J.D. Power and Associates Announces Business Expansion in China; New Office Opens in Shanghai

John Humphrey Appointed as Managing Director, China Operations

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Jan. 10 -- J.D. Power and Associates is expanding its operations in China, which will enhance its existing Asia Pacific operations in customer satisfaction research, forecasting, consulting and training services.

The firm is opening a new office in Shanghai, located at 3515, CITIC Square, 1168 Nanjing West Road. John Humphrey, partner at J.D. Power and Associates, has been named senior vice president of international operations and managing director of the new Shanghai office. Humphrey has spent 15 years with J.D. Power and Associates, specializing in research, consulting and international operations.

"Our J.D. Power Asia Pacific offices in Tokyo and Singapore have been conducting customer satisfaction studies based on consumer feedback in China since 2000, helping automotive manufacturers and their distribution channels to improve the quality of their processes and products," said Humphrey. "Establishing a representative office in Shanghai allows us to enhance our client services in China and quickly respond to client questions and needs. Our focus will be to assist automotive OEMs improve performance within the Chinese market as well as serve as a resource as they begin to look to export to markets outside of China."

The four primary annual studies being conducted in China are the Initial Quality Study (IQS), which measures new-vehicle quality; the Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, which measures how the customer was treated through the sales process; the Customer Service Index (CSI) Study, which measures how the customer was treated during the service process at the dealership; and the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, measuring consumer perceptions on the design, features and performance of their new vehicles.

J.D. Power Asia Pacific, established in 1990, conducts customer satisfaction research and provides consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries. J.D. Power Asia Pacific has offices in Tokyo, Singapore and Shanghai. www.jdpower.co.jp

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered 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.