WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -

A dealership’s service center serves as a way to ensure customer loyalty and for many, also acts as a direct pipeline for trade-ins — but much of this depends on customer satisfaction.

J.D. Power released the results of its 2014 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study — which measures customer satisfaction with service at a franchised dealer facility for maintenance or repair work among owners and lessees of 1- to 5-year-old vehicles — showing two domestic nameplates leading the pack.

Cadillac ranks the highest among luxury brands for customer satisfaction with dealer service, while Buick ranks highest among mass market brands.

This is according to responses from more than 90,000 owners and lessees of 2009 to 2013 model-year vehicles.

Cadillac topped the list for luxury brands with an overall CSI score of 872 on a 1,000-point scale, an increase of 14 points from 2013.

Cadillac was followed by Audi (868); Lexus (867); then Infiniti (865) and Lincoln (865) in a tie.

On the mass-market side, Buick took home the honors with an overall CSI score of 835, jumping up 26 point from 2013.

Following Buick in the mass market rankings are Volkswagen (830); GMC (828) and MINI (828) in a tie; and Chevrolet (812), J.D. Power reported.

Overall, J.D. Power reported customer satisfaction with dealer service is on the way up.

Among luxury brands, overall customer satisfaction with service at a dealer facility averages 855, up from 846 in 2013.

The CSI average among mass market brands is 797, up from 789 in 2013.

Customers Buying into Service

Part of these boosts in customer satisfaction for the leading brands may have been due to the increase in customers buying service plans.

J.D. Power said the percentage of vehicle owners with complimentary or prepaid vehicle maintenance packages has more than doubled during the past five years.

“Maintenance packages — whether they’re complementary or paid for by owners — create a long-term relationship between the customer and dealership, which, when coupled with satisfying service experiences during that period, can have a very positive impact on loyalty rates,” said Chris Sutton, senior director of the U.S. Automotive Retail Practice at J.D. Power.

“Maintenance packages help capture a higher percentage of service visits, and since customers with these plans are predisposed to purchase such items as batteries, brakes and tires from the dealer even after their plan expires, dealers retain key revenue opportunities for service and repairs,” Sutton added.

Here are the numbers.

According to the study, 68 percent of luxury vehicle owners and 46 percent of mass-market brand owners indicate their vehicle was covered under either a complimentary or prepaid maintenance package during the first year of ownership, compared with 35 percent of luxury and 15 percent of mass-market brand owners in 2009.

These plans help drive repurchase rates and create trade-ins to feed dealers’ used inventory, as well.

According to the study, 72 percent of those who have a complimentary or prepaid maintenance package repurchasing the same vehicle make on their next purchase, compared with 62 percent who did not have a maintenance package.

So, when trying to ensure customer satisfaction and create loyal, repeat customers, what are the top factors to consider in the service department?

According to the study, six of the top 10 performance indicators for CSI involve service advisor-related best practices, including being focused on customer needs; providing helpful advice; and keeping the owner updated about the status of their vehicle.