Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus luxury division has recently dominated the 2007 Japan Customer Service Index (CSI) Study conducted by J.D. Power Asia Pacific. Lexus was ranked as the highest automotive brand in satisfying customers with dealer service. The Japan Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, now on its sixth year, evaluates customers satisfaction regarding the services offered and performed by authorized dealerships of various auto manufacturers.

According to Ryutaro Nakao, senior associate of the automotive industry group at J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Tokyo: "Customers often wait at the dealer while their vehicle is being serviced, which makes it critical for dealerships to ensure that customers are not only comfortable, but also perceive their wait time as satisfactory. Doing so will certainly help dealers improve overall satisfaction among their customers."

"It is imperative for dealerships to improve their facilities and services by understanding the services that customers actually want and expect. By knowing the specific desires of their core customer base, dealers can better meet customer needs, which may potentially lead to repeat visits and enhanced loyalty." he added.

The rankings were based on five major factors or criteria, including service representative, service costs and timing, service quality, service initiation, and service accessibility. This is the first time for Lexus to be included in the rankings. Lexus (with Lexus OEM parts) performed well during the evaluations scored high in all criteria, and earned a total of 125 points in the Customer Service Index. German automaker Mercedes Benz also performed well in the 2007 Japan Customer Service Index (CSI) Study and scored 108 CSI, following Lexus in the second position. Mercedes Benz obtained 2 points improvement from last year's rankings. Other manufacturer's that performed well in the 2007 Japan Customer Service Index (CSI) Study include BMW Honda, Volkswagen, Suzuki, Toyota and Subaru.

J.D. Power Asia Pacific conducted the 2007 Japan Customer Service Index (CSI) Study by asking about 5,359 consumers who own their vehicle models for about 13 to 18 months. J.D. Power Asia Pacific conducted the survey from July to August 2007. According to the findings, there are 81 percent of consumers bring their vehicle models in dealership for service. In addition, J.D. Power Asia Pacific also asked consumers on what other special services they want the dealership to offer. Consumer responses include Internet capability, large variety of magazines, and non-smoking area. Twenty percent of younger consumers said that Internet capability is the most desired service for the waiting area, while few older consumers desire Internet capability as the top service.