J.D. Power Asia Pacific Reports: Pioneer Ranks Highest in Satisfying Auto Parts and Service Store Managers

TOKYO: 12 December 2005 — Pioneer ranks highest among navigation and audio system manufacturers in satisfying general store managers and navigation and audio systems section managers of auto parts and service stores, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2005 Japan Auto Parts and Service Store Attitude Study—Navigation/Audio,SM released today.

The inaugural study measures the satisfaction of managers of auto parts and service stores for seven major manufacturers of vehicle navigation and audio systems: Alpine, Clarion, Fujitsu Ten, Kenwood, Panasonic, Pioneer and Sony. The four factors that drive overall customer satisfaction are sales promotion support (47%), product, brand and advertising (20%), after-sales and technical services (19%), and purchase order and delivery (15%).

Pioneer Leads in Customer Satisfaction on All Factors

With 783 index points (on a 1,000-point scale), Pioneer leads the industry in every factor, with particularly high ratings from customers for sales promotion support.

Panasonic follows Pioneer in the rankings with a score of 712, performing well in sales and promotional support and product, brand and advertising. Fujitsu Ten ranks third at 674.

Store Visits by Manufacturer Sales Representatives are Important to Improve Satisfaction

The study finds that sales promotion support has the largest impact on overall satisfaction of auto parts and service store personnel.

“The frequency of visits by manufacturers’ sales representatives has a large effect on the sales promotion support satisfaction level, which is very important to overall customer satisfaction with the brand,” said Ted Nakayama, senior associate at J.D. Power Asia Pacific. “The study finds that the more frequently sales representatives visit the stores, the greater the store’s satisfaction will be. While auto parts and service stores ideally want the sales representative to visit at least once a week, only slightly more than 30 percent of stores say that sales representatives actually visit that often. Considering the importance and impact on satisfaction, manufacturers need to re-evaluate the standard activities and frequencies of the visits.”

Products from Manufacturers with High Satisfaction Levels are Easy to Recommend to Consumers

The study also finds a high correlation between overall satisfaction and the ease of product promotion. For auto parts and service stores, managers say that products from manufacturers with higher satisfaction are easy to recommend to consumers. More than 90 percent of stores respond that Pioneer products are easy to recommend.

“It has been difficult to predict the growth of the after-sales market for car navigation and audio systems due to the progress and effort from automotive OEMs in developing competitive factory-installed features and dealer options,” said Nakayama. “On the other hand, auto parts and service stores are highly influential to consumers, so it is imperative for manufacturers to maintain positive relationships with these stores. Manufacturers must enhance their daily activities and communication in order to improve their brand image and expand revenue from the after-sales market.”

The 2005 Japan Auto Parts and Service Store Attitude Study—Navigation/Audio is based on responses from 229 general store managers or navigation/audio department managers from seven nationwide chain/franchise stores: Autobacs (including Super Autobacs), Yellow Hat, JMS, Monte Carlo, Driver Stand, AutoRs and Auto Tech. Managers were surveyed in September 2005.

About J.D. Power Asia Pacific
J.D. Power Asia Pacific, established in 1990, conducts customer satisfaction research and provides consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries. Information regarding J.D. Power Asia Pacific and its products can be accessed through the Internet at www.jdpower.co.jp Media e-mail contact: mkawano@jdpower.co.jp

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education and BusinessWeek. The Corporation has more than 300 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

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