MRF scores in JD Power study

BANGALORE: Among new-vehicle owners who are highly satisfied with their original equipment tires, a vast majority—more than eight in 10—say they will purchase the same brand for their replacement tires, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2010 India Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Index (TCSI) StudySM released today. The study, now in its 10th year, measures satisfaction among original equipment tire owners during the first 12 to 24 months of ownership. Redesigned in 2010, the study measures overall satisfaction by examining four factors (listed in the order of importance): appearance, durability, traction/handling and ride. The study finds that more than 80 percent of highly satisfied original equipment tire owners (with satisfaction scores averaging above 874 on a 1,000-point scale) say they “definitely will” repurchase their original tire brand when it comes time to purchase replacement tires. In contrast, only one-third of dissatisfied customers (with satisfaction scores averaging below 733) say the same. Furthermore, customers who are highly satisfied are more than twice as likely as highly dissatisfied customers to recommend their original equipment tire brand. MRF ranks highest among original equipment tire brands with an overall score of 810 and performs particularly well in all four factors that drive satisfaction. Following MRF in the rankings is Apollo Tyres, which achieves a score of 804 and improves by two rank positions from 2009. “Achieving high levels of satisfaction with original tires not only helps tire manufacturers enhance their overall brand image, but also considerably increases the likelihood that customers will stay loyal to their original equipment tire brand when they purchase replacements,” said Mohit Arora, executive director at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Singapore.