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Majority consumer opinion: GM has changed
By Kalea Hall
DETROIT
A recent study by a vehicle- research firm shows half of the consumers surveyed believe General Motors has changed for the better.
The survey by Kelley Blue Book found 50 percent of new-car shoppers feel the GM is different today compared with five years ago while 24 percent of new-car shoppers believe the old GM still exists and 26 percent are unsure.
Another KBB survey shows 39 percent of surveyed new-car shoppers believe GM’s current products are more reliable than they were five years ago while 32 percent do not and 29 percent were unsure.
More than a quarter of new-car shoppers think GM is being proactive and transparent regarding the recalls, according to the KBB survey.
The survey was conducted from May 24 through July 1 on 700 consumers visiting kbb.com.
Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com said he was moderately surprised by survey results and believes GM has done an “excellent job” in handling the heavy amount of recalls that have made headlines and changing the overall perspective of the brand.
“The [old] GM was fixated on profits and was much less profitable because of not having a quality product and too many employees,” Brauer said.
“They were focused on profit because it was very hard to make it.”
Today, the “new” GM is focused on the customer and not just the new customer, but the ones driving older GM-built vehicles.
“That is a real mantra that is being established by CEO Mary Barra and readily embraced by the company,” he said.
For example, the customers with recalled cars are being treated to make the process “as painless as possible,” Brauer said. And the customers are making it back to the showroom, seeing the new products, and maybe they consider buying as an option.
Cain mentioned the 2014 U.S. Customer Service Index done by J.D. Power. The study, which measured customer satisfaction with maintenance and repair work at franchised dealer facilities, was released in April based on responses from more than 90,000 owners and lessees of 2009 to 2013 model-year vehicles surveyed between October and December 2013.
GM’s Cadillac and Buick performed highest in the CSI rankings in 2014. Cadillac ranked highest in satisfaction with dealer service among luxury brands, achieving a score of 872.