About J.D.
Power Rankings
The JD Power surveys are the Oscars of the automotive world.
Founded by an ex-GM employee, James David Power III, the company
commenced customer surveys on American-sold automobiles in the
1960s.
JD Power's modus operandi is extremely effective. The detailed
responses of thousands of car owners about their vehicle, are
compiled and collated in a report. These obviously form an extremely
powerful medium as what the potential car buyer is ideally looking
for is an accurate representation of the ownership experiences.
JD Power helps in communicating the 'Voice of the Customer'
to automobile manufacturers and dealers around the world. JD
Power has developed statistical programs to transform the responses
of customers into meaningful indices that measure the performance
of vehicle manufacturers in the areas of dealer service, vehicle
quality, and product performance. |
| IQS
(Initial Quality Study)
J.D. Power's IQS study uses (PP100) problems per 100 vehicles
as a measure of initial quality, with a lower score reflecting
better quality. A score of 225 signifies 225 problems reported
per 100 vehicles. Following corporate policy, J.D. Power does
not release the scores of models scoring below the industry
average.
CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index)
The CSI study examines customer satisfaction with vehicle
quality and dealer service at 12-18 months of ownership. CSI
performance factors are problems experienced, service advisor,
service performance, service timing and facility appearance.
SSI (Sales Satisfaction Index)
The J.D. Power SSI Study is a consumer-driven measure of customer
satisfaction with the vehicle sales and delivery process.
According to the study, there are six major factors impacting
satisfaction with the dealership at the time of purchase.
They are Sales Experience, Explanation at Delivery, Price
Evaluation, Delivery Timing, Salesperson Knowledge and Post-Delivery
Contact.
APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout)
This study is based on responses from new-vehicle owners and
measures what excites and delights them regarding their vehicle's
features and design. Overall performance is assessed for eight
vehicle factors: engine/transmission; cockpit/instrument panel;
ride/handling; heating, ventilation and cooling; comfort and
convenience; sound system; seats; and vehicle styling/exterior.
CFS (Consumer Financing Satisfaction Study)
CFS is a measure of customer
satisfaction with the entire finance process among new-car
buyers at one to six months of ownership. Performance is measured
by four factors that determine satisfaction. These are application
process, approval and documentation, finance advisor and loan
value. Application process evaluates attributes such as speed
of completing the application process, ease of filling out
paperwork, variety of loan plans offered, and lack of hassles
during the finance process. Approval and documentation relates
to speed of approval, ease of resolving problems, and degree
to which loan meets individual needs. Loan value, which evaluates
competitiveness of interest rates and other aspects of the
loan term, contributes least to satisfaction with the finance
process. The financial institution which gets the highest
score is ranked as number one.
TCSI (Tire Customer Satisfaction Index Study)
The J.D. Power Original Tire
Customer Satisfaction Index Study examines owner evaluations
with tires that were originally fitted in the vehicle at the
time of new car delivery. This does not necessarily mean original
equipment tires since some buyers have a tendency to change
tires at the time of delivery. The overall performance is
assessed on fifteen attributes, grouped into four factors:
appearance, wearability, traction, and highway performance.
A higher score reflects better quality.
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