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Recent Press - Page 31
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Wards Dealer Business
Whodunnit the Best? Mystery shoppers test dealership sales skills by brand
August 2011
Mystery shoppers gauge things that are important to making a sale, but not necessarily of interest to customers at the particular time. “A customer in a dealership is thinking about price and trade value, not whether the salesperson addressed specific features, asked for the sale or followed the sales steps,” said Fran O'Hagan, President & CEO of Pied Piper Management Company LLC. “Those are not what the customer focuses on, but they are what ... Read More >
Powersports Business Blog
Do your salespeople ask for the sale every time?
August 2011
Probably not. We know that asking for the sale is an obvious key to selling motorcycles, but we also know that on average, U.S. motorcycle salespeople ask for the sale less than half the time (48 percent to be exact). Given that asking for the sale directly sells more motorcycles, why do so many salespeople resist? Two reasons: First of all because we humans dislike rejection as much as we dislike anything. Salespeople must understand and ... Read More >
Automotive News First Shift
Secret Shoppers Pick Mercedes
July 2011
Mercedes-Benz dealerships ranked highest in a study by Pied Piper Management Company to measure how effectively dealerships sell cars. Jaguar and Lexus tied for second. Read More >
Motor Trend
Mercedes Dealers Ranked Highest, Secret Shopper Survey Finds
July 2011
When it comes to the car buying process, the car pretty much does all the work, pulling in buyers with its impressive MPGs, like the Chevrolet Cruze or Ford Fiesta, or making them drool with offerings of the turbo inline 6 in the BMW 1M. Even completely new and fresh designs like the Kia Soul and completely redesigned models like the Hyundai Elantra are enough to entice buyers— all that's left is to seal the deal. But which dealerships leave ... Read More >
Automobile Magazine
Mercedes-Benz Dealerships Rank High in Customer Satisfaction
July 2011
The auto industry is seeing better days since it suffered a crisis back in 2008, when American car sales plummeted to one of its lowest points. Since then, the industry has rebounded and customers are now flocking to dealerships across the country to get their hands on a new set of wheels. But which dealers are performing up to par? Read More >
New York Times
Mercedes-Benz tops study of U.S. auto dealers
July 2011
DETROIT (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz dealerships were tops for the third straight year in an independent study issued on Monday of U.S. auto dealers that uses secret shoppers to determine how customers are treated. Mercedes-Benz, a Daimler AG brand, was followed by Jaguar, a Tata Motors brand, and Lexus, the luxury brand of Toyota Motor Corp , which tied for second. Toyota's U.S. dealerships and Chrysler's Ram pickup truck dealers were best among ... Read More >
The Car Connection
Study: Understaffed Dealerships Souring The Sales Experience?
July 2011
As U.S. auto sales gradually rebound, it would seem that dealerships and showroom salespeople would be eager than ever to let the good times roll once again. But could some brands be slowing their sales recovery due to understaffed dealerships that aren't making every effort to inform shoppers about the vehicle, get them in it, be straightforward, and complete the sale? It's a question that automakers might find worth looking into. According to a ... Read More >
USA Today
Study: Mercedes dealers treat shoppers best, Lincoln does not
July 2011
Mercedes-Benz dealers treated customers best and Lincoln stores were the worst in the luxury category, but overall satisfaction with car dealers fell in new "secret shopper" study. Dealer management consultant Pied Piper's annual shopper satisfaction study sent 3,524 anonymous paid "shoppers" into dealerships to rate the experience on everything from features explained in a way specific to their needs to finishing the sale. It was a third year on ... Read More >
Media Post Marketing Daily
Mercedes Dealers Ranked No. 1 In Retail Experience
July 2011
It looks like Mercedes-Benz' focus on retail, including giving sales staff at dealerships iPads and installing interactive video displays on showroom floors, has paid off. The brand's dealers have gotten the highest satisfaction index ranking for the third year in a row in the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, which uses mystery shoppers to rank the retail experience. The automaker has just opened a flagship dealership "laboratory" in ... Read More >
Detroit Bureau
Mercedes-Benz Tops at Handling Shoppers, Finds New Study, But even the best makers have slipped coming out of recession
July 2011
Mercedes-Benz is doing the best job treating potential buyers when they walk into the showroom, reports a new study, which is one reason the maker has continued building demand as the luxury market recovers. But while it's the third year in a row that the German marque led the annual Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, its score actually slipped from last year, and the industry, on the whole, has seen a declining in the handling of “ups,” or ... Read More >
