Team Acura Parts Blog

Acura dealerships ranked top of its class in a 2007 survey pertaining to prospect satisfaction. The survey was under the banner of the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (SM) Auto Industry Study, which is an industry-first analysis on how consumers are treated when shopping for a new automobile, specifically a new car, truck, or the popular sports utility vehicle. This independent study interviewed and evaluated shopping experiences of the buying public relative to all major automotive brands, and covered a staggering number of 1,592 dealerships nationwide.

Following Acura’s lead in the survey as the second placer is Land Rover. Saturn cinches the no.3 spot, then followed by Jaguar, Volkswagen, and Nissan. Nineteen other brands were passed above the industry average, while twelve brands failed in a below industry average rating.

Fran O’Hagen, President of Pied Piper Management Co., LLC., has this to say in reference to the said study: “Pied Piper PSI results show that it is possible for automobile salespeople to effectively ask for the sale without seemingly either overbearing or ambivalent.” The statement serves to censure the olden and notorious means of too-aggressive marketing methods employed by salespeople, and at the same time reaffirms that majority of the players in the industry have disposed of such schemes and are now making use of effective and selling techniques.

Based on the statistics conclusion, the typical sales team would keenly offer a brochure 66% of the time, offer a test drive 89% of the time, would request for clientele contact information 83% of the time, and would inquire about the sale 75% of the time. The survey’s top brand winners all produced excellent rating performance in these categories, and the no.1 in each class only just leading by mere percentage margins. Some specified results indicate that Saturn salespeople were the ones most likely to offer a test drive, the Lexus team is the one most likely to request for contact details, and a list of others.

However, there is one category that needs further improvement from most of the sales team, and that is in providing the client compelling reasons to buy from their specific dealership. According to the survey, an average of only 51% amongst the team is religiously practicing this sales technique.

This is how Acura bagged the no.1 spot in the survey. The Acura salespeople have done excellently in all the technique categories, including leading the pack in terms of giving the prospects persuasive reasons to buy from their particularly dealership, in which the other sales team scored lowly points. The survey concludes that among all the brands in the market, the Acura salespeople brought out the overall best dealership and marketing techniques in taking proper care of the consumers

The 2007 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (SM) Auto Industry Study was conducted between the periods of April 2007 to June 2007 only. The sources used were anonymous shopper evaluations at 1,592 dealerships nationwide in the United States.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2007 at 2:14 am and is filed under Acura News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.