According to the survey findings, vehicle owners say the ease of doing business with an aftermarket service facility is a key reason they choose them rather than a franchised new-vehicle dealer for some types of service.
However, this is the one exception, J.D. Power said, noting that consumers say they prefer aftermarket service providers because they easy to do business with, outperforming car dealer service facilities specific to general maintenance, tire replacement and oil change services.
Otherwise, dealer service facilities hold an advantage in consumer perception in most other areas.
“During the depths of the pandemic, many [car] dealers increased emphasis on their service business,” Leonard Martin, director of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said.
“To remain competitive, independent service providers must understand that it’s important to build on the competitive advantage of being easier to do business with — which is something franchise dealers typically fail to communicate to their sales and service customers.
This facet of the business includes location, hours of operation, scheduling procedures and overall friendliness, he said, noting that customers “want to be acknowledged immediately and then served hassle-free.”
The study, in its third year following its debut in 2019, measures customer satisfaction with aftermarket service facilities, providing a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing facilities in the U.S. aftermarket.
