WABAN, Mass. — A new research report published by Temkin Group, 2012 Temkin Experience Ratings, rates the customer experience of 206 large companies across 18 industries. This is the second year that Temkin Group has released these ratings. The research, which is based on a survey of 10,000 U.S. consumers in January 2012, includes 10 auto dealers: BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, and Toyota.

Chevrolet was the top rated auto dealer and the only one to receive a “good” customer experience rating. It was also the 57th ranked company in the overall list of 206 companies. Three auto dealers were next in line with “okay” ratings: Toyota, BMW, and Honda. The remaining six auto dealers earned “poor” ratings with Kia falling to the bottom of the list.

The average rating for the overall auto industry placed it 14th among 18 industries, only outpacing health plans, Internet service providers, TV service providers, and computer makers.

“Auto dealers leave a lot to be desired when it comes to customer experience,” states Bruce Temkin, author of the report and Managing Partner of Temkin Group.

The Temkin Experience Ratings evaluates three dimensions of customer experience:

• Functional: Does the company meet consumers’ needs?
• Accessible: How easy is it for consumers to do what they are trying to do?
• Emotional: How do consumers feel about their interactions with companies?

Other highlights from the research include:

• Chevrolet and Toyota received the highest Functional ratings, while Dodge, Hyundai, and Chrysler received the lowest.
• Chevrolet and BMW received the highest Accessible ratings, while Hyundai and Nissan received the lowest.
• Chevrolet and Toyota received the highest Emotional ratings, while Kia and Dodge received the lowest.

This report can be accessed from the Temkin Group website at http://www.temkingroup.com or from the blog, Customer Experience Matters, at http://experiencematters.wordpress.com. The data can be accessed from the Temkin Ratings website, http://www.temkinratings.com.

For more information about Temkin Group, visit http://www.temkingroup.com.

About the author, Bruce Temkin

Bruce Temkin is widely recognized as a customer experience thought leader and is Customer Experience Transformist and Managing Partner of the Temkin Group. He is also the author of a very popular blog, Customer Experience Matters. Prior to forming Temkin Group, he was a VP at Forrester Research for 12 years. Bruce is a highly demanded speaker who consistently receives high marks for his content-rich, entertaining keynote addresses. He is also the co-founder and Chair of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA.org), a global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of customer experience management.

About Temkin Group

Temkin Group is a leading customer experience research and consulting firm with one simple goal for its clients: increase customer loyalty by becoming more customer‐centric. The company combines customer experience thought leadership with a deep understanding of the dynamics of large organizations to help senior executives accelerate their customer experience results. For more information, contact Bruce Temkin at 617-916-2075 or [email protected].