Lexus wins top prize for customer service

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If you’ve had your car in for service at your local dealership recently and the experience was not ‘truly exceptional,’ your dealer was probably not represented in the top 10 brands on J.D. Power and Associates’ 2009 Customer Service Index (CSI).

The report, which was released today, measures satisfaction among vehicle owners who visit a service department for maintenance or repair work. Lexus is this year’s winner with the highest index ranking in the category.

The top 10 companies on the list are: 1. Lexus; 2. Jaguar; 3. BMW; 4. Cadillac; 5. Acura; 6. Hummer; 7. Land Rover; 8. Buick; 9. Saturn; 10. Lincoln.

Lexus unseated the now No. 2 Jaguar, which took top honors the last two years. J.D. Power research director Jon Osborn said the CSI survey this year was recalibrated to better differentiate and identify the companies going the extra mile in the service experience.

‘We’ve raised the bar on the survey this year by making the top box choice ‘truly exceptional’ versus ‘outstanding,’ which was the highest ranking you could select in years prior.’

A case in point is the Newport Beach Lexus service bay (pictured at right). It has a fireplace, grand piano, plasma TVs and a pastry and cappuccino bar for customers waiting to pick up their vehicle. A loaner vehicle and free car wash is also part of the service experience.

Other standouts in the study were Hummer, up 10 spots on the list from last year, and Land Rover, up 20 spots in the ranking.

-- Joni Gray

Photo credits: J.D. Power & Associate, Newport Beach Lexus