TROY, Mich. -

It appears the demands stemming from millions of recalled vehicles flowing into dealership service bays are catching up with franchised stores.

The J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study showed satisfaction with dealer service related to an automotive recall declined for the first time in six years.

According to the study released on Wednesday, the drop in satisfaction this year — which comes on the heels of  a record number of recalls — stemmed from customers feeling that dealers do not give the same level of attention to recall work as they do to non-recall maintenance and repairs.

The study measured customer satisfaction with service at a franchised dealer facility for maintenance or repair work among owners and lessees of 1- to 5-year-old vehicles.

More than 51 million vehicles were recalled in 2015, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As recall numbers soar, the study revealed customer satisfaction with recall service dropped to 781 on a 1,000-point scale in 2016, down from 789 in 2015.

In comparison, J.D. Power indicated satisfaction among customers with non-recall servicing averaged 809 in 2016.

Compared with customers having non-recall work performed, J.D. Power learned that owners having recall work done are less likely to have their vehicle returned to them cleaner and with the same settings as when they brought it in and less likely to be contacted by the dealer after the service is complete.

“While it may be tempting for dealers to focus more on repair or maintenance work, recall customers represent both an opportunity and a risk to the brand and dealer,” said Chris Sutton, vice president of the U.S. automotive retail practice at J.D. Power.

“There is a need for consistency in the service experience, regardless of the reason for the visit,” Sutton continued. “A lack of consistency, particularly for recall work, can damage customers’ perceptions of the brand and negatively impact their likelihood to recommend and repurchase the brand.” 

The study showed overall customer satisfaction, which is based solely on the first three years of ownership, with dealer service averaged 854 in the luxury segment in 2016, up from 852 in 2015, and 797 in the mass market segment, up from 792.

The 2016 U.S. CSI Study is based on responses from more than 72,000 owners and lessees of 2011 to 2015 model-year vehicles. The study was fielded between October and December.

Five other key study findings

Along with the impact of recalls hitting the service bays, J.D. Power highlighted five other study findings that might interest franchised dealers.

1. Wait time

An hour or less is the magic number.

The study found that 70 percent of all service customers are willing to wait between one and two hours to have their vehicle serviced. Additionally, 17 percent of service customers will wait less than an hour or not at all for service, demonstrating the importance of providing loaner vehicles and offering shuttle service, as well as amenities in the waiting area.

J.D. Power mentioned customer satisfaction averaged 835 when the wait time is less than one hour and 40 minutes, and dipped to 756 when the wait is longer.

2. Service with a smile

The study revealed service satisfaction improves by 44 points when a service advisor greets customers within two minutes of their arrival. Yet, 27 percent of customers told J.D. Power they had to wait longer for a greeting. 

3. In search of the elusive tire customer

In the first five years of ownership, the components that customers most frequently replaced during the past 12 months are

—Front wiper blades: 25 percent
—Tires: 22 percent
—Brake pads: 6 percent
—Rear wiper blades: 6 percent
—Batteries: 5 percent

Among these items, J.D. Power found that tires are the only replacement component that customers are more likely to have replaced at a non-dealer facility than at a dealer facility. Analysts explained why dealers should take note of this finding as their ability to retain customers for tires is important.

Among customers who purchased tires at a dealership, 40 percent said they “definitely will” repurchase the same brand compared with 31 percent of those who purchased from a non-dealer.

4. Dealers need to get on the text message bandwagon

J.D. Power pointed out that dealer service communication overwhelmingly takes place either in person at the dealership or over the phone as only 2 percent of all customers currently receive service updates via text message or email.

Yet, the study showed 37 percent of Gen X customers and 38 percent of Gen Y customers prefer to receive service updates via text message or email. Even 22 percent of Baby Boomer customers prefer text or email communication, according to the study.

“The willingness to communicate according to customer preference is a tremendous opportunity to increase satisfaction,” J.D. Power said.

5. The value of getting it right the first time

J.D. Power determined the vast majority of customers who take their vehicle in for service — 94 percent, in fact — indicated that the dealer fixed it right the first time.

However, among the 6 percent of customers indicating the service work was not completed right on the first visit, the study showed satisfaction drops to 611, which is 207 points lower than among those whose work was completed right the first time.

The most frequently cited reasons for the vehicle not being fixed right the first time included:

—Work performed didn’t correct the problem: 28 percent

—Dealership could not find the problem: 22 percent

Highest-ranked nameplates

Audi ranked highest in satisfaction with dealer service among luxury brands with a score of 874. Following Audi in the luxury ranking were Lexus (869), Cadillac (863), Mercedes-Benz (857) and Jaguar and Lincoln in a tie (856 each).

Mini came in highest in satisfaction with dealer service among mass market brands with a score of 858. Rounding out the top five mass market brands in the ranking were Buick (849), GMC (830), Chevrolet (818) and Hyundai (814).

Here is the complete rundown:

Luxury Brands
Audi: 874
Lexus: 869
Cadillac: 863
Mercedes-Benz: 857
Jaguar: 856
Lincoln: 856
Luxury Brand Average: 854
Infiniti: 852
Porsche: 848
BMW: 844
Volvo: 837
Land Rover: 831
Acura: 829

Mass Market Brands
Mini: 858
Buick: 849
GMC: 830
Chevrolet: 818
Hyundai: 814
Nissan; 813
Kia: 811
Toyota; 809
Volkswagen: 805
smart: 804
Mass Market Brand Average: 797
Subaru: 793
Honda: 789
Mazda: 786
Mitsubishi: 785
Scion: 780
Ford: 777
Chrysler: 775
Dodge: 754
Fiat: 747
Jeep: 744
Ram: 728