Study: Customer Satisfaction Drops After 3-Minute Wait

Jan. 26, 2021
The study measures customer satisfaction within three types of aftermarket service facilities: quick oil change, full-service maintenance and repair and tire replacement.

Jan. 26, 2021— Customer satisfaction declines when customers wait more than three minutes before they’re acknowledged, J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index Study found. 

The study, now in its second year following its debut in 2019, measures customer satisfaction within three types of aftermarket service facilities: quick oil change, full-service maintenance and repair and tire replacement. 

“One of every 10 customers waits more than five minutes before speaking with someone at a service facility,” Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said in a press release. “Seeing as how the pandemic has affected service volume, it’s really important to do a great job with the customers who do come through the door.” 

In all three segments, customers indicate they were very often greeted immediately: 42 percent of the time for full-service maintenance and repair; 53 percent of the time for quick oil change; and 34 percent of the time for tire replacement. But customers who waited three minutes or more saw their satisfaction rates drop significantly, according to the press release.