Audi dealers top customer service in Canada for 2021, says J.D. Power

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Take a bow, Audi. You’ve come out on top of the 2021 J.D. Power Canada Customer Service Index. It’s a measure of the service side of the market pertaining to four- to twelve-year-old vehicles. In 2020, it accounted for $9.2 billion; in 2021, the sector took a $2.6-billion dollar hit, tumbling to $6.6 billion.

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It’s not surprising. This seemingly endless pandemic has changed much of the industry’s service sector, including the fact that drivers have been putting fewer kilometres on their vehicles resulting in fewer visits to the shop — both aftermarket providers and new dealer shops.

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The drop is about 20 per cent, with the aftermarket locations accounting for 54 per cent of retained shop visits; against 46 per cent at new dealer locations. Also interesting to note is that after years of new dealers claiming an increasing percentage of the repair business, aftermarket outlets climbed to 44 per cent, from the previous share of 40.

The amount on the invoices took a dip, as well. A year ago, an average bill at a dealer was $375; that has fallen to $332. The aftermarkets went from an average of $241 to $226. “Besides the decline in service visits and revenue, there is a bright spot for the service business,” read J.D. Power’s release.

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“Many vehicle owners opted to make more expensive repairs to their current vehicle rather than to trade it in for a new vehicle or absorb the added cost of a pre-owned vehicle, where we’ve seen prices soar recently.”

People are holding onto their cars, which are now worth more than ever in a turbulent used market. With shortages squeezing availability of both new and used cars, it makes sense to take care of what you already have. The survey also noticed an uptick in a customer’s expectations from their service providers, with keeping a car owner in the loop on the status of a repair becoming increasingly more wanted, and provided.

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Following right on Audi’s heels and its 825-point (out of a potential 1000) score at the top of the rankings is The Great Canadian Oil Change, at 823. Independent garages came in at 821, followed by Volkswagen (817) and NAPA AUTOPRO (815). The industry average is 791, with half a dozen dealerships above that, several dealers and lube shops following, and Canadian Tire (744) and Costco (739) finishing off the bottom of the list.