2010 Semi-Annual Report Shows Women rank Mercedes, Jeep, Lexus, BMW and Chrysler Highest
PITTSBURGH- Women-Drivers.com has released its semi-annual 2010 report showing the Top Auto Brands as rated by women’s dealership reviews. Each year, the company tracks thousands of consumer reviews with regards to women’s Purchasing, Browsing and Service experience at car dealerships in the United States.
The consumer review website connects women and families to women-friendly car dealerships by showcasing dealers in a respective zip code radius with the highest scores. Getting reviews from female consumers is free for all dealerships.
On the site, individual dealerships’ scores range from 1.0 - 5.0. Dealers with Women Satisfaction Index, or WSI® scores between 3.80 – 5.0 are recognized and marketed as Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™. Dealers use this online reputation management tool to distinguish and leverage their business. Reviews are optimized for search engines.
The WSI® data comes from audited consumer reviews. Women now account for over half of all car purchases; however, they influence and initiate almost 80%. When shopping for a new vehicle, more than half of women buyers visit three or more dealerships; one of the critical reasons the company captures ‘browsing’ experiences. Browsing is a key indicator of whether she will return to this dealership.
“Car manufacturers and dealerships that highly engage and support women during the purchase process are placing themselves in a strong position to convert more browsers to buyers, and, to get more referrals—all translating to increased sales. Credit the top performing brands; clearly these companies and dealerships are doing a great job with customer engagement “, said Anne Fleming, President & Car Buying Advocate of the company.
WSI® scores in the report are placed into the four (4) categories: Overall, Purchasing, Browsing, and Service.
The following are the Top 10 OVERALL* Brands with the average WSI Score being 4.05:
Mercedes: 4.68
Jeep: 4.41
Lexus: 4.37
BMW: 4.36
Chrysler: 4.35
Acura: 4.19
Honda: 4.18
Buick: 4.15
Dodge: 4.13
Nissan: 4.11
The next tier of Top 10 brands is:
Mazda: 4.03
Hyundai: 3.94
Chevrolet: 3.93
Subaru: 3.91
Ford: 3.86
Lincoln: 3.86
Toyota: 3.85
Volkswagen: 3.73
GMC: 3.70
KIA: 3.49
* Some brands are not represented in this report because they are no longer being marketed and sold in 2010 and beyond, or due to lack of statistically significant data.
The Top 10 Brands for PURCHASING experiences at dealerships:
Mercedes and Dodge dealers received the highest WSI® ranking among women buyers with a 4.83 score for Purchasing a vehicle. The average WSI® score for all brands in this category was 4.27. These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers who were very satisfied with the engagement and treatment by the sales person, their overall dealership experience, as well as the financing process.
Mercedes and Dodge: 4.83
Lexus: 4.78
Chrysler: 4.64
KIA: 4.62
Jeep: 4.45
Buick: 4.44
Toyota: 4.32
Mazda: 4.30
Nissan: 4.29
Chevrolet: 4.25
The Top 10 Brands for BROWSING experiences at dealerships:
Mercedes dealers scored the highest, with a WSI® of 4.52 score among women customers who went into the dealership but did not purchase that day. The average WSI score for all brands in this category was 3.72. These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers who were very satisfied with the engagement and treatment by the sales person and their overall dealership experience.
Mercedes: 4.52
Mazda: 4.15
Nissan: 4.09
KIA: 4.07
Jeep: 4.03
Chevrolet: 3.92
Dodge: 3.91
Chrysler: 3.79
Acura and Ford: 3.75
Volkswagen: 3.73
The Top 10 Brands for SERVICE experiences at dealerships: Acura dealers scored the highest from women having their car serviced with a WSI® score of 4.80. The average WSI® score for all brands in this category was 3.91. These top brands ranked consistently high with women customers that had an easy time scheduling a service visit, received an estimate prior to work being completed, had alternative options provided, felt they were treated respectfully and paid an amount consistent with what was quoted.
Acura: 4.80
BMW and Mercedes: 4.57
Honda: 4.54
Chrysler: 4.47
Lexus: 4.29
Buick: 4.25
Subaru: 4.05
Nissan and Volkswagen: 3.88
Toyota: 3.76
Chevrolet and Ford: 3.58
About Women-Drivers.com
Women-Drivers.com connects women & families with certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ dealerships. Consumers rate their Browsing, Purchasing and Service experiences at 16,500 dealerships in the United States. The company markets Women Satisfaction Index™ subscriptions which provides personalized analytics showing what women really experience, allowing dealerships to improve their level of service to this powerful purchasing group.
Hendrick Motors of Charlotte Website
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERS ACHIEVE HIGHEST RANKING IN PROSPECT SATISFACTION INDEX
MERCEDES-BENZ DEALERS ACHIEVE HIGHEST RANKING; DETROIT BRAND DEALERS MOST IMPROVED IN 2010 PIED PIPER PROSPECT SATISFACTION INDEX®
Annual auto industry benchmarking study measures how each brand’s dealerships treat car shoppers
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA – July 12, 2010 – Mercedes-Benz dealerships ranked highest in the newly released 2010 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index® (PSI®) U.S. Auto Industry Study, one of a series of unique national benchmarking studies using “mystery shoppers” to measure and compare how consumers are treated when shopping.
Detroit brands led the way in 2010 for most improvement, with Ford, Lincoln and Chevrolet scoring above the industry average for the first time since PSI auto industry benchmarking began four years ago.
The independent study sent 3,658 hired anonymous “mystery shoppers” into auto dealerships nationwide, then used the patent-pending PSI process to compile the results into an accurate measurement of how each brand’s dealerships treat car shoppers.
Overall auto industry performance improved notably from 2009 to 2010, with 25 of the 34 major auto brands achieving higher PSI scores. Although luxury brands continue to lead the industry for treatment of car shoppers, the improvement of mainstream brands has been striking. For example, when comparing the 2010 Ford shopping experience with that of 2007, we find that the typical Ford salesperson was 52% more likely to discuss vehicle features unique from the competition, 29% more likely to introduce him or herself and 65% more likely to proactively mention the availability of different financing options.
Despite the widespread and continual improvement in how cars are sold, there is still plenty of room for improvement, although not necessarily in the expected areas. For example, the stereotypical car shopping experience of having an overbearing salesperson happened far less often (6% of the time) than the opposite: a salesperson who simply was not helpful enough and did not devote enough time and attention to the car shopper (18% of the time). Another area of potential disappointment for car shoppers has been the decision by some brands and dealerships to limit or discontinue offering brochures. Industry wide, salespeople proactively offered a brochure following a visit only 57% of the time; the lowest level in the last three years.
Substantial variation in shopper treatment by brand continues. For example, both Volvo and BMW salespeople mentioned their brand’s maintenance program and associated costs 80% of the time or more, while shoppers looking for a Scion, Mitsubishi or Dodge heard about it less than one-third of the time. Lexus and Porsche salespeople reviewed the vehicle’s features and controls 95% of the time before leaving on a test drive, but BMW salespeople reviewed it only 74% of the time. At Land Rover, Smart or Mini dealerships, salespeople nearly always handled the entire visit themselves and rarely introduced shoppers to dealership management. In contrast, at Suzuki, Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota and Infiniti dealerships the salespeople introduced shoppers to dealership management to help close the sale 40% of the time or more. Salespeople who work for dealerships selling Nissan, Mazda, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota or Volkswagen were most likely to follow-up with shoppers within 48 hours after the initial visit, while salespeople who work for dealerships selling Buick, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet and Acura were least likely to follow-up with shoppers after the initial visit.
“Today’s car shoppers are armed with far more vehicle and pricing information than ever before,” said Fran O’Hagan, CEO of Pied Piper Management Co., LLC. “Successful brands and dealerships have responded by acting as helpful enablers for today’s shoppers. At the most successful dealerships, the stereotype of the old-fashioned car salesperson no longer exists.”
The 2010 Pied Piper PSI U.S. Auto Industry Study was conducted between July 2009 and June 2010 using 3,658 hired anonymous “mystery shoppers” at dealerships located throughout the U.S. Examples of other recent Pied Piper PSI studies are the 2010 Pied Piper PSI U.S. Motorcycle Industry Study, in which Polaris Industries, Inc’s Victory brand was ranked first, and the 2008 Pied Piper PSI U.S. RV Industry Study (Class A), in which Winnebago’s Itasca brand was ranked first. Complete Pied Piper PSI industry study results are provided to vehicle manufacturers and national dealer groups. Manufacturers, national dealer groups and individual dealerships also order PSI evaluations as a tool to improve the sales effectiveness of their dealerships. For more information about the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, and the patent-pending PSI process, go to www.piedpiperpsi.com.
About Pied Piper Management Company, LLC
Pied Piper Management Company, LLC is a seven year old Monterey, California company that develops and runs sales and marketing programs to maximize the performance of dealer networks. Go to www.piedpipermc.com.
Annual auto industry benchmarking study measures how each brand’s dealerships treat car shoppers
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA – July 12, 2010 – Mercedes-Benz dealerships ranked highest in the newly released 2010 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index® (PSI®) U.S. Auto Industry Study, one of a series of unique national benchmarking studies using “mystery shoppers” to measure and compare how consumers are treated when shopping.
Detroit brands led the way in 2010 for most improvement, with Ford, Lincoln and Chevrolet scoring above the industry average for the first time since PSI auto industry benchmarking began four years ago.
The independent study sent 3,658 hired anonymous “mystery shoppers” into auto dealerships nationwide, then used the patent-pending PSI process to compile the results into an accurate measurement of how each brand’s dealerships treat car shoppers.
Overall auto industry performance improved notably from 2009 to 2010, with 25 of the 34 major auto brands achieving higher PSI scores. Although luxury brands continue to lead the industry for treatment of car shoppers, the improvement of mainstream brands has been striking. For example, when comparing the 2010 Ford shopping experience with that of 2007, we find that the typical Ford salesperson was 52% more likely to discuss vehicle features unique from the competition, 29% more likely to introduce him or herself and 65% more likely to proactively mention the availability of different financing options.
Despite the widespread and continual improvement in how cars are sold, there is still plenty of room for improvement, although not necessarily in the expected areas. For example, the stereotypical car shopping experience of having an overbearing salesperson happened far less often (6% of the time) than the opposite: a salesperson who simply was not helpful enough and did not devote enough time and attention to the car shopper (18% of the time). Another area of potential disappointment for car shoppers has been the decision by some brands and dealerships to limit or discontinue offering brochures. Industry wide, salespeople proactively offered a brochure following a visit only 57% of the time; the lowest level in the last three years.
Substantial variation in shopper treatment by brand continues. For example, both Volvo and BMW salespeople mentioned their brand’s maintenance program and associated costs 80% of the time or more, while shoppers looking for a Scion, Mitsubishi or Dodge heard about it less than one-third of the time. Lexus and Porsche salespeople reviewed the vehicle’s features and controls 95% of the time before leaving on a test drive, but BMW salespeople reviewed it only 74% of the time. At Land Rover, Smart or Mini dealerships, salespeople nearly always handled the entire visit themselves and rarely introduced shoppers to dealership management. In contrast, at Suzuki, Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota and Infiniti dealerships the salespeople introduced shoppers to dealership management to help close the sale 40% of the time or more. Salespeople who work for dealerships selling Nissan, Mazda, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota or Volkswagen were most likely to follow-up with shoppers within 48 hours after the initial visit, while salespeople who work for dealerships selling Buick, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet and Acura were least likely to follow-up with shoppers after the initial visit.
“Today’s car shoppers are armed with far more vehicle and pricing information than ever before,” said Fran O’Hagan, CEO of Pied Piper Management Co., LLC. “Successful brands and dealerships have responded by acting as helpful enablers for today’s shoppers. At the most successful dealerships, the stereotype of the old-fashioned car salesperson no longer exists.”
The 2010 Pied Piper PSI U.S. Auto Industry Study was conducted between July 2009 and June 2010 using 3,658 hired anonymous “mystery shoppers” at dealerships located throughout the U.S. Examples of other recent Pied Piper PSI studies are the 2010 Pied Piper PSI U.S. Motorcycle Industry Study, in which Polaris Industries, Inc’s Victory brand was ranked first, and the 2008 Pied Piper PSI U.S. RV Industry Study (Class A), in which Winnebago’s Itasca brand was ranked first. Complete Pied Piper PSI industry study results are provided to vehicle manufacturers and national dealer groups. Manufacturers, national dealer groups and individual dealerships also order PSI evaluations as a tool to improve the sales effectiveness of their dealerships. For more information about the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, and the patent-pending PSI process, go to www.piedpiperpsi.com.
About Pied Piper Management Company, LLC
Pied Piper Management Company, LLC is a seven year old Monterey, California company that develops and runs sales and marketing programs to maximize the performance of dealer networks. Go to www.piedpipermc.com.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Green Makes it 3 in a row at Norisring DTM-Spengler still leads the points
Green's Junge Stern AMG C-Class DTM finished 0.591 seconds ahead of Abt Sport Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom after 89 laps on the ultra fast city circuit. Canadian Bruno Spengler finished 3rd in his Daimler Bank AMG C-Class further cementing his lead in the Championship. Salzgitter AMG C-Class driver Gary Paffett ended up 6th. After setting fastest time in qualifying Lauerus AMG C-Class driver Ralf Schumacher suffered a drive thru penalty after jumping the start and finished 11th.
The next round of the DTM is at the Nurburgring on August 8th.
1. Jamie Green Junge Stern Mucke Motorsport AMG C-Class DTM
2. Mattias Ekstrom Abt Sportline Audi A4 DTM
3. Bruno Spengler Daimler Bank HWA AMG C-Class DTM
6. Gary Paffett Salzgitter HWA AMG C-Class DTM
9. Maro Engel GO Persson Motorsport AMG C-Class DTM
10. Paul Di Resta AMG Driving Academy HWA AMG C-Class DTM
11. Ralf Schumacher Laureus HWA AMG C-Class DTM
Hendrick Motors of Charlotte Website
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