Bajaj CT100, Hero Honda Splendor+, Honda Unicorn, and Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Delight their Customers

Future car purchase intention to fuel 4-Wheeler growth

TNS Automotive 2005 Motorcycle Total Customer Satisfaction Study

 
According to the findings of the 2005 total customer satisfaction (TCS) study released on 23rd June 2005, by market information provider TNS, the newly launched Bajaj CT100 and Honda Unicorn rank highest in their respective segments, while Hero Honda Splendor + leads the competitive 'executive' bikes. Royal Enfield continues to dominate the niche 'cruiser' bikes with its Bullet 350 recording segment-best ratings.

The TCS study was conducted from April through June 2005 across 21 centres: Ahmedabad, Ahmednagar, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi (NCR), Gorakhpur, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Patna, Pune, Surat, and Trivandrum.

Representing the responses of more than seven thousand new-motorcycle buyers towards the performance of 40 models in the key areas of sales satisfaction, product quality, motorcycle performance and design, after-sales service, brand image, and cost-of-ownership, the 2005 Motorcycle Total Customer Satisfaction (MTCS) study conducted by TNS specialist division, TNS Automotive, is the largest syndicated motorcycle study in India. The TCS index score provides a measure of satisfaction and loyalty a given model or brand enjoys with its customers.

"The overall industry average TCS score remains unchanged compared to 2004," said Rajeev Lochan, General Manager - Asia Pacific of TNS Automotive. "The gains recorded by most premium and cruiser bikes are nullified by the lack of improvements in the high volume standard and executive segments," he added.

A commonly observed trend is the strong performance of new models such as Bajaj CT100, Honda Unicorn, TVS StaR, and Yamaha Fazer. The common differentiator for all these models is evident in their relatively higher ratings on product performance & design.

"Among the new models, Honda Unicorn receives the best ratings to overtake Bajaj Pulsar in the premium segment," comments Lochan. "Product quality and cost of ownership perception emerge as Unicorn's key strengths."

"While newness generally has a positive rub-off on customer perceptions, this phenomenon is not universally true," mentions Lochan. "Hero Honda Splendor+ defies the general trend with a strong performance on all measures of customer satisfaction. Splendor's universal appeal is also evident from its consistent ratings across regions and over time."

The Indian market is extremely sensitive to mileage/ fuel efficiency - a trend seen since TNS' inaugural study in 2003. While this sensitivity is generally seen among all types of owners, it is particularly relevant for 'standard' and 'executive' bikes where customers attach a high importance to fuel efficiency.

"Bajaj CT100 benefits from its segment leading rating on fuel efficiency with its owners also reporting industry-best mileage of 70 kilometers per liter," adds Lochan. "However, it is important to diffuse focus from fuel efficiency due to the heightened customer expectations. This is reflected by TVS Centra's performance where satisfaction with fuel efficiency is relatively lower despite strong mileage figures reported by its owners."

In addition to the customer evaluations on various aspects of their ownership experience, this study also examines key trends in the industry. Some of the significant observations are:

▪	14% of the motorcycle owners surveyed indicate their preference for a car in the next 3 years.
▪	Among those intending to buy a car, the average budget varies from about rupees 3.6 lacs for 'standard' and 'executive' bike owners to over 4 lacs for other bike segments; While small car manufacturers such as Maruti, Hyundai, and Tata Motors finds the strongest preference among this group, the preference for Honda, Chevrolet, and Toyota too is significant.
▪	28% of the current motorcycle owners intend to buy an additional or replacement motorcycle in the future; While a majority of these owners prefer Hero Honda and Bajaj, there is a growing preference for Honda.

 
"The shift in four-wheeler market composition is already evident with car owners upgrading from two-wheelers accounting for a higher proportion of the market compared to 3-5 years back," observes Lochan. "The current findings validate that this growth will continue given the rapidly increasing base of motorcycle owners. Car manufacturers offering premium compact models are likely to benefit most from this trend."