TORONTO -

Dealerships and aftermarket shops are expanding their service departments and offerings, and it seems customers are taking note.

In its 2013 Canadian Customer Commitment Index Study, J.D. Power and Associates reported that customer satisfaction with automotive service at dealerships and aftermarket shops has improved.

The study — based on responses from more than 21,600 owners in Canada whose vehicles are between 4 and 12 years old — measures the service behaviors, satisfaction and loyalty of these same owners.

And which aftermarket shops and dealerships rank the highest for customer satisfaction?

NAPA AUTOPRO and Lexus Dealerships rank highest (in a tie) in satisfying automotive service customers in Canada with an overall index score of 863.

Rounding out the five highest-ranked brands are Great Canadian Oil Change (861); Volkswagen Dealerships (840); and Fountain Tire (838).

How are dealerships and aftermarket shops expanding their offerings? J.D. Power explained the dealerships, for example, are adding service bays “focused on providing quick oil changes,” while aftermarket shops that have traditionally focused on mufflers and brakes are adding oil changes and tire service to their services.

Oil changes and tire services are both offerings that will get customers coming in frequently.

“There is a convergence going as the service departments fight for market share,” said J.D. Ney, supervisor of the Canadian automotive practice at J.D. Power. “Service providers don't want to give customers any reason to go anywhere else, so they're offering a full or wider spectrum of products and services to attract them and keep them coming back.”

On the customer side of things, they are becoming increasingly please with the results from both dealerships and aftermarket shops, according to the study.

Overall customer satisfaction with the service they receive at dealerships as well as the automotive aftermarket averages 830 in 2013, up slightly from 827 in 2012, J.D. Power reported.

Offering some more statistics, customer perception of the quality of work completed is slightly higher in the aftermarket (842), compared with the dealership (810).

J.D. Power officials also focused on why satisfying service customers might be particularly important for dealerships.

For example, dealerships are trying to inspire brand loyalty through their service department, hoping to secure a loyal customer for a new-vehicle purchase in the future.

“Customers satisfied with their service experience are significantly more likely to buy the same brand the next time they purchase a new vehicle, something the aftermarket doesn't have to consider,” J.D. Power reported.

According to the study, customers who are highly satisfied (average overall customer satisfaction of 900 or greater) with their dealer service experience, 79 percent indicate that they are "likely" to purchase the same brand of vehicle next time, while 46 percent of customers who are highly unsatisfied (average overall customer satisfaction of 500 or less) with their dealer service experience indicate the same.

“The service dealerships provide in the back of their store affects the sales in the front of their store,” Ney said.

“The service department is their most recent experience with the dealership, and that's what's top of mind when the customer is in the market for a new vehicle. A good service experience will help keep them loyal, but a bad service experience will send them shopping elsewhere.”

Continue the conversation with Auto Remarketing Canada on LinkedIn and Twitter.