J.D. Power Report: Jaguar satisfies the customers it has left
You have to hand it to the folks at Jaguar. In the face of sales dwindling to almost nothing, its dealers and service staff manage to still do their jobs well and delight their customers. In the 2007 Customer Service Index Study released by J.D. Power and Associates today, Jaguar was rated number one in customer service, scoring 925 out of 1,000. Adding ammo to the argument that domestic automakers are making a comeback in significant areas like customer service, the top five spots in this year's 2007 CSI Study are occupied by automakers from the U.S.A., not counting Lexus, which tied for third place with Cadillac. Buick came in second, while Mercury and Saturn earned the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
One interesting finding of the study was that Toyota earned a relatively low score of 858 out of 1,000, which was only good enough for a three-way tie for 22nd place with Ford and Chrysler. All three were below the industry average of 876 points out of 1,000. While Ford and Chrysler placing so low could be explained by a number of factors, including the general feeling of malaise among their respective workforces in the face of each company's financial troubles, Toyota's placement might be explained by the fact it just doesn't have enough service centers to adequately meet the demands of its ever growing customer base. Ford, at least, can be happy with the fact that today's news may have increased the value of Jaguar, which is up for sale, by at least $50 or so.
[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Fatima 4:32PM (7/19/2007)
Why would anyone in their right mind buy a Jaguar today?
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BartMack 4:49PM (7/19/2007)
I wish that Jaguar built something that I wanted (and was in the under $50k price range), I'd love to buy a Jag. I've always liked the nameplate. That RD6 concept a while back was a must-have! The problem is, they don't build anything with that triggers a "must have" reaction in me, and I can't really go $80k for a car anyway.
GeeDub 5:59PM (7/19/2007)
Hmm... I have a 2000 XJR that now has 80,000 miles on it. Looks like new, runs like new... The car flies. I love it. I have never loved a car like this before.
Seminole 5:54PM (7/19/2007)
BartMack, the X-Type is well under 50K, 35k to be exact.
BartMack 6:52PM (7/19/2007)
Yes, but I don't want a 4 door ANYTHING! Currently I have an 07 BMW 335 coupe with a MT, and I *love it*, also an 06 MINI Cooper S Convertible with some tuning bits. I generally buy 1 car a year, and my next thought is to trade the MCSC for a slightly used M Roadster once the new M3 is on the market in the US next year. A possible alternative is a slightly used Boxtser, but Porsche maintenance can be $$, whereas BMW covers all maint. for 4 years... so it'll probably be the MR.
Jag has nothing cool and small that I really like... the new XKR is not as stunning as it should be IMO, plus it's very pricey.
DJ 5:05PM (7/19/2007)
My wife's 2004 XJ8 has nearly 48,000 and except for oil changes and the routine 10,000 service interval maintenance (which is FREE), we haven't needed to use our Jaguar dealer's service department much. But for those items described before, they have been OUTSTANDING! Jag has gotten a bad rap in the past and the vehicles it has been building for the past four or five years are a quality match for anyone....Lexus, BMW, MB, etc.
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Infinihertz 4:15PM (7/19/2007)
"Ford, at least, can be happy with the fact that today's news may have increased the value of Jaguar, which is up for sale, by at least $50 or so."
You had me up until that line. Yes, Ford wants to sell quickly, and no, they probably won't get a lot of cash for Jaguar, but you don't need to be *that* sarcastic. That's horribly unprofessional, "blog" site or not. Random crap like that keeps Autoblog from actually being a respectable publication.
... At least you're starting to publish some fairly interesting videos.
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XJ 4:43PM (7/19/2007)
If you are familar with Neff's work, you would know that his love and obession with anything related to Ford is unhealthy to say the least. Should any sarcastic remark about Ford/Jaguar be taken with a grain of salt, it would be his. I can guarentee you that he doesn't want anyone to think negatively about Ford.
patrick Nowak 10:23PM (7/19/2007)
On the subject of Jaguar dealers providing good service--
I've only had one new Jaguar and the service was outstanding, although it was way back when, when a new XJ6L could be purchased for $12,000 OTD. I have had other used Jags like an XKE roadster and an XJC coupe and always gotent good service from Jaguar dealers.
Having worked a Ford dealership a few years back as a new car salesman, I can tell you that our service department was a very big factor in building customer loyalty. Folks understood that cars will break and that they will need repairs or maintenance. What is really important is for the dealer to fix the problem the first time. If the customer has to bring it back a second and a third time to fix the same problem, that's when the relationship between the customer, the dealer and the car builder goes in the toilet.
Looks like Jaguar is doing things right.
Regards.
Pat Nowak
Author
"Forty Cars That Owned Me"
www.fortycars.com
DarkKnight67 4:35PM (7/19/2007)
I might be repeating myself -- could this low score Toyota received be the result of people realizing what a mistake they made to buy an ugly, poorly and cheaply designed vehicle that can't be repaired without throwing blame on the head of a supplier and not the factory?
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rob 5:04PM (7/19/2007)
no, maybe its due to the fact that you're a TROLL who lives for an autoblog post referencing "toyota" or "honda" just so you can make an inane remark.
i swear, if i didn't know any better, i would think autoblog designs these posts just so trolls like you can get their fill. wait...
and excusing ford and chrysler's low performance by blaming it on the "general feeling of malaise among their respective workforces in the face of each company's financial troubles"?? please.
not to say toyota's ranking is excusable either..
Ted Kennedy Is My Chauffer 10:47AM (7/20/2007)
DarkKnight67,
You should know by now that rob does nothing but make snide comments toward anyone who has anything negative to say about Toyota.
DarkKnight67 8:20PM (7/19/2007)
Yep, that must be it, Rob. I have nothing better than to kiss up to Toyota and their siblings.
The real troll here is the one who has nothing better to do than comment on someone expressing their opinion -- Pathetic!
Tool 5:24PM (7/19/2007)
What happened to Lexus? They were perennial leaders in CSI. Now they've dropped to #3, behind Jaguar and Buick?
Guess they've taken the foot off that relentless pursuit of perfection thing.
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Alex 5:49PM (7/19/2007)
OP: "In the face of sales dwindling to almost nothing, its dealers and service staff manage to still do their jobs well and delight their customers."
Logically, the less customers you have, the easier it is to satisfy them.
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Mal Fuller 5:52PM (7/19/2007)
Good schools generally have low classroom populations. Good service departments with ever fewer customers to please have a similar advantage I would suppose. What motivated Ford to acquire Jaguar in the first place still escapes me. To Ford's credit, they have only improved things with Jaguar and they've done a credible job with Volvo too. But they should hurry up and sell both as neither marque fits with the old Blue Oval.
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Devin 12:03PM (7/20/2007)
GO GM!
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Andy 1:41AM (7/20/2007)
This is the same customer attitude Cadillac and Lincoln had. Jaguar's average buyer is probably an retiree looking for calm civility. Cadillac has done a good job turning itself around. I can't say the same for Lincoln.
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M Bell 8:03PM (7/19/2007)
I have to agree with the findings. I am currently shopping around for a Jaguar XJ, but as I am astoundingly cheap, I am buying one about two years old so that someone else can eat the enormous depreciation the cars have in their first year.
Where I live, however, Jaguars are about as common as Enzos. To that end, I went to a Jag dealership on a business trip recently, as the current models are largely identical since 2004.
The salesman came over to greet me almost immediately, but as there were quite a few people in the dealership (don't worry, they don't just sell Jaguars) I told him I wasn't a buying customer, and that I was shopping for an XJ a year or two old, but hadn't seen one in person. He didn't bat an eye, and offered to show me a new one right away. He spent probably the better part of an hour with me, walking me through the car, telling me about the options packages, and giving me tips on how to find a good one aftermarket. Once or twice he headed off to help other (presumably buying) customers, but he came back to help me out each time.
I certainly didn't get treated that well when I was buying a Benz... and I actually WAS a paying customer at that time.
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DJ 8:53AM (7/20/2007)
M Bell-
Good luck in your search for an XJ8, you won't be disappointed. I forgot to mention that my wife's XJ gets around 23-24MPG around town and 32-34 MPG on the highway. Not bad for a fullsize, 300HP V-8 sedan!