Results will be Shared with Manufacturers and Auto Agencies to Improve the Level of Services
MCI announced the results of the second questionnaire to measure the consumers satisfaction with the automobile agencies in the Kingdom, which was attended by 26 640 participants, and the results showed that 67% per cent of the participants are dissatisfied with the performance of those agencies with an increase of 6% over the previous period, while 7.5% per cent expressed their complete satisfaction of the services provided to them with an increase of 5.25%, the proportion of " satisfaction to some extent " had been reduced to 19.84 % with a decrease of 7 % . This change in the attitudes towards the assessment of the complete satisfaction or dissatisfaction rather than focusing on the middle " satisfaction to some extent " refers to the clarity of the rights of the consumers and their knowledge of the companies obligations to them.
The questionnaire, which a specialized work team from King Saud University contributed in its preparation and analysis, focused on the assessment of the consumer on the level of services related to "Car Sales ", "Maintenance Services", "Spare Parts Services" and "Customer Services".
MCI had launched the second questionnaire on 27 of the last January on its website in order to come up with periodical statistics on the consumers' satisfaction with the services provided in the automobile sector and to know the sections that need further improvement and to come out with a study that has got results to be published later on. MCI adopted to conduct a survey in January and July every year with the aim of monitoring the performance of the agencies and to ensure the consumers satisfaction ratio is increasing on an ongoing basis.
These statistics showed that Abdul Latif Jameel Corporation has got the largest percentage in the number of participants followed by Al Jazirah Agencies and then Al Jomah Automobile Corporation.
The MCI questionnaire addressed a number of themes such as Car Prices, Maintenance Centers Availability, Maintenance Rates, Spare Parts Availability, Prices of Spare Parts, summarized in the table below.
The results of the questionnaire reflected that the rate of the consumers satisfaction on the maintenance prices improved compared with the first questionnaire, with increased dissatisfaction about the car prices in the same period.
MCI seeks to share the results of the questionnaire with the automobile agencies and the manufacturers to improve the auto sector in order to provide services that may satisfy the consumers. This comes within the belief of MCI in the importance of organizing and developing the auto sector in the Kingdom, and its keenness to play an active role in the achievement of a fair competitive environment, leading to a higher level of service provided to the consumer.
The questionnaire aims to inform the car agencies in the Kingdom on the results of the study, to highlight the positive and negative points in order to develop and improve their works and services in line with the consumer satisfaction. MCI is seeking as well, from displaying those results on the World's Mother Corporation, to define the most prominent strengths and weaknesses of their agents in the Saudi market, to support the quality of their performance to be compatible with the international practices adopted, which will result in the development and improvement of the performance of this important sector in a very high quality.
In that regard, the Minister of Commerce and Industry H.E. Dr. Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah has honored in his office in the Ministry, the academics and professors teaching at King Saud University for participating in the survey of the consumer`s satisfaction for automobile agencies, where H.E. presented them with certificates of appreciation for their active contribution to its success.
H.E. stressed during the meeting the importance of academics participation in the preparation and supervision of the questionnaire, so that to appear in a scientific and studied form with accurate and impartial results.
It was agreed during the meeting of the academics with H.E. the Minister on the continuation of their work as a team with the Ministry to study and analyze the results of the questionnaire in a scientific manner, and the continued development of the content of the questions, so as to ensure the quality of the results, and to achieve the desired goals of the questionnaire.
It is worth mentioning that the Ministry had received during the second half of 2013 more than 4270 complaints and reports from the consumers in the Kingdom on car agencies, varied between reports of lack of spare parts or maintenance by 29 % , followed by reports of lack of commitment to implement the terms of the warranty by 25% , and then reports on manufacturing defects by 22 %, and finally reports of non-compliance with the terms of the contract by 14 % , while the number of call in cases reached 98 .