The Great Canadian Oil Change ranked as the top independent aftermarket service name in the latest J.D. Power Canada Customer Service Index—Long-Term (CSI-LT) Study, with NAPA Autopro only a few points behind, and independent aftermarket outlets also scoring highly.
The Canada Customer Service Index—Long-Term (CSI-LT) Study measures satisfaction and intended loyalty among owners of vehicles that are four to 12 years old and analyzes the customer experience in both warranty and non-warranty service visits.
The Great Canadian Oil Change, a division of Valvoline, came in at an overall satisfaction score of 823, just two points behind top-ranked Audi Dealerships, some eight points ahead of NAPA Autopro, ranked fourth overall just two points behind Volkswagen Dealerships.
Of note is that service providers falling into the category of Independent Shops would, if taken as a single group, have ranked third overall with a score of 821. They are not eligible for an official ranking however as they are not a single brand.
Nonetheless these ranked and independent independent aftermarket outlets are performing well.
Overall satisfaction is based on five factors (in order of importance): service initiation (24%); service quality (23%); service advisor (20%); service facility (17%); and vehicle pick-up (16%). The study is based on responses of 8,101 owners and was fielded from April through June 2021.
While the number of customer visits and spend per visit declines year over year, overall satisfaction with auto service departments remains constant.
Combined overall satisfaction with dealerships and non-dealers is 791 (on a 1,000-point scale), which is unchanged from 2020. Satisfaction with non-dealers averages 796 and satisfaction with dealerships averages 786.
Following are some key findings of the 2021 study:
Macro-economics forcing some owners into more significant repairs:
With major inventory constraints in the new-vehicle marketplace, J.D. Power has seen a rapid and significant increase in used-vehicle values.
There is evidence of more owners opting for more expensive repairs this year, ultimately choosing to keep their four- to 12-year-old vehicle on the road longer. Because working from home and other pandemic-related influences have had a dampening effect on average kilometres driven in 2021, this would appear to be a very pragmatic decision for owners.
Effective communication increases satisfaction:
The age-old advice of effective communication being key to a successful relationship also applies to relationships between automotive service facilities and customers.
Tracking the effect of dozens of diagnostic factors or key performance indicators (KPIs) across multiple study years reveals that actions such as keeping customers informed of the status of their repair have become much more effective over time. This year, the KPI for keeping customers informed is sixth-most effective vs. being 10th in 2019. In addition, utilizing the customer’s preferred communication method (i.e., phone, text, email, etc.) has jumped to 11th this year from 18th in 2019.
To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit J.D. Power Canada
On Friday October 22, 2021 I went to Red Deer Alberta to The Great Canadian Oil Change and had my oil changed…all fluid checked…tires checked. The gentleman was more than Professional, More than Knowledgable , very Friendly, personable, and pleasant . He showed me fluid levels and colours of my fluid did not try to sell me Golden Gate Bridge. I will return happily when need be! Thank you for Great Employees. I had the pleasure of talking to two. Excellent Professionals!