Study Shows Customers Need to Be Acknowledged ASAP

Jan. 15, 2021—A recent study by J.D. Power shows that greeting customers as soon as they arrive leads to higher satisfaction scores. 

According to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index study, customer satisfaction begins to decline after three minutes without the customer being acknowledged. For those who had to wait three minutes or more, the study showed satisfaction rates declined as much as 219 points out of a 1,000-point scale. 

"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, says in a press release. "Aftermarket service providers need to ensure someone is available to greet customers when they arrive, even if it’s just to say, ‘hello.’ Otherwise, they run the risk of losing out on return business.”