Powersports Business Blog
Harley dealers boast effective selling; what about other brands' dealers?
May 2012
2012 Pied Piper PSI results for the U.S. motorcycle industry confirm that Harley-Davidson dealerships sell as effectively in 2012 as they did back in 2008 — pre-recession — when motorcycle dealerships nationwide were still enjoying another year of solid sales. But what about the dealerships that sell Honda, Triumph, Kawasaki, or any of the other brands? Many of these dealerships operate in 2012 with half the dealership staff that they had in ...
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Dealernews
Which dealers sell best? Harley, Ducati and BMW, say mystery shoppers
May 2012
Harley-Davidson dealers return to the top ranking in Pied Piper Management Co.'s annual study measuring how well dealers treat motorcycle shoppers. The California-based research company today released results of the 2012 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) U.S. Motorcycle Industry Benchmarking Study. BMW and Ducati finished in a tie for second, followed by Triumph, Victory and Indian in a three-way tie for fourth. Industry-wide ...
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Press Release: Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealers Ranked Highest by 2012 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index(R)
Industry benchmarking study shows widespread improvement in dealership treatment of motorcycle shoppers
May 2012
Monterey, California – May 7, 2012 – Harley-Davidson dealerships returned to the top ranking in the newly released 2012 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index® (PSI®) U.S. Motorcycle Industry Benchmarking Study, which measured dealership treatment of motorcycle shoppers. Study rankings by brand were determined by the patent-pending Pied Piper PSI process, which ties “mystery shopping” measurement and scoring to industry sales success. BMW and ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Are you a tour guide for your customers?
April 2012
Tim Mayhew, the ringleader of Pashnit Motorcycle Tours in Northern California, reports that business is booming, and this year's tours are nearly all sold out. Demand from repeat customers is so strong that Mayhew has had to increase the number of annual tours just to meet demand from repeat customers. Mayhew's customers clearly have the time of their life on these tours, which they enjoy not only for the motorcycle riding but also for the ...
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Automotive News
Internet Leads: Many Dealers Still Drop the Ball
March 2012
LOS ANGELES – Internet leads are crucial to every dealership's sales success, but a new study shows that most dealerships still drop the ball when contacted on-line by shoppers. The survey was conducted by mystery shopping consultant Pied Piper of Monterey, Calif. The consultancy submitted internet inquiries to 4,331 dealerships nationwide representing all major brands. The inquiries included specific questions to verify whether the answer was ...
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Automotive News First Shift
Online Secret Shoppers: Dealers Fail On-Line Test
March 2012
Lexus, Infiniti and Acura ranked highest in Pied Piper's annual study to measure dealership responsiveness to buyers' questions over the internet.
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Ward's Auto
Japanese Luxury Brand Stores Best Handle Internet Leads
March 2012
Japanese luxury-brand U.S. dealerships rank best in fielding customer Internet inquiries, according to the latest results of an annual study by consulting firm Pied Piper Management. Toyota's Lexus and Nissan's Infiniti tie for first place with 62% online-lead effectiveness, followed by Honda's Acura with 59%. In contrast, two other Japanese nameplates score the worst, Toyota's Scion with 39% effectiveness and Suzuki, dead last with 23%. Ford and ...
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Press Release: 2012 Pied Piper PSI(R) Internet Lead Effectiveness™(ILE™) Benchmarking Study (U.S.A)
Lexus, Infiniti and Acura Dealerships Top Ranked for Response to Customer Internet Inquiries
March 2012
• Industry-wide improvement from previous year led by Ford and Chrysler • However, 22% of customer internet inquiries remain unanswered after 24 hours Monterey, California – March 12, 2012 – Lexus, Infiniti and Acura dealerships ranked highest in the 2012 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index® (PSI®) Internet Lead Effectiveness(™) (ILE™) Benchmarking Study, which measured auto dealership responsiveness to customer inquiries received over the ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Your dirt riding customers are only hibernating. Wake them up.
March 2012
In 2005, more than 275,000 dirt bikes were sold in the U.S., but over the next six years dirt bike retails plummeted 75 percent – more of a drop than any other motorcycle category. Most of those dirt bike customers are still around, but do they still ride? Are they riding, but just not replacing their bikes as often? Is it possible to coax these dirt riders out of “new-bike-purchase-hibernation” to get them interested in buying a new dirt bike ...
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Powersports Business Blog
Could it be as simple as improving showroom lighting?
February 2012
Can your dealership sell more motorcycles and accessories simply by improving your showroom lighting? Some dealerships make no change to the standard fluorescent fixtures that came with the building, while others install bright ambient lighting as well as spotlights on motorcycles and on accessory displays. All that specialized lighting costs money to install and the ongoing electric bill may be higher too, so where are the facts proving that ...
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