Surveys, surveys and more surveys

We have been inundated with press releases from NFO (TNS) and JD Power, their PR agencies and some automakers during the last couple of days. Yes its survey time in the automotive industry. Every year both TNS and JD Power release their surveys with much fanfare - I am sure a press do is just arond the corner. The surveys rate the carmakers on various parameters of customer satisfaction amongst other things. The stuff used to be interesting till a couple of years back when Maruti came around and monopolised it.

But, I am always perplexed by the contribution of these surveys in bosting the sales of any manufacturer.

For instance, will MUL sales spurt next month since it has topped (for the umpteenth agonising time) the surveys once again. Actually no. I remember, for sure, that in the year 1999 when JD Power put Ford India (then only peddling the Escort) at the bottom of the heap and Ford India had explained to journalists specifically that it was problems with the Escort diesel that had resulted in a fall in ratings, yet, the next month, Escort sales actually improved.

While I have nothing against these surveys - they might have made us quality conscious, the fact that MUL pays JD Power an exhorbitant amount of money - for using the JD Power logo in their advertisements - whenever it advertises the fact that the research company has rated the carmaker highest in their survey bothers me. What bothers me even more is that JD Power gets to do a lot of internal supplier studies at Maruti.

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