Low owner satisfaction with replacement tires

ERJ staff report (TP)

California – For the third year in a row, Michelin and Pirelli took the top two spots in replacement tire owner satisfaction, according to the results of AutoPacific‘s newly released Replacement Tire Brand Dynamics and Satisfaction Study, followed by Goodyear and BFGoodrich. Big movers in 2013 were Continental, Dunlop and General, each up three spots, and Kelly, with a five spot jump from 2012 to rank 14th, reported Terry A. Miller for Technology Tell.

Tire satisfaction scores provide insight into many areas, from individual attribute performance to future brand consideration. “Owner satisfaction and future brand consideration share a strong correlation,” says AutoPacific president George Peterson. “Owners who are highly satisfied with their tire experience are much more likely to consider that same brand for a future tire purchase, improving a brand’s consumer retention ability.”

For Michelin and Pirelli, the top-scoring brands, greater than 90 percent of current owners will consider their brand in the future. On the other hand, Primewell has had the lowest satisfaction score for two years in a row, and also has the lowest future brand consideration by its owners – only 74 percent are likely to consider the brand in the future. Similarly, newly surveyed GTRadial ranks 22nd in satisfaction and 79 percent of owners are willing to consider the brand in the future.

Many bottom ranking brands, such as Primewell, GTRadial, Fuzion and Sumitomo, also have a high percentage of first-time owners. “A brand with low owner satisfaction has difficulty retaining its customer base, so they are always trying to introduce people to the brand,” explains Peterson. “They’re not getting the brand recommendations, future brand consideration, or positive brand image that comes from satisfied owners.”

Now in its third year, AutoPacific’s Replacement Tire Buyer Dynamics and Satisfaction Study provides tire manufacturers, retailers and buyers with pertinent information to assist in making the right decisions. Tires are one of the most important purchases a person makes when keeping their car or light truck in safe operating condition during its lifetime. For manufacturers and retailers, understanding consumer shopping behaviour, brand awareness and satisfaction is critical. For consumers, knowing which tire brands provide the most satisfying tire helps to break down the choices and assist with the purchase decision.

AutoPacific surveyed over 25,000 consumers who purchased replacement tires for their vehicle within the previous 12 months. Twenty-three replacement tire brands were included.

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Full story from Technology Tell