Hino South Africa has been a consistently strong performer in the quarterly Scott Byers Comparative Customer Satisfaction Monitor (CCSM) but in the third quarter of 2018 it has surpassed its previous best performance and set a new benchmark for the highest overall score in the combined category, which adds scores in sales, service, and parts.

Hino achieved an overall score of 99.25%, with scores of 99.23% for sales, 99.36% for service and 99.17% for parts. These were the highest scores in all categories, taking Hino back to No. 1 in the overall, sales and parts rankings, while it retained top spot in the service rating. Importantly Hino did not get any feedback from fleet owners who said they were “dissatisfied”.

Scott Byers has been conducting these independent, quarterly customer experience interviews with fleet operators continuously since 1986. The results are used as key indicators by the local transport industry in terms of the service provided by manufacturers and importers of trucks to their customers in terms of the sales and after-sales experiences.

“It is gratifying to see the manner in which we have been able to move back into the top position in all categories of this fleet owner survey while also setting a new benchmark in terms of our overall score,” commented Ernie Trautmann, the Vice President of Hino South Africa.

“We are particularly proud that this achievement follows closely on the announcement of the results of the Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI), conducted annually by the national Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA), where Hino was ranked No. 1 in the commercial vehicle category.”

The Scott Byers survey uses a four-point rating when fleet operators are interviewed: 5 = Happy; 4 = Happy, but …; 3 = OK or indifferent; 5 = Unhappy. These criteria are applied to a number of questions in each category of the interview – sales, service, and parts.

The experienced research company then separates the combined scores on three breakpoints: Over 90% means customers are, on average, six times more likely to do more business with you; scores between 80%-90% mean customers are, on average, open to other suppliers’ advances; a combined score below 80% means that customers are looking for a new supplier.

The Scott Byers researchers set 95% as a benchmark as this indicates a company’s systems and programmes related to the customer experience and implemented and have traction with the customers.

Generally, the local truck makers and distributors are faring pretty well as the industry average in all cases is close to the 95% benchmark. In the most recent survey the industry averages were: 95.27% for sales, 92.97% for service, 93.85% for parts and 94.03% for the overall ratings.

The Hino sales team fared particularly well in terms of two statements: “They sell vehicles of the highest quality” and “The sales people are easy to contact and respond fast”. In each case the score was higher than 4.5 out of 5.

Hino scored more than 4.5 out of 5 in four of the statements posed to fleet operators: “In future will you use their service department the same, more or less”; “The service people communicate well and keep you informed on technical and service issues”; “They make it easy to have your vehicles serviced”; and “The service people with whom you have contact are technically highly competent”.

Replies from fleet operators using Hino trucks were also very positive in answering statements on the parts aspects of aftersales, with five of the getting scores of more than 4.5 out of 5.

These replies were made to the statements: “In future will you use their parts department the same, more or less”; “They add value to your business because of the parts supply support they give you”; “You have a good business relationship with their parts department and parts people”; “They supply parts of the best quality”; and “The parts people with whom you deal have good product knowledge.”

Referring to these positive responses by fleet operators the Hino SA Vice President said: “Our strong results are due to a concerted effort by our team at head office, our dealers and our parent company in Japan in continuing to enhance the customer experience in all aspects of their interface with Hino.

“Our ongoing success is also a direct outflow of the global Hino Total Support strategy which is driven by Hino Motors Japan. This is a strong relationship-building process between Hino Motors’ and its international distributors and suppliers, which then flows through to local dealership networks, local suppliers and ultimately benefits our customers,” concluded Trautmann