Ford Earns Gold at 2019 NADA Dealer Satisfaction Index Awards
Pretoria, South Africa, 14 June 2019 – Ford South Africa has maintained a high level of satisfaction amongst its dealers, earning a fifth consecutive Gold award at the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) annual Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) awards.
Ford achieved a 77 percent overall score from its dealers, which represents its highest score in four years – up 0.6 percent points compared to 2018 and a gain of 1.7 percentage points on the 2017 result. This continued its clean run of Gold rankings, which are awarded for overall DSI scores of between 75 and 84.9%.
“Dealer satisfaction is a critical aspect of our business, as our dealers are the face of the Ford brand and handle the bulk of the interaction with our customers, from new and used car sales to after-sales service, parts and customer support,” says Neale Hill, MD of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA).
“Just as we continually assess our dealers with customer satisfaction indexes for sales and after-sales performance, it’s essential that we work closely with our 133 dealers in South Africa to maintain a positive, empowered and profitable dealer network,” Hill adds.
“The DSI survey is an important tool that allows us to critically assess our relationship with our dealers through an independent survey. It supports the wide range of initiatives we have in place in every aspect of the business to support our dealer network with the best possible products and services.”
The survey evaluates aspects such as overall dealer satisfaction, communication and relationship with the automotive brand, customer focus, vehicle range and used car programs, as well as parts and warranty claims, amongst others. In 2019, 39 independently researched brands formed part of the survey. A total of 1 287 responses were received across the industry, of which 1 129 were from passenger car and light commercial vehicle dealerships.
Ford recorded its most notable year-on-year improvements for its Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) program, as well as in the “Goodwill, Policy Claims and Warranty”, “Dealer Support” and “Labour Rates” categories.
We would also like to thank our dealers for continuing to have faith and confidence in our partnership and our endeavours to work closely with them, to make the Ford brand strong and one of South Africa’s most trusted brands.
Ford Earns Gold at 2019 NADA Dealer Satisfaction Index Awards pic.twitter.com/ERVJOUWT3i
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) June 14, 2019
