Sales Satisfaction Study

The Sales Satisfaction Study is an essential industry benchmark that assesses the service standards of car dealerships by analysing new-vehicle buyers' experiences and perceptions throughout the entire purchasing journey—from online research and showroom visits to final delivery—via systematic quantitative surveys. Notably, J.D. Power's China Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study stands as the most authoritative research in this field, having been conducted for 26 consecutive years.

📊 Key Metric: Satisfaction Score

The Sales Satisfaction Study is evaluated on a 1,000-point scale, where a higher score reflects a superior buying experience. According to the latest findings from the J.D. Power 2025 China Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study :

• Industry Overall: The overall sales service satisfaction score for the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sector in 2025 stands at 758 points, down by 3 points from 2024, marking the first decline in 8 years.

• Market Segments: Luxury brands recorded an average score of 762 points, while mainstream brands scored 757 points, narrowing the gap between the two segments to just 5 points.

🔍 How Does the Study Evaluate Satisfaction?

The study assesses the customer car-buying journey through an end-to-end perspective, focusing on the following key touchpoints:

📉 Latest Trends and Insights

Based on J.D. Power’s 2025 study data, several key trends have emerged across the automotive sales satisfaction landscape:

1. Faster Decision-Making, but Cracks Emerge in Front-End Experience

• Shorter Buying Cycles: 76.4% of consumers have already shortlisted their intended brand or model before shopping, with 52% completing the entire process from their initial showroom visit to sealing the deal within a single week.

• Online Experience Remains a Weak Link: Across both luxury brands (780 points) and mainstream brands (782 points), the online experience scored the lowest across all stages of the purchase journey, highlighting an ongoing pain point.

• Accelerated Loss of Rejecters: The satisfaction decline among rejecters widened significantly from a 5-point drop in 2024 to 24 points, with the steepest drops recorded in front-end stages, specifically pre-visit communication and showroom reception.

2. Test Drive Experience and Sales Advisor Professionalism Drive Conversions

• The proportion of purchase decisions finalised during the test drive phase grew by 4.6 percentage points compared to 2024.

• 40% of car owners noted that the sales advisor’s product knowledge and walkthrough during the test drive had the greatest bearing on their final decision, an increase of 4.5 percentage points over the previous year.

3. The "Service Gap" in the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Transition

• Among ICE vehicle owners considering a switch to NEVs, 50.2% dropped out before stepping into a showroom, with the drop-out rate rising by 8 percentage points year-on-year.

• The proportion of shoppers walking away due to dealership-level issues—such as delayed sales responses, misaligned customer needs, and ready-stock shortages—increased by 3.8 percentage points from the prior year. This serves as a reminder to dealers that failing to establish professional trust during early enquiries risks forfeiting vital transition opportunities.

🏆 2025 Brand Rankings Overview

China Market (ICE Vehicles):

• Luxury Brands: Land Rover ranked highest in sales service satisfaction among luxury marques.

• Mainstream Brands: GAC Honda secured first place in sales service satisfaction among mainstream brands.

• Domestic Brands: Chery ranked highest in sales service satisfaction among Chinese domestic brands.

US Market (Covering ICE and NEV):

• Luxury Brands: Porsche took the top spot for the third consecutive year.

• Mainstream Brands: Buick ranked highest among all mainstream brands.

The value of the Sales Satisfaction Study lies in translating abstract "customer service" into quantifiable metrics and targeted operational improvements. It underscores that in an era of swift decision-making and fierce competition, delivering a seamless omni-channel experience—from the very first digital touchpoint to final vehicle handover—remains the key to winning buyers and cultivating long-term brand advocacy.