csmjdpowerasiapacificreport-casestudy

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Contact: Mohit Arora, (65) 6733-8980
J.D. Power Asia Pacific Reports:
MRF Ranks Highest in India Original Tire Customer Satisfaction Study
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2004
SINGAPORE—MRF ranks highest in customer satisfaction for the third consecutive year
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in the
J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2004 India Original Tire Customer Satisfaction Study
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released today.
The study, in its fourth year, examines customer satisfaction with original tires at 12 to 18
months of ownership. More than 1,500 owners of 28 different vehicle models participated in the
2004 study, which was fielded from June to August 2003.
A new model of customer satisfaction measurement was deployed for 2004. Overall tire
performance is assessed on 20 attributes, grouped into five pre-defined factors: ride, handling,
traction, durability and appearance. Unlike past years, the study now deals only with radial tires, as
nearly all the new passenger vehicles sold in India are now fitted with radial tires.
MRF receives the highest ratings in the study in four of the five factors determining overall
satisfaction with tires: appearance, durability, traction, and handling. Bridgestone, JK Tyre and
Goodyear follow MRF in the rankings, respectively.
“MRF’s continued success is based on its ability to consistently deliver on those factors that
are most important to its customers,” said Mohit Arora, India country manager, J.D. Power Asia

Pacific. “As a result, nearly one-fourth of MRF’s customers rate their tires as outstanding.”
More than 40 percent of all new-vehicle buyers indicate that tire-related features were among

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In 2002 and 2003, MRF tied with Bridgestone to rank highest in original tire customer satisfaction in India.
the considerations influencing the vehicle purchase decision. The study also reveals that more than
one-fifth of all new-vehicle buyers choose the brand of tires on their new vehicles.
“These findings suggest that although tire choice is often the prerogative of vehicle
manufacturers, it is important that manufacturers understand the needs and concerns of the new-
vehicle buyers related to original tires to ensure that customer expectations are being met,” said
Arora.
The occurrence of a single tire-related problem leads to a significant drop in satisfaction and
intention to repurchase the same tire make. Among owners who experienced a problem, “damage
from puncture” was the most reported problem for the tire industry.
“Nine out of 10 MRF owners did not report a single problem with their tires,” said Arora. “It
is one of the reasons why MRF owners continue to register the highest loyalty and advocacy rates in
the industry.”
The study examines owner evaluations with tires that were originally fitted on the new
vehicle at the time of delivery. This does not necessarily mean original equipment tires since some
buyers may have opted to purchase different tires at the time of delivery.
J.D. Power Asia Pacific, established in 1990, conducts customer satisfaction research and
provides consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries.
Media e-mail contact: ; www.jdpower.co.jp
Headquartered in Westlake Village, California, J.D. Power and Associates is a global
marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research,
forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction
measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. Media e-mail contact:
; www.jdpower.com.
This press release is provided for editorial use only. No advertising or other promotional use
can be made of the information in this release or J.D. Power Asia Pacific survey results without the

express prior written consent of J.D. Power Asia Pacific.
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NOTE: Two charts follow.
Source: J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2004 India Original Tire Customer Satisfaction Index Study
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Charts and graphs extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying
J.D. Power Asia Pacific as the publisher and the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2004 India Original Tire Customer
Satisfaction Study
SM
as the source. No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in
this release or J.D. Power Asia Pacific survey results without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power
Asia Pacific.
J.D. Power Asia Pacific, Inc.
2004 India Original Tire Customer
Satisfaction Study
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Index Score
779
770
769
767
757
600 650 700 750 800
MRF
Industry
Average
Bridgestone
JK Tyre
Goodyear

Original Tire Customer Satisfaction Overall Ranking
Based on a 1,000-point scale
Source: J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2004 India Original Tire Customer Satisfaction Study
SM
Charts and graphs extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying
J.D. Power Asia Pacific as the publisher and the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2004 India Original Tire Customer
Satisfaction Study
SM
as the source. No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in
this release or J.D. Power Asia Pacific survey results without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power
Asia Pacific.
J.D. Power Asia Pacific
2004 India Original Tire Customer
Satisfaction Study
SM
Handling
13%
Overall Performance Factors
Traction
16%
Durability
27%
Appearance
28%
Ride
16%