Vietnamese customers complain that car sales staff do not provide attentive service.

According to the latest study by JD Power, the satisfaction level of new car buyers in Vietnam with car sales staff has decreased significantly.

In the research results just announced by JD Power Asia Pacific on November 30 on customer satisfaction with car sales service in Vietnam (SSI), the response was not as positive as in 2016.

Many customers said that car salespeople did not fully focus on them (down from 21% in 2016 to 13%); or did not receive a satisfactory explanation of the car’s features and benefits; or were not informed promptly about delivery status. Additionally, only 77% said that car salespeople used a model on display for demonstrations, down from a high of 90% in 2016.

Overall customer satisfaction ratings for mass market brands.

Also according to the 2017 SSI index, new car buyers are increasing in terms of brands, models, dealers, and versions, while negotiations are also becoming more difficult before someone can decide to "put down money".

Nearly 65% ​​of new-car shoppers say they seriously considered a different model than they had planned during their shopping trip, and more are visiting more dealerships than in 2016.

On average, new car buyers use up to seven different sources of information to gather data and feedback on vehicles they are considering. The internet is the primary communication channel, with 99% of customers utilizing online sources when shopping for a car. Automotive websites and social media fan pages have increased significantly in influence compared to 2016.

"Competition in the Vietnamese auto market is becoming increasingly fierce before the tax reduction in 2018, authorized dealers are trying to attract customers and increase sales with strong discount campaigns,"Loïc Péan, senior manager at JD Power commented.

But also according toUnfortunately, these strategies sometimes backfire by raising expectations for the “closing” price, and dealership staff don’t pay enough attention to new car sales and the delivery process – both of which reflect negatively on customer satisfaction.

Research shows that new car sales fell to 19.6% in 2017 from 20.6% in 2016. In particular, customer interaction has also declined, with more people saying that car salespeople do not take good care of them.

Customer satisfaction with 6 key factors.

Other key points pointed out by JD Power inThis year’s SSI index has an overall satisfaction score of just 755 (on a 1,000-point scale), down from 793 in 2016. More and more new car buyers are becoming more professional and ambitious in negotiating, and this figure has nearly doubled compared to 2016. In addition, 66% received discounts and up to 98% received “small” gifts from the dealer. However, 27% of new car buyers said they had to pay more than expected, a significant increase compared to 12% in 2016.

Dealer loyalty remains low: among new-vehicle buyers, 42% said they “likely” would recommend the dealership they purchased their car from to others, and 22% said they “likely” would return to the same dealership in the future, up from 39% and 14% in 2016. Fewer new-vehicle owners said they “likely” would return to the dealership for service: 51% versus 66%.

Toyota topped the overall satisfaction index for the third consecutive year, with a score of 777. Toyota performed particularly well in the sales process, dealership facilities, and delivery process. Nissan came in second (776) and Kia rounded out the top three (764).

The 2017 Vietnam New Car Customer Satisfaction Study was based on six factors that influenced overall satisfaction among those who experienced buying a new car: delivery time (21%), dealer facilities (17%), negotiation (17%), vehicle pickup process (16%), sales process (16%) and sales staff (13%).

The study, which was nine years in the making, was based on responses from 1,734 new-vehicle buyers between January and October 2017.

According to VNE