WABAN, Mass. -

Based on the findings of the Temkin Group customer experience research and consulting firm, one particular Big 3 brand’s dealer body may have reason to celebrate.

The firm analyzed the dealers of 10 auto brands and found that the nameplate with the strongest customer experience score throughout its dealerships was Chevrolet, which pulled in a Temkin Experience Rating of 70 percent.

This analysis was part of the overall 2012 Temkin Experience Ratings report, which evaluated customer experiences throughout 206 large companies in 18 industries, including the car business.

Temkin gathered the data by surveying 10,000 consumers in January. To be included in the results, companies had to have had at least 100 responses. As such, there were 10 car brands included.

In those auto rankings, following Chevy were Toyota and BMW in a tie for second (67 percent each), with Honda (62 percent) in fourth and Ford in fifth (59 percent).

The Chrysler brand, Nissan and Hyundai tied in sixth, with each getting a 56 percent rating. Dodge was No. 9 with its score of 55 percent, and Kia was 10th (54 percent).

Chevy was the only one of the 10 to receive a “good rating” and actually ranked 57th among the 206 companies included in the overall study. Other car companies to crack the top half of the study were BMW and Toyota, which were in a tie for 75th.

The scores include three elements of customer experience, which include the following as listed by Temkin:

—Functional: Does the company meet consumers’ needs?
—Accessible: How easy is it for consumers to do what they are trying to do?
—Emotional: How do consumers feel about their interactions with companies?

Topping the Functional category was Toyota (73 percent), followed by Chevy (71 percent). Leading the Accessible category were BMW and Chevy, as each were given 77 percent ratings. Chevy took the Emotional category, as well, with a score of 62 percent.

The auto industry ranked 14th among the 18 industries when it came to average score.

For more information, read Temkin’s analysis here or visit www.temkingroup.com.