Better after-sales services needed to keep customers

Chinese car owners are demanding better after-sales services, a survey by the China Automotive Maintenance and Repair Trade Association showed.

Survey respondents gave after-sales services they received this year a score of 85.53, slightly lower than the score of 85.80 in 2013.

"The slip did not necessarily mean the automakers are providing poorer services than in 2013. Instead, I believe they are improving their services but customers have even higher expectations," said Gai Fang, the association's deputy secretary-general.

He believes customer focus on after-sales services has a lot to do with government regulations released since last year, including the 3R regulation－repair, replacement or return, which took effect on Oct 1, 2013.

The survey involved 24,175 drivers in 50 cities across the country and 46 auto brands, both foreign and Chinese.

Of them, international brands scored 86.19, followed by joint venture brands with 85.81 and Chinese brands with 84.50.

The ratings were based on a number of indexes including professionalism, convenience, openness and maintenance costs.

The results were released when the market share of Chinese brands fell for 12 consecutive months.

Gai said Chinese automakers should follow the example of South Korean brands if they want to establish their reputation.

"Both Hyundai and Kia produced poor cars at the very start. But they were willing or even eager to take responsibility for quality problems so the customers would buy them," he said.

Gai said customers would tolerate inferior products but not irresponsible automakers. "If you cannot meet their lowest expectations, they will definitely turn to other brands," he said. Owners of cars produced by Chinese automakers are less loyal than those who drive cars from joint ventures and imported cars, the survey found.

The survey also showed that 4S stores were losing their customers faster than in 2013.

According to the survey, 71.3 percent of car owners would like to repair their vehicles in the same 4S store, while 57.4 percent would recommend the store they use to friends. The figures in 2013 were 73 percent and 61 percent.

The survey also found that 4S stores were losing appeal to longer-standing customers. The survey revealed 59 percent of those who owned a car for three years would choose 4S stores, while the figure was 64.7 percent among who owned a car for less than two years.

High maintenance costs and expensive spare parts remained the top two reasons that car owners leave 4S stores.

The 4S stores might lose even more customers if they do not improve their services now that China is encouraging automakers' authorized dealerships to sell spare parts to non-authorized ones, said Gai.

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