Study: Dealer Service Struggles With Wait Times, Communication
Despite dealership service departments maintaining satisfaction levels, the latest J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Customer Service Index Study highlighted areas where dealers are struggling with their customers, as shared in a recent press release.
Appointment wait times have continued to be an issue with dealers, with the average number of days that customers must wait for an appointment being longer than what was tracked from 2018 to 2022, and is only marginally better than 2023 and 2024.
Owners of electrified vehicles also continue to have lower satisfaction rates than owners of internal combustion engine vehicles, with satisfaction (on a 1,000-point scale) among mass market BEV owners being 51 points lower than their ICE-driving counterparts. A lack of EV-trained technicians has played a key role in this, noted J.D. power.
12% of repairs performed at dealerships were incorrectly done on the first visit, with 30% of customers finding the problem unresolved and 28% facing unavailable parts. Only 50% of customers said they did or would return to the dealer after receiving incorrect repairs. 5% of those customers had the issue resolved by an aftermarket service facility.
Additionally, the study found that customers’ satisfaction improves when recall notices are addressed during routine maintenance visits, such as an oil change.
Of the 10 most important key performance indicators measured by J.D. Power, four of them center on communication: completely focusing on customer needs; keeping the customer informed of service status; contacting the customer after service to ensure satisfaction; and service advisor immediately meeting with customer upon arrival. The latter is something dealership service departments have been lacking in, with customers being greeted upon arrival only half of the time.
An increased level of trust in dealership departments was displayed by those in the Boomer generation, with younger generations being progressively less trustful, especially Gen Z.
“While it’s no surprise that customers gravitate to operations that serve them well, the study clearly shows that good service leads to loyal customers,” said John Tenerovich, director of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “This phenomenon proves true across all service types—oil changes, repair, tires and brakes. While complimentary maintenance programs drive strong retention, the level of intent to return for actual customer-paid service depends on the service experience delivered by the dealer.”
