Hino tops J.D. Power Japan heavy-Duty Truck Ownership Satisfaction for 10th year on the bounce

New study by J.D. Power Japan, has ranked Hino the highest truck brand in customer satisfaction for the 10th consecutive year in the heavy-duty truck segment and for the fifth consecutive year in the light-duty truck segment in the Asian economic powerhouse ahead of Isuzu in the former segment.

As a result of the impressive ranking, Gerald Muli, the General Manager, Hino Division, Toyota Kenya Limited, said that the company will now seek to strengthen its capacity in building partnerships with truck and bus owners guided by a ‘customer business first’ philosophy.

“We intend to walk with our customers on their business journey, and through this we offer trainings to their drivers to guarantee optimum vehicle performance and safety, their in-house technicians for assured service & repair quality, supplying genuine spare parts at very competitive rates and ensuring that this support is available across the country.”

Just recently, Hino Kenya, the commercial vehicle division of Toyota Kenya, entered into an agreement to supply over 50 pre-owned Hino buses to Kenya Bus Services (KBS). The acquisition of the units will solidify KBS position as one of the leading passenger bus operators within the capital with a fleet of 283 buses.

Mr. Muli’s comments are echoed by Yuji Sasaki, Director of the Automotive Division at J.D. Power Japan, who says, “In a truck market where market share is becoming rigid among major manufacturers, efforts aimed at building stronger relationships with customers are necessary.

To realize this, it is important to become a logistics solution partner of customers, not just a vehicle manufacturer. It is becoming increasingly important for sales representatives to understand their customers’ needs and make efforts to provide appropriate solutions.”

The annual study measures overall satisfaction with heavy and light duty truck manufacturers and their respective authorized truck dealers among commercial fleet owners, including managers of truck freight companies. Satisfaction is determined by examining owners’ evaluations of 10 attributes grouped into four factors (listed in order of importance): vehicle (44%); service (23%); sales (21%); and cost (12%).