Tires Plus, Christian Bros, Take 5 top J.D. Power rankings

TROY, Mich. — Bridgestone Americas' Tires Plus stores, Christian Brothers Automotive Corp. and Take 5 Oil Change are the top-rated businesses in their respective automotive aftermarket service categories, according to J.D. Power's latest U.S. Aftermarket Service Index (ASI) Study.

The JD Power study ranks auto service providers based on a "service experience analysis" that takes into consideration factors such as ease of scheduling/getting vehicle in for service; fairness of charges; service adviser courtesy; service adviser performance; service facility; time to complete service; and quality of work.

The 2022 study is based on survey responses from 9,979 vehicle owners who had service performed in the 12 months prior to the survey period (November 2021 through May 2022).

JD Power looks at three aftermarket service sectors: tire replacement; full-service maintenance and repair; and oil change.

The Troy-based market research firm estimates that the value of vehicle maintenance, repair, oil change and tire replacement revenue in the U.S. exceeds $296 billion annually, of which aftermarket providers capture 70% share versus franchised car dealers' 30%.

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In the tire replacement category, Bridgestone Americas' Tires Plus store network ( 366 stores in a dozen states) was ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction with a score of 835 of a possible 1,000.

Discount Tire/America's Tire (1,100-plus stores nationwide) ranked second with 834 points and Firestone Complete Auto Care (1,820-plus stores nationwide) was third.

The average score for the tire replacement sector was 807.

Other tire dealerships ranked were:

• Midas International, 1,060 franchised locations, 811 points;
• Goodyear Auto Service Centers, 450-plus locations, 809 points;
• Jiffy Lube / Jiffy Lube Multicare, 1,966 locations (franchised and corporate owned), 808;
• Les Schwab Tire Centers, 500-plus locations, 806 points;
• Pep Boys, 943 locations, 796 points;
• Costco Corp., 645 locations, 789 points;
• Big O Tires, 465-plus franchised locations, 779 points;
• Walmart Tire & Lube Express, 2,575 locations, 772 points;
• Mavis Discount Tire, 700-plus locations, 762 points.

In the full-service maintenance and repair category, Christian Brothers Automotive (230-plus franchised outlets) earned top billing with a score of 825.

Kwik Car Lube & Auto Centers (350-plus outlets) is ranked second with 820 points ahead of Goodyear Auto Service centers with 816 points. The category average is 796.

Others ranked in this category are: Discount Tire/America's Tire, 813 points; Midas, 805 points; Firestone Complete Auto Care, 795 points; Meineke Car Care Centers (815 franchised outlets), 793 points; Pep Boys, 783 points; NTB National Tire & Battery (425 outlets), 778 points; Tires Plus, 777 points; Big O Tires, 771 points; and Mavis Discount Tire, 760.

In the quick oil change category, Driven Brands Inc.'s Take 5 brand ranks highest with a score of 855.

Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers (a Mavis Tire brand) is ranked second with 827 points ahead of Valvoline Instant Oil Change (close to 1,600 company-owned and franchised locations), third with 823 points. The segment average is 811.

Other ranked by JD Power include: Jiffy Lube, 810 points; Grease Monkey Oil Changes & More (680-plus locations), 806 points; and Walmart, 752.

According to the survey findings, vehicle owners say the ease of doing business with an aftermarket service facility is a key reason they choose them rather than a franchised new-vehicle dealer for some types of service.

However, this is the one exception, J.D. Power said, noting that consumers say they prefer aftermarket service providers because they easy to do business with, outperforming car dealer service facilities specific to general maintenance, tire replacement and oil change services.

Otherwise, dealer service facilities hold an advantage in consumer perception in most other areas.

"During the depths of the pandemic, many [car] dealers increased emphasis on their service business," Leonard Martin, director of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said.

"To remain competitive, independent service providers must understand that it's important to build on the competitive advantage of being easier to do business with — which is something franchise dealers typically fail to communicate to their sales and service customers.

This facet of the business includes location, hours of operation, scheduling procedures and overall friendliness, he said, noting that customers "want to be acknowledged immediately and then served hassle-free."

The study, in its third year following its debut in 2019, measures customer satisfaction with aftermarket service facilities, providing a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing facilities in the U.S. aftermarket.

• Singular advantage: Across the measures of customer trust with a service provider, new-vehicle dealers perform better than aftermarket service providers in seven of eight attributes, with the exception being ease of doing business.

• Independents improve in fix it right the first time: Successfully completing work the first time is a critical key performance indicator (KPI) to increase customer satisfaction. When work is completed right the first time, customer satisfaction increases. Independent service providers improve on this important metric, climbing from already high scores in 2021. "Given that both franchised dealers and independents are finding it more difficult to hire qualified technicians, this result is heartening," Martin said. "It's an indicator that the general level of service has improved despite labor challenges."

• Price and convenience equally important: Some 39% of service customers cite the lower cost of service as a reason for choosing independent service providers. In comparison, 38% cite ability to accommodate their schedule and 34% cite the perceived ease and speed of using the facility.

Among Gen X, 2 Gen Y (Millennial), and Boomer generation respondents, prior experience with the service facility trumps price and convenience.

"As American consumers emerge from the pandemic, the demand for automotive service is on the upswing, and their service expectations remain high," Martin said. "This research confirms that independent specialty service providers still have a strong place in the market, especially if they emphasize strengths that include convenient locations and ease of doing business."