JD Power Success For Michelin

For the fifth consecutive year Michelin has come top of the JD Power survey for satisfaction in passenger vehicle original equipment and top in the light truck OE tyre satisfaction league. This adds to their impressive history of customer satisfaction taking a total of 34 awards since 1990, 81 per cent of all the JD Power tyre awards.The US JD Power and Associates Awards taken by Michelin include:-* Best Replacement Tire for Passenger Vehicles in Customer Satisfaction 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 (tie)* Best Replacement Tire for Light Trucks in Customer Satisfaction 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002* Best Original Equipment Tire for Passenger Vehicles in Customer Satisfaction 1994, 1995, 1996 (tie), 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002* Best Original Equipment Tire for Light Truck Vehicles in Customer Satisfaction 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002* Best Overall Original Equipment Tire in Customer Satisfaction 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1993 (After 1993, this category was split into Best OE Tire for Passenger Vehicle/Light Truck Satisfaction.

)The study has been based on reports from 33,700 consumers in their first three years on new vehicle ownership and reports on satisfaction with OE tyres. In the passenger car sector Michelin comes ahead of Toyo, Pirelli and Continental. In the light truck segments Michelin products have shown a year-on-year improvement in quality and performance.

Michelin had the lowest percentage of owners reporting a tyre problem in the first year of ownership and more than 60 per cent of users said they would buy Michelin tyres as replacements. This is the highest level of repurchasing of any OE tyre brand.The importance of this market is highlighted by Jeff Zupancic of JD Power, director of tyre practice, “The typical product cycle for a vehicle is five years, the product cycle for OE tyres is only two years on average.

Given the higher frequency of product cycles for new tyres, the success of manufacturers in the OE market is dependent upon the robustness of their research and development. Areas in which Michelin seems to be performing well.”Maintaining higher customer satisfaction is key to tyre manufacturers because there is a strong positive relationship between satisfaction and repurchase intention in the aftermarket.

Those tyre brands that have the highest levels of customer satisfaction also have the highest percentage of customers who report that they intend to buy the same tyre brand in the future.”Tom Chubb, vice president of Marketing for Michelin in the USA said, “We believe that we consistently deliver the best customer satisfaction because we develop tyres with the highest level of technology and performance.” He adds, “Tyres are a key component of vehicle performance and owner satisfaction and we work very closely with our vehicle manufacturer partners to tune the right tyre for each vehicle.

This close development partnership results in an excellent driving experience for consumers. We believe that the J.D.

Power and Associates study has again shown that consumer satisfaction is a key result of Michelin quality and dedication to excellence.”The study highlights that one in five owners report a tyre problem in the first year, with 12 per cent having to replace one or more tyres. The most common problem with all brands is punctures.