Foreign Cars Lead in Iran's Service Quality

EghtesadOnline: Iran Standards and Quality Inspection Company (ISQI) has released a report on customers' satisfaction with after-sales services of the top 13 car companies in Iran.

News ID: ۷۷۲۶۸۱

27 December 2016

The report covers the activities of the firms during the first six months of the fiscal year that started in March, according to local automotive website asrekhodro.com.

In monitoring the implementation of consumer protection laws, the performance of top service providers and auto producers has been evaluated.

Four criteria were taken into account, namely the final result, service quality, waiting time and prices.

Customer satisfaction, reports on technical inspection and efficiency of procedures were assessed for the quality appraisal.

Parameters for evaluating service quality include the status of service centers, human resources, and quality metrics, according to Financial Tribune.

Waiting time includes the time spent in the auto repair network, the time taken to purchase spares and the companies’ response time to complaints and requests.

>The Winners

Irtoya, the representative of Toyota in Iran, earned 767 points out of 1,000, making the firm, the most successful representative regarding customers’ satisfaction with after-sales services.

Atlas Khodro, a representative of Kia Motors in Iran, got 742 points during the first six months of the current fiscal year.

Asan Motors, the sister company of Atlas, and owned by the same group scored 735 points, equating a four star service.

Arian Motor, a representative of Mitsubishi in Iran, came in with 727 points earning a four-star rating for its customer service.

In fifth place, was Iran's national car producer, Iran Khodro Company (IKCO) with 711 points putting it in the four-star bracket with East Asian companies.

In sixth place was MG's local representative Media Motors, (an SAIC-owned company), the company got the same score as IKCO with 711 points, putting it firmly in the four-star rating range.

Bahman Motors, a local assembler of the Mazda 3 model in Iran, was the last company to earn a four-star rating. The company qualified for 710 points according to ISQI assessment.

>Runners Up

All other vehicle makers earned three-and-half stars and included Pars Khodro, Rayen Vehicle Manufacturing, MVM, Ramak Khodro, SAIPA, and Kerman Motors.

Many companies were 'starless', namely Golrang Family Motors (Honda), Tavan Khodro (Opel), Negin Khodro (Renault) and no explanation was provided.

>Year-on-Year Comparison

Compared with the previous year's results, impressive after-sales service results have remained in the hands of foreign car companies.

In the year that ended in March 2016, a yearly survey showed that none of the auto manufacturers and importers earned four stars for after-sale services.

The average after-sale service index was reported at 59.4% and average customer satisfaction index at 68%. Close to 20% of the companies and 32% legal representatives qualified for a single star, and only less than 1% received four stars.

According to the report, one of the main legal issues that was not taken seriously was overtime pay.

The most frequently cited reasons for customer dissatisfaction was a lack of spare parts, low quality of services and high prices, while managers and service providers had a vastly different opinion. They said "the prices are not high enough."

Services provided by none of the companies complied fully with the regulations of consumer protection laws.