국내 소비자들 “현대차 홍보믿다 바보됐네”

배신감과 궁금증 해소 동시교차

[프라임경제]현대기아차가 GM과 포드 등 미국의 양대메이커가 올해 죽을 쑤고 있어 미국내 시장점유율과 판매대수를 늘릴 수 있는 절호의 기회를 이용하지 못하고 있다.

하지만 토요타를 비롯한 일본업체들은 쌩쌩 달리며 시장점유율 확대는 물론,  세계 2위업체인 포드를 제치고 이제는 세계 1인자 GM추월을 목전에 두고 있다.

르노삼성차는 미국수출을 아예 못하는 상황이어서 그렇다 치고 GM대우차는 대우차란 이름 대신 시보레란 이름으로 수출되다보니 리서치 대상에 오르지 않았다.

남은 것은 한국의 자존심이라할 현대ㆍ기아차인데 지난해에 이어 올해 두번째 실시된 판매만족도 조사에서 최하위권을 달리다보니 기회를 일본이 독차지하는 상황이다.

토요타의 렉서스가 2위에 오른 반면 기아차는 37위,  현대차는 24위를 기록했다.

국내 일반 소비자들은 현대차측이 선별적으로 제공해온 눈부신(?) 실적만 믿어온 탓에  미국시장에서의 일본의 약진을 부러운 눈으로 쳐다보기만 해야했다.

국내소비자들은 그나마 외국산 자동차에 눈길을 주지않고 국산차량을 이용해온 내국인들에겐 궁금증 해소와 함께 배신감이 들만하다.

미국 LA에 사는 한 교포는 “ 한국에서는 그렇게들 좋게 평가가 되고 있는데(?) 실제로 이곳에서 제가 피부로 느끼는건 왜 정반대였는지... 진정 나라가 빛나고 기업이 살려면 은폐되고 잘 못된 부분도 알려져서 고쳐나가야 되는건 아닐런지....    일본의 토요다,  캠리는 국민차(?)라고 불리울 만큼 이곳에서 일반인들이 많이타고, 가격도 그리 나쁘지 않아 호응을 받고 있는데...  ” 라고 말했다.

그는  “ 실제로 한국분들은 좋은 차들 많이 타고 다니시는것 같아요. 정말 가진것이 많아 남아 도는 사람은 모르겠지만, 제가 보기엔 그렇지 않은 사람들도 분에 넘치게 그러는것 보면, 아쉽다는 생각이 많이 든다. 무엇보다. 반일감정을 가지고 있으면서도 그들이 만들어낸 제품을 선호하고 칭찬하는것엔 또 다른 이유가 있지 않겠느냐 ” 고 아쉬워했다.

미국시장에서의 판매부진의 숨은 비밀이 한가닥 벗겨졌다는 반응과 함께 그동안 업체의 화려한 홍보에 속았다는 느낌이라는게 네티즌들의 반응이다.

다음은  JD파워 앤드 어소시에이츠 발표 판매만족도 순위 및 발표문이다.

J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
Jaguar Ranks Highest in Satisfying New-Vehicle Buyers with the Sales Process

Overall Satisfaction with the Sales Process Declines when Customer Expectations are Not Met with Regards to New-Vehicle Features

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 16 November 2005 — Jaguar ranks highest in overall sales satisfaction for a second consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study^SM released today.

Jaguar, which tied with Lexus for the highest ranking in 2004, receives an overall SSI index score of 889 (on a 1,000-point scale). Jaguar performs particularly well in the salesperson and finance process factors. Lexus (888) follows Jaguar in the rankings, while Buick and Porsche tie to rank third overall at 878. Although still ranking below the industry average, Scion receives the most improved score in the study, increasing 21 index points from 2004. Scion receives considerably higher ratings from customers in the delivery process, working with the salesperson, paperwork/finance and especially vehicle price measures.

According to the study, not finding a new vehicle that is equipped with the exact features desired is having a significant impact on overall satisfaction with the sales process. While 73 percent of new-vehicle buyers purchased their vehicle with the exact features they wanted, 11 percent said they ended up paying for features they didn’t want. Buyers who are not able to equip their new vehicle exactly the way they want shop more dealers and spend more time at the dealer they purchase from trying to find the vehicle that will best meet their needs. This extra time spent lowers overall satisfaction compared to consumers who find a vehicle equipped exactly how they wanted.

"Whether buyers end up sacrificing a preferred color or paying for options they didn’t necessarily want, having to settle for a vehicle that is not equipped as expected not only affects satisfaction with the vehicle itself, but also affects customer satisfaction with the overall sales experience," said Steve Witten, executive director of automotive retail at J.D. Power and Associates. "Although dealers use several resources to find the vehicle a consumer wants, manufacturers have to come up with more effective solutions for matching buyer expectations."

Satisfaction also falls significantly when the amount of time spent at the dealership exceeds one hour. Customer satisfaction drops by 59 index points when comparing customers who spend one hour or less at the dealership to those who spend two or three hours. The average consumer spends approximately three hours at the dealership when purchasing their vehicle, and more than 15 percent of consumers spend four hours or more.

"Dissatisfaction with the amount of time spent on the sales process is mostly attributed to the negotiation process," said Witten. "Buyers typically talk to several dealership personnel before finally driving off the lot with their new vehicle. Dealerships should work more efficiently and cut down the number of personnel a customer must deal with during the sales process, because satisfaction with the sales experience heavily impacts the likelihood of the customer using the same dealership for vehicle maintenance service in the future."

The study, which includes responses from buyers who purchased a new vehicle in May, just prior to the introduction of employee price discount programs in June, finds that satisfaction has dropped substantially in the area of price compared to 2004. New-vehicle buyers who made their purchase in May perceived they were not getting a good price for their vehicle when compared to those who made their purchase in June. However, according to data from the Power Information Network (PIN), a division of J.D. Power and Associates, the average retail price of a new vehicle in June only decreased slightly compared to May.

"Consumers tend to walk into a dealership with a preconceived idea as to how much they are willing to spend for a new vehicle," said Witten. "While this summer’s employee discount incentive programs lowered new-vehicle pricing, buyers often reinvested those savings into additional options and features, raising the average retail price to pre-incentive levels in many cases. We expect that the new round of incentives, such as the GM Red Tag Event, will have a similar effect on consumers."

The 2005 Sales Satisfaction Index is based on responses from 37,296 new-vehicle buyers who purchased their vehicles in May of 2005. The study provides the automotive industry with a comprehensive analysis of the new-vehicle purchase experience.

About J.D. Power and Associates
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. 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 and BusinessWeek. The Corporation has more than 300 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2004 were $5.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

Media Relations Contacts: John Tews Director, Media Relations J.D. Power and Associates 5435 Corporate Drive, Suite 300 Troy, MI, 48098 [phone], or cell [phone] [e-mail]

Michael Greywitt Director, Media Relations J.D. Power and Associates 2625 Townsgate Road, Suite 100 Westlake Village, CA 91361 [phone], or cell [phone] [e-mail]

JD파워앤드 어소시에이츠는?

JD파워앤드 어소시에이츠는 36년의 역사를 가진 세계적인 마케팅 정보조사기관으로 제임스 데이비드 파워 3세가 설립한 세계적인 마케팅 리서치기관으로 본사는 미국 로스엔젤레스에 있다.
제임스데이비드 파워는 1959년 와튼스쿨 졸업 후 조사관련 업무를 하다 자신이 만든 보고서가 윗사람과 고객의 입맛에 맞게 수정되는 것에 염증을 느껴 지난 68년 직접 설립했다.

자동차, 휴대폰등 11개 사업부문에 걸쳐 사업을 벌여 연매출이 1억달러를 훌쩍 넘어서고 있으며 인도 등지에 해외지사 설립을 검토하고 있으며 회계법인 조사만족도 서비스 정착을 위한 투자자를 물색하던 중 올해 3월 초 맥그로 힐로 인수됐다.

맥그로힐은 경제주간지 '비즈니스위크'를 발간하고 있으며 세계적 신용정보평가회사인 스탠더드앤드푸어스(S&P), 맥그로힐 에듀케이션등의 계열사를 두고 있으며 지난 1888년 설립됐다.

프라임경제 ⓒ 경제의 맥을 짚는 뉴스