Lincoln Dealers Rank Highest in Customer Service According to J. D. Powers

Seven Brands Score Higher than 900 while Biggest Gains are from Audi and Jaguar

Which manufacturer's service departments satisfy its owners most? Lexus, BMW, Acura or Mercedes-Benz? No, no, no and no. With a

Ford Motor Company's Lincoln division ranks tops in taking care of its customers when it comes to dealer service. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

record-setting index score of 912, Ford Motor Company's Lincoln division ranks tops in taking care of its customers when it comes to dealer service, or so says the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Study released Tuesday, July 20th.

Lexus would have been a good guess, as the brand has held the record of 903 since it set it back in 2001. Interestingly, the Toyota Motor Corporation luxury division wasn't even on the market when Lincoln last ranked first in CSI, 23 years ago.

As a backgrounder, the CSI measures dealer service department customer satisfaction among new-vehicle owners over the

Lincoln jumped 17 index points compared to last year's J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Study. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

first three years of vehicle ownership. Altogether there are six service categories, including Initiating Service, Service Advisor, In-Dealership Experience, Service Delivery, Service Quality, and User-Friendly Service. This year's CSI was based on responses from more than 97,000 new vehicle owners and lessees in the U.S.

Compared to last year's CSI, Lincoln jumped 17 index points by making significant gains among maintenance customers, a segment that makes up two-thirds of its service business. Specifically, customers appreciated the brand for its "fairness of charges," service initiation and service delivery. How good are they? According to the survey, 97 percent of Lincoln customers got the appointment date they initially asked for.