Michelin Ranked No.1 in J.D. Power Winter Tyre Survey

For the fifth year in a row J.D. Power Asia Pacific has ranked Michelin the top brand for Japanese motorists in terms of winter tyre product satisfaction. The J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2008 Japan Winter Tire Customer Satisfaction Index Study is also itself now in its fifth year and measures customer satisfaction in five key areas: performance on snow covered roads, icy roads and regular roads, as well as tyre appearance and quality/durability. The overall index score is calculated based on customer evaluations and scored on a 1,000-point scale.

Average customer satisfaction for all brands is 592 points, up ten points since 2006. Industry-wide, the survey has shown tyre performance in icy and regular road conditions to have improved during the past three years. However, performance on icy road conditions has consistently received low ratings during the past three years, and according to the survey results continues to be an area for improvement for the industry.

Among the seven tyre brands included in the study, Michelin was ranked highest with an overall index score of 646, and received positive feedback in all five performance factors. Bridgestone followed Michelin in the rankings with a score of 612. Although ranking below the industry average, Yokohama improved by 15 index points and one rank position since 2007.

“Michelin ranks above the industry average by a wide margin for performance on regular road conditions, appearance and quality/durability, which are particular strengths of the brand,” said Hiroaki Endo, manager of the research service group at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Tokyo. “Each year since the inception of the study in 2004, both Michelin and Bridgestone have demonstrated a strong advantage over their competitors by ranking above the industry average for overall index scores as well as in all five factors.”

The study showed that 33 per cent of owners reported experiencing a near accident while driving on winter roads. Significantly, the percentage of owners who say they experienced a near accident rises as the age of a set of winter tyres increases. Approximately 26 per cent of customers in their first season of using a set of winter tyres report experiencing a near accident. This increases to 31 per cent for the second season of usage and 37 and 39 per cent for the third and fourth seasons of use, respectively.

Owners who experience near accidents report lower rates of customer satisfaction —particularly with tyre performance in icy road conditions — compared with owners who have not experienced a near accident. The study also finds that owners who receive tips from sales staff about driving on winter roads when they purchase their winter tyres are less likely to report having near accidents and also report higher customer satisfaction, compared with owners who did not receive driving tips from sales staff.

“It is important for tyre manufacturers to improve customer satisfaction with the performance of winter tyres on icy road conditions by developing products that take into account the actual conditions under which customers use winter tyres, as well as customer experiences and expectations,” said Endo. “At the same time, tyre manufacturers can improve the level of customer satisfaction with winter tyres and reduce the rate of customers who experience near accidents by taking the initiative to educate owners about safe driving practices on winter roads.”

The 2008 Japan Winter Tire Customer Satisfaction Index Study is based on 3,571 responses from customers who purchased winter tyres for their private passenger cars (new or used, and excluding minicars) and used the tyres during the most recent winter. The study was fielded in February 2008.