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Mercedes-Benz dealerships rank highest and Mitsubishi stores lowest in a new auto-retailing survey that used people posing as car shoppers to gauge and compare customer treatment.
Domestic brands improved the most, with Ford, Lincoln and Chevrolet dealerships scoring for the first time above the industry average in the fourth-annual Prospect Satisfaction Index by Pied Piper Management Co. LLC, an auto-retailing consultancy.
Meanwhile, the stereotypical pushy car salesman appears headed for extinction, survey findings seem to indicate.
More than 3,600 hired mystery shoppers went into dealerships nationwide and recorded how the sales staffers treated them. Pied Piper converted those results into by-brand metric measurements.
Overall, auto industry performance improved notably, with 25 of 34 auto brands scoring higher this year, compared to 2009. Luxury brands continue to lead in customer treatment. But non-premium brands show significant gains.
For example, when comparing the 2010 Ford shopping experience with that of 2007’s survey index, the latest one finds Ford dealership sales personnel.
- 52% more likely to discuss vehicle features unique from the competition.
- 29% more likely to introduce themselves.
- 65% more likely to mention the availability of different financing options.
Meanwhile, the stereotypical car-shopping experience of facing an overbearing salesperson happened less often (6% of the time) than the other extreme of encountering an inattentive, unhelpful salesperson (18% of the time).
The Internet largely is responsible for the decline of the aggressive salesman, says Pied Piper CEO Fran O’Hagan.
“The Internet has shifted the balance of power to customers who now know a lot about products and prices because of their online research,” he tells Ward’s.
