Customers Choose Ford Escort The 'Best Quality' Car
11 November 1997
Customers Choose Ford Escort The 'Best Quality' Car
CHENNAI, India, Nov. 11 -- In a customer survey recently
conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, a leading, independent market research
firm, the Ford Escort has been rated as the best car on Indian roads.
J. D. Power and Associates is an international firm, best known for its
marketing information services in key business sectors including market
research, forecasting and customer satisfaction. Drawing from 30 years of
experience in the automobile industry, J.D. Power is the leading authority on
automotive customer satisfaction surveys and quality reports and as an
unbiased third party, provide clear, objective information.
"The results of this survey emphasizes our commitment to producing a high
quality product, engineered for India," said Mr. Jeff Body, Executive Vice
President, Mahindra Ford India Limited. "This is a result of the stringent
quality process control with our suppliers and at our plant in Nashik," he
added.
J. D. Power's 1997 India Initial Quality Survey included a range of
vehicles currently plying on Indian roads. A representative batch of
respondents were asked to respond based on some major categories. These
categories included ride, handling & braking; comfort/convenience; seats;
sound system; heating, ventilation & cooling; vehicle exterior; vehicle
interior; transmission and engine. The Ford Escort emerged as the "best
quality" car.
The J.D. Power survey confirms our own customer surveys which enable us to
identify issues of customer concern and allows us to improve our vehicle on a
continuous basis to meet customer expectations.
Mahindra Ford is committed to providing customers with a total ownership
experience. This begins with the vendor base that ensures the highest level
of quality for all local components, the manufacturing process and our
standards of customer service.
Mahindra Ford has worked aggressively towards establishing worldwide
quality in its vendor base. The Supplier Technical Assistance group develops
and identifies the local suppliers. The group encourages three approaches:
a) Suppliers of Ford worldwide to form joint ventures with Indian
partners.
b) Technology transfer for Indian manufacture.
o) Identify Indian manufacturers with the potential to supply world
class products.
This ensures global quality standards in each and every component that
goes into the car.
The Ford Escort is manufactured at Mahindra Ford's plant at Nashik where
quality is given utmost priority. Specific processes are adopted to ensure
that the final product is of world class quality. These include quality
checks by operators within the system where every operator and not an
inspector is responsible for quality. Independent cross functional teams
reduce process variations with problem solving skills. Such "quality audits"
are a unique feature and help in continuous benchmarking. A final quality
audit called NOVA C is then conducted on the finished product from the
customer's point of view. This entire process ensures that the product that
leaves the Nashik plant has satisfied global quality standards at all levels.
The Mahindra Ford dealerships have three facilities, namely the showroom,
a quick service workshop and a full function workshop. From the layout of the
showrooms to the modern equipment in the service centres, every detail has
been carefully worked out keeping the customers in mind. All the equipment
has been sourced by Mahindra Ford from different suppliers worldwide to ensure
standardization and economies of scale. This enables a Ford Escort customer
to get the same high level of service in every Mahindra Ford dealer showroom.
For the first time, dealerships provide a "total ownership experience" to the
customer. Mahindra Ford's customer service standards are being benchmarked by
the industry.
Mahindra Ford is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company ,
U.S.A., and Mahindra & Mahindra Limited. They manufacture the Ford Escort at
their facility in Nashik. They plan to manufacture their second car at a
greenfield plant at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai in Tamil Nadu currently
under construction.
SOURCE Mahindra Ford India Limited
