J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Michelin and Pirelli Rank Highest in Satisfying Tyre Customers in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 4 --

Owners of new vehicles equipped with Michelin and Pirelli tyres report having the most satisfying ownership experience, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 South Africa Original Equipment Tyre Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Study(SM) released today.

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With overall CSI scores of 843 on a 1,000-point scale, Michelin and Pirelli top the customer satisfaction rankings in a tie. Michelin earns the highest ranking for a second consecutive year, while Pirelli improves by 14 index points since 2006. Other brands performing above industry average are Continental (815), Bridgestone (812) and Dunlop (801). A total of nine tyre brands are ranked in the study.

The study is a comprehensive measurement of owner satisfaction with the tyres equipped on new vehicles at the time of purchase. It identifies four factors that contribute to overall satisfaction, which are weighted to reflect what is most important to motorists in South Africa. The factors, listed in order of importance, are: tyre quality and durability (50%); tyre ride/handling (18%); tyre appearance (16%); and tyre traction (16%).

Michelin performs particularly well in the tyre quality and durability, tyre traction and tyre ride/handling factors, while Pirelli performs well in the tyre appearance factor.

Overall satisfaction with original equipment tyres in the South Africa market improved by three points in 2007 to 796, its highest level since the launch of the study in 2004.

"The improvement in overall satisfaction in 2007 is evidence of the commitment of the industry to provide vehicle owners with an ever more satisfying experience with their tyres," said Brian Walters, vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa operations at J.D. Power and Associates. "As seen in other markets where we conduct the survey, such as India, Japan and the United States, the strong link between an exceptional ownership experience and repurchase of the same tyre brand makes the cost of satisfaction programs worth the investment."

J.D. Power and Associates is recognised across the globe as the leading independent authority on customer satisfaction in the automotive industry. The firm's primary role is to provide a better understanding of consumer preferences and buying patterns, which helps automotive manufacturers and suppliers further improve their product quality and service levels. The firm also provides topline results of its automotive studies to consumers for use as a reference point when purchasing a new vehicle.

The 2007 South Africa Tyre CSI Study is based on questionnaire responses from more than 5,300 owners of new vehicles first registered between October 2005 and September 2006. The survey was funded by J.D. Power and Associates as a part of its global automotive quality and customer satisfaction research programmes, in co-operation with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), and included a section of questions to assist the Department of Transport in measuring the performance of its vehicle licensing programme.

    
    CSI Index Ranking
    (Based on a 1000-point scale)
    Michelin               843
    Pirelli                843
    Continental            815
    Bridgestone            812
    Dunlop                 801
    Industry Average       796
    Hankook                788
    Firestone              784
    Kumho                  775
    Goodyear               763
    Included in the study but not ranked due to small sample size, are:
    General, Toyo and Yokohama.

    Customer Satisfaction Index Component Weights
    Tyre Quality/Durability     50%
    Tyre Ride/Handling          18%
    Tyre Appearance             16%
    Tyre Traction               16%

About J.D. Power and Associates

The European headquarters of J.D. Power and Associates is located in Guildford, UK. With world headquarters in Westlake Village, California, U.S.A., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2007 were US$6.8 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

    
    Media Relations Contacts:
    Brian Walters                          John Tews
    J.D. Power and Associates              J.D. Power and Associates
    Guildford, Surrey, U.K.                Troy, Michigan, U.S.A.
    UK Phone: +44-1483-207-602             +1-248-312-4119
    South Africa Phone: +27-083-379-6464   john.tews@jdpa.com
    brian.walters@jdpa.com

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. http://www.jdpower.com

Guildford, Surrey, U.K., Brian Walters, UK, +44-1483-207-602, or South Africa, +27-083-379-6464, brian.walters@jdpa.com, or Troy, Michigan, U.S.A., John Tews, +1-248-312-4119, john.tews@jdpa.com, both of J.D. Power and Associates; Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a, AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org, PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com