A couple of developments surfaced this week after the National Automobile Dealers Association wrapped up NADA Show 2023.
First, NADA welcomed the reintroduction of the Preventing Auto Recycling Theft (PART) Act (S. 154) by four U.S. Senators.
Then, the association’s workforce initiative received a $30,000 donation from Assurant.
NADA explained the PART Act would assist law enforcement in their efforts to combat rising catalytic converter theft by providing a national framework that would mark catalytic converters with an identifying mark traceable to the VIN, establish federal criminal penalties, and create a more transparent market that deters its theft.
The proposal was introduced this week by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
Representatives Jim Baird (R-Ind.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Michael Guest (R-Miss.) reintroduced identical legislation (H.R. 621) in the House.
“Consumers across the nation are falling victim to rising catalytic converter theft, leaving them with costly repairs that are often worsened by supply chain woes,” NADA president and CEO Mike Stanton said in a news release. “America’s franchised auto dealers urge Congress to pass this important legislation.”
NADA pointed out catalytic converter thefts continue to rise exponentially year-over-year, largely due to skyrocketing prices of palladium, platinum and rhodium, which are the precious metals housed in catalytic converters. The association said thieves can remove catalytic converters from vehicles in just a few minutes and extract precious metals for resale.
Stolen catalytic converters can be sold on the black market anywhere from $200 to $350, with the replacement cost to vehicle owners averaging over $2,500, according to NADA.
The association also mentioned the lack of traceable identifying marks makes the theft of catalytic converters difficult to curb as they cannot be linked to the vehicles from which they were stolen.
“We have seen a dramatic 1,215% increase in catalytic converter thefts nationwide since the pandemic began. It is an issue that is plaguing the United States, and law enforcement needs additional support to put a stop to it,” said David Glawe, president and chief executive officer of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “There is very little deterrent for thieves who commit these property crimes and, therefore, it is paramount for Congress to take action and make stealing a catalytic converter a felony. Introducing stiffer penalties can deter would-be criminals from committing these acts in the first place.
“Additionally, law enforcement needs the capability to track illegal sales in the secondary market,” Glawe added in the news release from NADA.
NADA mentioned this crime has also been linked to at least two deaths.
The association recapped that in December 2021, a man in Dallas was shot on his third-floor balcony when he confronted thieves in the parking lot below. And in March 2022, an off-duty Houston sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed when he confronted catalytic converter thieves in a grocery store parking lot, according to NADA.
The PART Act requires new vehicles have unique, traceable identifying numbers stamped on catalytic converters at the time of assembly, as well as increases record keeping requirements for purchasers and establishes a federal criminal penalty for the theft, sale, trafficking or known purchase of stolen catalytic converters — up to five years of jail time.
The legislation has also been endorsed by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), American Truck Dealers (ATD), American Trucking Associations (ATA), Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA), National Auto Auction Association (NAAA), National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA), National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), National RV Dealers Association (RVDA), National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program (NSVRP), and NTEA, The Association for the Work Truck Industry.
For more information related to catalytic converter theft, go to this website.
NADA Foundation’s Workforce Initiative receives $30,000 contribution
In other developments, Assurant, a global business services company that tries to support, protect and connect major consumer purchases, including automobiles, announced the Assurant Foundation’s donation of $30,000 to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Foundation’s Workforce Initiative, which promotes the value of dealership roles and facilitates access to educational resources.
Assurant Global Automotive supported the Workforce Initiative through an on-site awareness campaign at the NADA 2023 Show, where Assurant donated $100 for every dealer who visited its booth.
Martin Jenns, executive vice president and president of Assurant Global Automotive, presented the contribution to Annette Sykora, chairwoman of the NADA Foundation board of trustees, and Jonathan Collegio, NADA senior vice president on the Live Stage at NADA Show 2023, orchestrated in Dallas last week.
In his remarks, Jenns noted the importance of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within the automotive retail and service industry.
“We continue to support the NADA Foundation’s Workforce Initiative because of our shared values and goals in developing and growing a diverse, inclusive and equitable auto retail and service workforce,” Jenns said. “This is a program that advances the entire industry, across brands and regions.”
The NADA Foundation’s Workforce Initiative was founded in 2019 to address the shortage of service technicians through promotion of the job benefits and improved access to resources about programs, scholarships, and opportunities.
In recent years, the NADA Foundation has broadened the initiative to enhance recruitment of all dealership roles and within all departments. The centralized resources offer a brand-neutral tool for recruiting talent and sparking an interest in dealership careers.
“We are proud of the results we’ve seen from this initiative to date and grateful to our industry partners like Assurant that make it possible,” said Sykora, dealer principal of Smith South Plains Ford, Lincoln in Levelland, Texas. “Our workforce is our most important asset as dealers. The resources from this program help identify, recruit, train, and retain talent throughout the dealership.”
Since 2019, the Assurant Foundation has donated more than $100,000 to the NADA Foundation.
For more details, visit nadafoundation.org.
Along with announcing the winners of the 6th annual Women Driving Auto Retail Contest, the National Automobile Dealers Association revealed the upcoming start of a program aimed at addressing one of the most pressing needs at dealerships.
On Friday at NADA Show 2023 in Dallas, officials from NADA, National Urban League and Urban League of Louisiana announced the February launch of a pilot service technician apprenticeship program in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La.
NADA is partnering with the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association (LADA) and the Urban League of Louisiana's Office of Workforce Development to place aspiring technicians into apprenticeship roles in local Louisiana dealerships.
The NADA Foundation is providing resources for the initiative, according to a news release.
“This pilot program is the first step in what we hope will one day be a national program to recruit, train and place trained technicians in dealerships across the country,” said NADA Foundation chairwoman Annette Sykora, owner of Smith Auto Family in Levelland, Texas.
“Working with our Urban League partners, we will identify aspiring technicians, train them at a participating dealership and community college, and place them into critical work at Louisiana Dealerships,” Sykora continued in the news release. “Our vision is to create a program that can scale anywhere.”
Up to 20 candidates will be selected by the Urban League of Louisiana and will start with its four-week professional and life skills training program in February. They will then be placed with participating dealerships where they will shadow dealership employees while they are taking technician classes in automotive technology programs at either Baton Rouge Community College or Delgado Community College.
“We are excited that this important workforce development program is taking root in Louisiana through the Urban League of Louisiana, National Urban League, and National Automobile Dealers Association,” said Urban League of Louisiana president and CEO Judy Reese Morse. “This is yet another opportunity for our local technicians to develop and this program creates equitable pathways for a stronger and more innovative automotive industry in our state.”
Upon completion of the training and shadowing, they will begin working at those dealerships as technician apprentices. The apprenticeship program will run for approximately 18 months and include both ASE and OEM certifications.
“As a proud son of Louisiana, I’m especially pleased to be launching this innovative and exciting new partnership here,” National Urban League president and CEO Marc Morial said. “A diverse workforce that has equitable access to training and opportunity is a key element to a dynamic and resilient economy, and creative organizations like the National Automobile Dealers Association are helping to lead the way.”
First tie in annual Women Driving Auto Retail Video Contest
First time for everything, right?
NADA and sponsor Tekion named Leslie Jefferson and Alicia Rivera as the winners of the 6th annual Women Driving Auto Retail Contest at NADA Show 2023. Jefferson, an acquisition executive for Pohanka of Salisbury in Salisbury, Md., and Rivera, assistant service director for Trophy Nissan in Dallas were named the winners at the NADA Show Live Stage.
Launched in August 2019, the video contest is part of NADA’s Women Driving Auto Retail initiative, which highlights the current voices of women working in dealerships and encourages other women to pursue automotive careers.
The video contest celebrates women who work in all areas of dealerships and aims to encourage more women to pursue a career in auto retail.
This is the contest’s first tie, according to a news release from NADA.
“Equality should not be in just words, but shown in day-to-day actions” Tekion founder and CEO Jay Vijayan said in the news release. “We are proud to sponsor and support NADA’s Women Driving Auto Retail initiative to empower women in retail automotive. Equality matters and we look forward to seeing an increase in female employment, bringing positive change throughout the entire industry."
Jefferson has been with Pohanka of Salisbury since 2013. “Being a woman has always been an honorable thing at Pohanka. We take pride in ourselves, our goals, our machines, and our technology, and we don’t let anyone stand in our way,” she said in her video.
In 2020, Jefferson was in a motor vehicle accident resulting in a complete spinal chord injury. Only 2% of people with her injury return to work within the first year, according to the NADA release, but she was back to work full-time from home within the first 90 days and onsite in seven months.
“No matter if you’re a woman or a man, walking or rolling, there’s room for you in this industry,” Jefferson said.
Rivera started her career at Trophy Nissan 14 years ago at age 20 as a way to make more money to help her mom. She soon realized the industry offered her a long-term career, as she was promoted to run the business development center, then the rental car department.
“Working here has made me able to still be a part of my kids’ lives and not have to chose if I want to be a professional or if I want to be a mother,” Rivera said in her video. “I can have both.”
Rivera plans to continue her career in the auto industry, next as a service director, then a general manager with her own store.
“It’s never been easy for a female to be accepted into this world. I think now we’re proving more and more every day what we’re capable of. We bring something different to the table. We bring different ideas. We see things in a different perspective,” Rivera said. “My advice for women that are hesitant about choosing this career path would be go for it. The sky is the limit.”
Carmen Hinton, service manager at Carter Myers Automotive Value Subaru, was the winner of last year’s video contest. She and Vijayan announced the contest winner during a segment on NADA’s Live Stage at the organization’s annual event on Saturday.
NADA said the videos chosen as finalists were highlighted for their inspiration, production quality, and impact.
“Auto retail is full of opportunities for women – from the service lanes to the showroom,” said Michael Alford, 2022 NADA chairman and dealer principal at Marine Chevrolet in Jacksonville, N.C. “Positions in dealerships very often do not require industry experience, and they offer great benefits, career development, and work-life balance. I’m energized by the increase of women in auto and the work this initiative has done to drive it.”
All semifinalists will receive a $500 gift card and the grand-prize winners receive a $1,000 gift card and complimentary registration to NADA Show 2024 in Las Vegas.
View the submissions from the 10 semifinalists via this website and find more information on NADA’s Women Driving Auto Retail initiative can be found online here.
Ford and Lincoln dealers now have a new resource to boost their sales and service efforts.
CDK Global recently announced a collaboration with Ford Motor Co. to integrate vehicle build data for Ford and Lincoln vehicles with CDK Global’s Neuron Advanced Vehicle Lookup Application Programming Interface (API).
The automotive retail software provider explained that incorporating OEM data can help ensure that information in the API on Ford and Lincoln vehicles is accurate, further enabling a simplified retail experience for consumers.
Manufacturer build data includes VIN-specific data — such as vehicle descriptions, additional features and MSRP value — to expedite valuation workflows and optimize marketing efforts.
Integrating this data with the CDK Neuron Advanced Vehicle Lookup API can help to lay a foundation of trust and transparency for an enhanced sales or service experience for consumers at multiple touchpoints, including financing submissions, online vehicle listings and insurance appraisals.
“Consumers are increasingly demanding simple, convenient and transparent vehicle-buying experiences, which requires streamlined access to complete and accurate vehicle availability, pricing packages, features and options,” CDK Global chief product and technology officer Mahesh Shah said in a news release.
“The CDK Neuron Advanced Vehicle Lookup API leverages vehicle build data directly from the manufacturer and helps ensure those involved in the sales and service processes have the most accurate information possible to help create a seamless, transparent consumer experience,” Shah continued.
For more information about the Advanced Vehicle Lookup API and to request availability, go to this website.
Repairify said Wednesday it has launched and subsequently operated a two-sided sublet repair marketplace — Repair OnDemand — that is designed to connect sublet repair professionals with fleet owners, auctions, dealerships and independent repair facilities.
There are more than 16,000 sublet auto repair professionals available through the platform, which has seen its network grow.
“Our clients are companies that typically have hundreds or thousands of vehicles in need of inspection, cosmetic body work, minor mechanical repairs and maintenance, or key replacement,” said Tony Rimas, president of Repairify’s Repair OnDemand business, in a news release. “Our marketplace already has become an invaluable resource in a relatively short amount of time.”
Added Yoker Vidal, vice president of sales at Copart: “Becoming competitive in the wholesale automotive whole car space is about offering a quality product with operational speed and performance. Repair OnDemand has enabled us to become nimble through a period when finding fast, reliable repair professionals has been incredibly challenging for our competitors. We now offer services to our clients that we had challenges offering before.”
Vidal and Rimas are both among the speakers at Used Car Week, which begins Nov. 14 in San Diego.
Mercedes-Benz USA said it has an annual demand for 1,400 technicians, with 50% of its franchised dealerships reporting an urgent or extremely urgent need for technicians.
To make sure franchised dealerships have the technicians they need to maintain a successful service the automaker has launched multifaceted training programs that aim to benefit the automotive industry by providing career readiness to students who aspire to become automotive technicians.
According to a news release distributed on Monday, students can start their journey to become a Mercedes-Benz technician through participation in three national career development programs:
—MB Star Connect
This program is available for vocational and high school technician training and is focused on developing relationships with dealerships to create potential employment opportunities for students. The MB Star Connect program grants high school students access to MB specific automotive curriculum and is a way to raise awareness and interest in the field and the brand.
—MB Campus
This program is available for college, vocational and post-secondary level technician training and gives students the opportunity to complete MB specific automotive training in conjunction with their two-year degree.
This program focuses on providing students with hands-on skill development through access to MB vehicles, tools, and diagnostic equipment while building relationships with local dealerships to create potential internship or employment opportunities for high performing students. This program is the most direct pipeline for local talent a dealership can participate in, with many graduates going straight to work in the sponsoring dealership’s workshop.
—MB Drive
This 17-week program is the one of the most sophisticated technician training programs available today and can turn participants into certified technicians. MB Drive is also easily accessible to veterans as it is one of the first programs by an automobile manufacturer to be approved for the GI Bill benefits in the U.S.
“We’re not only helping our students jumpstart their career, but also are cultivating essential relationships between dealer employers and potential employees,” Mercedes-Benz Academy general manager Lisa Rosenfeld said in the news release.
“Our students leave these programs feeling invigorated after learning innovative Mercedes-Benz technologies and driven towards making a career out of working with some of the most technologically advanced vehicles on the road,” Rosenfield continued.
Despite COVID-19 forcing limitations on in-person instruction and class sizes during the last two years, the OEM said 236 interns and hires came out of the MB Star Connect and MB Campus programs.
Additionally, the automaker said MB Drive secured employment for 234 of its 244 graduates at Mercedes-Benz dealerships, for a remarkable employment rate of 96%.
Mercedes-Benz dealership partners also benefit from these programs with a stronger pipeline of technicians through relationships with educational institutions and local high performing students.
“The collaboration with our partner schools has been extremely helpful in our recruitment efforts,” said Patricia Sames, assistant manager, tech training and development at Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan. “We frequently participate in career days and employer spotlights organized by our partner schools allowing us to engage with potential candidates.
“The close collaboration with partner schools has greatly supported our efforts recruiting new and upcoming talent. As a result, we’ve been able to bring on board several technicians through this collaboration,” Sames added in the news release.
Joseph Lovelady is an MB Drive graduate who now is a technician at MB of Birmingham.
“Graduating from the program here at Mercedes is the biggest accomplishment in my life,” Lovelady said. “You actually work on real cars, with real life situations as if you were at the dealership. I graduated on a Friday and was at work by Monday morning. I already had a stall lined up, a toolbox ready for me to move all my tools into, and immediately got to work.”
For more information about career development at Mercedes-Benz USA, visit this website.
On Tuesday, Dominion DMS and TruVideo revealed the results of their collaboration to help the service drives at dealerships.
The companies announced a certified SecureVUE integration between TruVideo’s shopper engagement and service experience products and VUE DMS.
TruVideo is a conversational commerce platform that uses text and video to help dealerships establish trust and streamline communications that is geared to improve the customer experience.
By using smart lines to offer service inspections, sales walk-arounds, estimates, approvals, and payments, the companies said dealerships can find additional efficiencies for their staff and increase their effective billable labor hours.
The certified SecureVUE integration between VUE DMS and TruService can allow customers to see and understand the results of their service inspection.
With the TruService platform, service departments also can send personalized videos to clients that show their vehicle’s maintenance and repair needs. Customers can watch it at their leisure, process the details and even share it.
By eliminating the barriers to transparency, Dominion DMS and TruVideo highlighted that service departments can improve the entire customer experience and see up to a 30% increase in customer pay dollars.
“We are excited that Truvideo’s leading AI and ML technologies are helping dealers realize incredible hard dollar returns and deliver a great customer experience,” TruVideo chief technology officer Douglas Chrystall said in a news release.
TruVideo and VUE DMS said they now offer dealerships a comprehensive solution the can fixe the communication chain between the dealership and the customer by connecting them through personalized videos, texts and mobile-friendly features.
“At Dominion DMS, we partner with businesses that help us raise the bar for our dealership customers. We listen to what dealerships want and need to run a successful business and always do everything we can to exceed those expectations. Our certified SecureVUE integration with an industry-leading technology partner in TruVideo does just that,” said Arlene Clements, vice president of business development at Dominion DMS.
To learn more about Dominion DMS and its VUE DMS platform, visit VUEDMS.com.
TEXT2DRIVE acknowledged that a previous J.D. Power study showed that dealers capture 88% of customers’ annual service visits during the first three years of new-vehicle ownership.
But TEXT2DRIVE wanted to know what keeps those service-drive customers returning after that span when the model is clearly a used vehicle, so the company conducted its own proprietary consumer research focused on dealer service satisfaction and retention.
According to a recent TEXT2DRIVE survey of 1,000 U.S. drivers, 54% want …
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On Monday, Universal Technical Institute (UTI) launched the first session of its new BMW FastTrack technician training program at the Exton, Pa. campus, making it the fifth UTI location to begin offering the 12-week advanced training program.
A collaboration between the German automaker and UTI, a leading provider of automotive technician training, BMW FastTrack provides state-of-the-industry training on the latest models in production, utilizing the tools, technology and procedures that are specific and proprietary to BMW vehicles.
According to a news release, any student who completes UTI’s core automotive program is eligible to apply for the additional BMW-specific training, which includes four technologies:
— Workshop
— Electrical
— Chassis
— Drivetrain
The development is welcomed by Kevin Ciccariello, who is service manager at BMW of Devon
“BMW of Devon is excited to have the BMW FastTrack program close to our center,” Ciccariello said in the news release. “The need for qualified technicians who are properly educated and trained to diagnose and repair BMW vehicles is consistent, and this program will help ensure the availability of candidates to support our clients’ repair needs with the proper level of training.”
Once the BMW FastTrack curriculum is complete, UTI graduates can earn seven BMW factory credentials and a BMW Associate Level III Certification — after passing BMW-specific ASE testing and assessments.
The school said graduates may also apply for additional, advanced training in the BMW STEP program, which is offered at BMW locations.
“We are thrilled to be starting classes for students entering the BMW FastTrack training here in Exton,” said Robert Kessler, campus president at UTI-Exton. “Students will be learning from great instructors in their respective fields. This program prepares our graduates to enter the automotive workforce as BMW technicians immediately upon graduation.
“Graduates who go to work at a BMW dealership may also be eligible for tuition reimbursement and other incentives, so it’s a great opportunity for our students to increase their knowledge and prepare for a rewarding, lifelong career,” Kessler continued.
The BMW FastTrack program initially launched at UTI’s campus in Avondale, Ariz., in January. The program is also offered at its campuses in Houston, Long Beach, Calif., and Orlando, Fla.
“There is a need for more highly skilled BMW technicians across our dealer network, so our alliance with Universal Technical Institute is critical to ensuring our dealers have the staff they need, and our customers receive the exemplary service they’ve come to expect,” said Gary Uyematsu, national technical training manager for BMW of North America.
“Upon completion of the UTI program, technicians arrive at our dealers fully equipped to make an immediate contribution as maintenance level technicians,” Uyematsu went on to say.
Perhaps your service drive has been busy this week with oil changes, tire rotations and other routine maintenance ROs. However, if your service bays have been open for stretches of the day, a new survey by Cars.com might show part of the reason why.
The Cars.com survey highlighted that while 88% of American travelers plan to drive to their holiday destinations over Independence Day weekend, more than three-fourths say record-high gas prices have impacted plans, with many opting to stay closer to home or bring friends along to help chip in at the pump.
Distance is the predominant sacrifice.
More than half of those surveyed say they’ll be driving a shorter distance due to fuel costs, and while 62% of 2021 respondents said their goal was to get “as far from the house as possible” last Fourth of July, this year, 68% of road trippers will stay within 50 miles of home.
Continuing a Memorial Day travel trend, Cars.com said 45% of Fourth of July travelers will bring company along to offset the cost of gas, and the number surpasses 50% for those between 18-34 and those with a household income below $50,000.
“Road tripping for the Fourth of July is an American tradition, and understandably, gas prices are at the forefront of any road tripper’s mind right now. Pent-up demand for travel is pushing vacationers to get creative with their road-trip strategies to curb costs rather than forgo their adventures completely,” Cars.com editor in chief Jenni Newman said in a news release.
Meanwhile, according to a new survey by Personal Capital and Empower, 55% of millennials are spending more time planning for vacations than retirement.
It’s all happening as a drop in the global price of oil helped the national average for a gallon of gas to fall for a second week to land at $4.89.
AAA said economic fears of a potential global recession leading to less demand for oil dropped the price to around $107 per barrel, down from $110 last week.
“Fear is not a good reason to move a market like the one for oil, but it is a powerful motivator,” AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in another news release. “The cost of oil accounts for nearly $3 for every $4.89 at the gas pump. Consumers should find more relief when fueling up if oil prices drop further.”
AAA noted that a vital gas price indicator was unavailable for this week’s report. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said it was delaying the release of gasoline demand data because of “systems issues.”
AAA said, “Demand is a sign of whether motorists are fueling up or not, which in turn may be reflected in higher or lower pump prices.”
AAA mentioned the current national average of $4.89 is nine cents less than a week ago, 30 cents more than a month ago, and $1.80 more than a year ago.
J.D. Power made an assertion that might frustrate service advisors and managers at franchised dealerships.
Based on the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study, vehicle owners say the ease of doing business with an aftermarket service facility is a key reason they choose them rather than a franchised dealer for some types of service.
However, J.D. Power also pointed out that dealer service facilities hold an advantage in consumer perception with one exception: customers say aftermarket service providers are easy to do business with, outperforming dealer service facilities specific to general maintenance, tire replacement and oil change services.
“During the depths of the pandemic, many dealers increased emphasis on their service business,” J.D. Power director of automotive retail Leonard Martin said in a news release. “To remain competitive, independent service providers must understand that it’s important to build on the competitive advantage of being easier to do business with — which is something franchise dealers typically fail to communicate to their sales and service customers.
“This facet of the business includes location, hours of operation, scheduling procedures and overall friendliness. Customers want to be acknowledged immediately and then served hassle-free,” Martin continued.
J.D. Power explained the study, now in its third year following its debut in 2019, measures customer satisfaction with aftermarket service facilities, providing a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing facilities in the U.S. aftermarket.
Performance in three segments — full-service maintenance and repair, quick oil change and tire replacement — is based on the combined scores for seven measures that comprise the vehicle owner service experience. These measures included:
—Ease of scheduling/getting vehicle in for service
—Fairness of charges
—Service advisor courtesy
—Service advisor performance
—Service facility
—Time to complete service
—Quality of work
J.D. Power highlighted three key findings of the 2022 study/
• Singular advantage: Across the measures of customer trust with a service provider, franchised dealers perform better than aftermarket service providers in seven of eight attributes, with the exception being ease of doing business. The franchised dealer average score in this measure is 6.11 (on a 7-point scale) compared with independent full-service maintenance and repair facilities (6.18); tire replacement facilities (6.20); and quick oil change facilities (6.28).
• Independents improve in fix it right the first time: Successfully completing work the first time is a critical key performance indicator (KPI) to increase customer satisfaction. When work is completed right the first time, customer satisfaction increases. Independent service providers improve on this important metric, climbing from already high scores in 2021.
The percentage of full-service maintenance customers who say their problem was fixed right the first time increased to 97% from 94% in 2021. Among quick oil change customers, the percentage increased to 98% from 97% and among tire replacement customers, the percentage increased to 96% from 94%.
“Given that both franchised dealers and independents are finding it more difficult to hire qualified technicians, this result is heartening,” Martin said. “It’s an indicator that the general level of service has improved despite labor challenges.”
• Price and convenience equally important: Some 39% of service customers cited the lower cost of service as a reason for choosing independent service providers.
In comparison, 38% cite ability to accommodate their schedule and 34% cite the perceived ease and speed of using the facility. Among Gen X, Gen Y, and Boomer respondents, prior experience with the service facility trumps price and convenience.
“As American consumers emerge from the pandemic, the demand for automotive service is on the upswing, and their service expectations remain high,” Martin said. “This research confirms that independent specialty service providers still have a strong place in the market, especially if they emphasize strengths that include convenient locations and ease of doing business.”
After compiling all the data and trends, J.D. Power determined Christian Brothers Automotive Corp. ranked highest in satisfaction for full-service maintenance and repair with a score of 825. Kwik Car (820) placed second and Goodyear Tire & Auto Service (816) came in third.
Take 5 ranked highest in satisfaction for quick oil change with a score of 855. Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers (827) landed in second and Valvoline Instant Oil Change (823) placed third.
Tires Plus ranked highest in satisfaction for tire replacement with a score of 835. Discount Tire placed second (834) and Firestone Complete Auto Care (813) came in third.
The 2022 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study is based on responses from 9,979 vehicle owners. Survey data collection was conducted online between November and May. Survey respondents were initially selected from online consumer panels.
New for the 2022 study was the inclusion of geo-fencing data in which respondents were invited to take the survey after their cellphone location indicated they had recently visited a non-dealer service facility. Respondents were screened for having aftermarket service performed in the past 12 months.
