MRF tops JD Power tyre study for fifth year in a row

MRF has topped the J D Power Asia Pacific 2014 India Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Index (TCSI) Study. With a score of 850 points, the tyre maker has ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction for a fifth consecutive year. It performed particularly well in the appearance, durability and ride factors. Bridgestone, with a score of 848, was a close second.

The 2014 TCSI, which is based on 4,449 responses from new-vehicle owners who purchased their vehicle between May 2011 and August 2012, was fielded between May and August 2013.

The findings of the latest India study reveals that vehicle owners who have to replace their tyres prefer to repurchase the same brand that was factory-installed on the vehicle when it was new. Customer retention for original equipment (OE) tyre brands has increased steadily during the past three years to 65 percent in 2014 from 57 percent in 2012. 

“Brand familiarity and perceptions of safety are key drivers of tyre purchases,” said Mohit Arora, executive director, J D Power Asia Pacific. “The majority of vehicle owners tend to refit the same brand of tyres as their OE fitment because of familiarity and perceptions of safety, assuming that the vehicle manufacturer would have tested the tyres on critical quality and safety parameters before fitment.”

Satisfaction with original tyre brands is directly correlated with customer loyalty and advocacy. Customers who are highly satisfied (916 points and higher on a 1,000-point scale) are more than twice as likely to recommend or repurchase their current brand as highly dissatisfied customers (782 and below).

The study, now in its 14th year, measures satisfaction among OE tyre owners during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership across four factors (listed in order of importance): appearance, durability, traction/handling and ride.

Overall satisfaction averages 844 in 2014, a 10-point improvement from 2013. Satisfaction improves in all four factors year over year, most notably in tyre appearance (+11 points). While the percentage of owners who experienced a tyre-related problem has declined to 10 percent in 2014 from 12 percent in 2013, overall satisfaction has dropped by 77 points when a problem is experienced, compared with a 58-point decline in 2013.  Road hazard/puncture is the most commonly experienced problem. Surprisingly, the study notes, 35 percent of owners who experience a tyre problem do not take it in for repair.