Customers

Customer Consultation Service (Japan)

In order to be closer to our customers and sincerely address their inquiries and difficulties, we have enhanced the various methods to communicate with our customers, such as call centers and websites. Opinions, requests, and comments received from our customers are fed back to the relevant departments, and we use this feedback to improve the quality of our products and services, as well as to make proposals.

SUBARU Call (Japan)

Breakdown by Type of Consultation

Note:

The method of calculation was changed in FYE March 2023.

Enhancing customer inquiry touchpoints (Japanese website only)

In 2021, we updated the Q&A section under the Inquiries and Frequently Asked Questions page of the Japanese version of our official website in light of the recent increase in inquiries via the internet. In addition, to achieve even more convenience, we are working to regularly update the Q&A section based on search status and data from inquiries received by our Customer Center.
Furthermore, we introduced an automated response chatbot service in 2022 as a system that allows us to provide support for customer needs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also initiated staffed chat support during the operating hours of our Customer Center in April 2023.
We will expand our contact points with customers through various inquiry channels as well as our information provision in support of customers resolving their own issues, utilizing these to improve customer satisfaction, develop new products, and provide services.

Gathering and Relaying Customer Feedback

Customer feedback received is published on our intranet for access by relevant departments. Customer feedback received not only in Japan but also at local dealerships in the U.S., SUBARU’s largest market, is analyzed by the Customer Service Division in Japan and fed back internally for product and service development and quality improvement.

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Seeking to offer ever better service at our sales outlets, SUBARU conducts the SUBARU Customer Questionnaire directed at customers who bought a SUBARU vehicle at our dealerships. In order to take the customers’ comments and requests learned from the survey results seriously, we have established a system in which our dealerships share those comments and requests so that they can respond to customer expectations, leading to improvements.

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Note:

We started use of the sharing system in FYE March 2018.

Number of Valid Responses

(FYE March)

Evaluation of Achievements in FYE March 2024

Customers who have purchased a new or used car at our dealerships are selected at random to provide evaluations. We have received responses from approximately 80% of our customers that they are satisfied with the service they receive at our dealerships, but SUBARU and SUBARU dealerships take the views of our customers seriously and will work together on activities aimed at achieving further improvements.

Human Resource Training at Dealerships

Number of Trainees (including training trips): Japan

(Persons)

STARS Sales Professional Certification Program (Japan)

To demonstrate that staff have the ability to propose “Enjoyment and Peace of Mind” to customers and support them, SUBARU has established STARS^*2, a sales professional certification program.

*2

SUBARU Staff ’s Training and Rating System, which helps salespersons develop themselves through repeated Off-JT (study), OJT (practice), and qualification tests(challenge).

Service Staff Training (Overseas)

To improve the technical skills of service staff, we offer the Subaru Technical Education Program (STEP^*3) and use skill certification testing to motivate learning. SUBARU develops trainers who provide training to our service staff worldwide and trains service staff to be able to handle increasingly sophisticated automobile technology. We offer the STEP Trainer Training (STT^*4) and Advanced Technical Training (ATT^*5) programs for dealership trainers.
These technical training programs, in addition to on-site training for all SUBARU employees, offer online training, increasing opportunities for employee participation. Moreover, SUBARU assigns external trainers certified by us to countries with annual sales of at least 1,000 cars with the aim of further enhancing service.

*3

A technical training program that establishes three levels of mechanic engineering /technical skill and certifies them based on these levels. The three levels, from the beginner qualification, are Subaru Technician, Subaru Senior Technician, and Subaru Master Technician.

*4

A training program to develop certification trainers who will provide “STEP” training.

*5

A periodic training program held for the purpose of increasing the skills of certification trainers overseas. It provides education on topics such as new technology and high-level control technology.

Status of Technical Training

The SUBARU Academy actively provides technical training for SUBARU-specific advanced technologies and electric vehicles. In addition, we are developing training materials jointly with local dealerships in order for participants to acquire more practical maintenance skills.

Support for Human Resource Development through Secondment to SUBARU (Japan)

Customer expectations on after-sales service are increasing by the year. In order to provide services that exceed expectations, SUBARU brings in the next generation of leaders from dealerships, developing them into human resources with a broader perspective through work experience at SUBARU.
In the SUBARU Service Career Development Course, employees from dealerships are seconded to SUBARU for two years to learn SUBARU’s approaches and working styles, helping to improve their management abilities.

Supporting Dealership Operations

• By introducing the latest diagnostic equipment incorporating information technologies, we are striving to improve work efficiency at service sites.
• We will strengthen our maintenance technology and response capabilities for electric vehicles, and establish a service system to ensure a safe and secure experience with electric vehicles with the transition to EVs.

Developing Malfunction Diagnostic Systems

With the computerization and intelligence of vehicles, the role of malfunction diagnostic equipment and service tools is becoming increasingly important.
Proper repairs with proper diagnostics ensure customer safety, reduce the workload of mechanics, and reduce energy consumption. SUBARU is developing diagnostic equipment and related systems with this in mind.
We are also working on the development of a system that will lead to safety and security for customers by monitoring the condition of vehicles through telematics.

Initiatives to Enhance Service Quality

Recognizing the cultural and environmental differences across countries and regions, SUBARU has established clear standards for service quality that it effectively communicates to local dealerships to ensure that customers receive consistent service no matter where they are.
We are also increasing the frequency of regular meetings with local dealerships to accelerate improvement pace.

Rapid Repair of Vehicles Subject to Recall

When a decision is made to implement a recall, we engage as the entire SUBARU Group. We have a system in place to ensure smoothness across the entire recall process, including notification to authorities, contacting customers, and repair.
In addition, we work closely with dealerships in each country to ensure that repairs are completed quickly and reliably by supplying repair parts in a timely manner.
In particular, SUBARU’s recall progress related to the Takata airbag recall in the U.S. is greater than the industry average.

SUBARU’s Recall Action for Takata Airbags (Japanese version only)

Responding to Customer Needs in Diverse Markets

The SUBARU Group is introducing products tailored to each local environment in collaboration with local dealerships in all regions around the world.
In South America and Asia, where demand for SUVs carrying several passengers is high, we have launched the Evoltis (U.S. market: Ascent). We have also introduced the Solterra BEV to markets such as Europe, where electrification is rapidly advancing. Beginning in 2024, we have expanded sales destinations for these models to other regions, including Australia and New Zealand, in response to growing market needs.
We are planning to introduce an additional eight BEV models, including the Solterra, by the end of 2028, systematically introducing them to various regions while assessing customer needs in each market. We will continue to align with customer needs and contribute to achieving carbon neutrality in society.

Developing/Popularizing Welfare Vehicles

SUBARU aspires toward sharing the happiness and freedom of living through cars for everybody. As such, SUBARU is working to develop and increase the popularity of welfare vehicles so that people with physical handicaps and the elderly can travel by car in comfort and with peace of mind.
SUBARU started producing and selling welfare vehicles in 1980 and now they are well known as the “TRANSCARE series.” It offers a wide range of options, from standardized cars to mini cars. SUBARU aims to develop vehicles that provide comfortable driving for both people who are in care and for care providers.
In FYE March 2021, we introduced Wing Seats with side airbags to the Forester. Going forward, we will continue to take action in a variety of areas so that we can provide even more “Enjoyment and Peace of Mind” to more of our customers.

TRANSCARE series (Japanese version only)

Initiatives for Customers in the Aerospace Business

In the aerospace business, we continue to swiftly resolve issues with customers after product delivery in order to maintain the continued operating condition of the aircraft we supply to the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Coast Guard, National Police Agency, and others. We periodically visit customers and take questionnaires in order to confirm the effectiveness of this initiative. The questionnaire covers items such as product quality, service, emergency response, and visitor response, evaluated on a five-step scale. In this questionnaire, we received high ratings from the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Coast Guard, and Metropolitan Police Department. Here, we are working to sincerely address customer opinions and further improve their satisfaction.
Also, SUBARU’s maintenance staff involved in manufacturing visit the land, sea, and air units of the Japan Self-Defense Forces across Japan that use our products. They exchange information on use and maintenance, develop a better understanding of the operations, and communicate extensively, leading to the improvement of their work.
Going forward, we will move ahead with initiatives to understand customers’ requests in detail and to earn customer satisfaction with SUBARU’s products and services through maintenance and operations.

Questionnaire Evaluation Results

Note:

We compile evaluations for each category from customers and rate them on a five-point scale.