WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -

The J.D. Power 2013 U.S. Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study showed that those initial steps in the F&I process determine which companies score high marks with consumers and which ones do not.

According to the study released on Monday, lenders that provide excellence in the servicing and onboarding experiences from the beginning of the loan or lease process set the stage for customer satisfaction throughout the financing duration.

J.D. Power highlighted four other key findings, including

—While dealer recommendations remain the most critical driver of lender choice (48 percent in luxury and 50 percent in mass market), nearly one-fourth (24 percent) of luxury customers and nearly one-third (32 percent) of mass market customers consider multiple lenders before selecting their finance provider.

—Overall satisfaction is higher for captive lenders than for non-captive lenders. Luxury segment captive lenders score 851 (on a 1,000-point scale), compared with 793 for non-captive lenders. Mass Market segment captive lenders score 836, compared with 805 for non-captive lenders.

—Satisfaction is higher when lenders provide onboarding information that customers completely understand, compared to when they do not provide clear information (plus-131 points in the luxury segment and plus-115 points in the mass market segment). Providing tools for customers to self-manage their account, particularly setting up auto-payments, increases satisfaction more than 150 points in the luxury and mass market segments (plus-157 points and plus-152 points, respectively).

—There is a relationship between higher levels of overall satisfaction and future intent with 95 percent of highly satisfied automotive financing customers (overall satisfaction scores of 800 and above), indicating they are likely to choose their lender again.

—Overall satisfaction among automotive financing customers in the luxury segment is 835, compared with 820 among those in the mass market segment.

The study measures customer satisfaction in three key factors of the new-vehicle financing experience: billing and payment process, website and and phone contact. The study is conducted across two types of vehicle segments: luxury and mass market.

"When you consider that most consumers finance indirectly with a lender and the only face-to-face contact a lender may have with a customer is at the point of the vehicle purchase or lease with the finance manager at the dealership, first impressions really matter," said Mike Buckingham, senior director of the automotive finance practice at J.D. Power.

"It's extremely important for lenders to get the servicing experience right from the start by providing a superior welcome letter and first billing statement that are rich with information to begin the onboarding process. This provides a solid foundation for continued customer satisfaction," Buckingham continued.

In the mass market segment, Kia Motors Finance ranked highest with a score of 851 and performed well in billing and payment process and website, followed closely by Volkswagen Credit with 849 and Hyundai Motor Finance with 848.

In the luxury segment, Lincoln Automotive Financial Services ranked highest with a score of 875 and performed well in all factors, followed by BMW Financial Services t 872 and Lexus Financial Services at 860.

The 2013 U.S. Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 12,741 new-vehicle purchasers or lessees who completed a vehicle loan or lease. The study includes new vehicles financed in model years 2012 and 2013. The study was fielded between September and October.

Mass Market Segment Rankings
—Kia Motors Finance: 851
—Volkswagen Credit: 849
—Hyundai Motor Finance: 848
—Ford Motor Credit: 847
—Toyota Financial Services: 842
—Honda Financial Services: 838
—World Omni Financial Corp.: 820
—Mass Market Average: 820
—NMAC: 812
—Ally Financial: 810
—TD Auto Finance: 809
—Chase Auto Finance: 801
—Capital One Auto Finance: 799
—Mazda American Credit: 797
—Subaru Motors Finance: 791
—Wells Fargo Dealer Services: 781
—Bank of America: 767
—PNC Bank: 749
—US Bank: 749
—Fifth Third Bank: 697

Luxury Segment
—Lincoln Automotive Financial Services: 875
—BMW Financial Services: 872
—Lexus Financial Services: 860
—Audi Financial Services: 850
—Mercedes-Benz Financial Services: 845
—Acura Financial Services: 843
—Luxury Average: 835
—Infiniti Financial Service: 818
—Ally Financial: 814
—Land Rover Financial Group: 782
—Chase Auto Finance: 776
—Bank of America: 765
—US Bank: 727

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