Skoda claims Roy Morgan satisfaction crown

CZECH brand Skoda has been judged the best brand for customer satisfaction according to research firm Roy Morgan, knocking off previous winner Mazda with a 5.0 per cent increase in satisfaction over a 12-month period.

 

Judged from April 2017 to April 2018, Skoda finished with a  97.5 per cent overall satisfaction rating, besting perennial high-achiever Isuzu Ute with a 96.4 per cent rating.

 

Suzuki (95.3%), Mazda (95.2%) and Subaru (95.1%) rounded out the top five, with Mazda the only manufacturer of the top five that did not increase its rating over the 12-month period.

 

Skoda was also clearly the biggest improver at 5.0 per cent, followed by Isuzu Ute (+2.4%), Land Rover (+2.0%) and Suzuki (+1.9%).

 

Previous winner Lexus, as well as Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Hyundai and Honda rounded out the top ten.

 

Overall, the market average for customer satisfaction rose by 0.2 per cent, to 92.6 per cent. According to Roy Morgan, the auto industry has the highest average satisfaction levels of the 32 industries it measures.

 

Of the car-makers who recorded an above-average rating, only four recorded a drop in satisfaction, namely Toyota (93.9%, down 0.4%), Kia (93.4%, down 0.6%), Volkswagen (92.8%, down 0.1%), and Audi (92.7%, down 0.1%).

 

Fifteen manufacturers recorded higher-than-average customer satisfaction levels, with 4.8 percentage points separating the top 15.

 

Roy Morgan industry communications director Norman Morris said customer satisfaction in the automotive industry was particularly competitive.

 

“In this very competitive industry where all car manufacturers are endeavouring to improve their satisfaction rating, there is very little now between the major competitors, with only 4.8 percentage points separating the top fifteen performers,” he said.

 

“Satisfaction in this market is not directly correlated with price but appears to be linked more to perceived value and expectations. This is illustrated by the fact that the top-five performers are in lower price brackets compared to the prestige brands such as Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW and yet they have higher satisfaction.”

 

Roy Morgan surveyed over 50,000 customers in the 12-month period, including in-depth personal interviews with over 40,000 drivers.

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