher expectations: Customers who trade in a vehicle at a dealership have lower satisfaction (845) than those who do not (862). The number of vehicle transactions that include a trade-in at the dealership (14%) continues to decline, and this is a far lower rate than new-vehicle buyers in the United States (47%), according to the Power Information Network® (PIN) from J.D. Power.

Study Rankings

BMW ranks highest among luxury brands, with a score of 879. Buick ranks second (871), followed by Audi (867).

Ram ranks highest among mass market brands, with a score of 886. Honda ranks second (884), followed by SEAT (877).

The Mexico Sales Satisfaction Index Study, now in its fourth year, is a comprehensive analysis of the new-vehicle purchase and delivery experience, and examines customer satisfaction with the selling dealer across five measures (listed in order of importance): working out the deal (26%); vehicle delivery (21%); salesperson (19%); facility (19%); and test drive (16%).

The study is based on the evaluations of 2,768 new-vehicle owners in Mexico after 1-7 months of ownership. The study was fielded from January-April 2017.

See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2017054.

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Media Relations Contact
Ilen León Díaz, Gravity3; Mexico City, Mexico; +52 55 71 55 89 93; i.leon@gravitytres.com
Brais Alvarez; Mexico City, Mexico; +52 55 5081 2892 / +52 1 55 7474 4074; brais.alvarez@jdpa.com
Silvia Mosqueda; Mexico City, Mexico; +52 1 55 5368 2177  smosqueda@sintralogistics.com
Geno Effler; West Coast; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com

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