Autoline Detroit
The Best Sales Experience
July 2010
As always, you get what you pay for. Ward's reports that luxury brands ranked highest in the fourth-annual Prospect Satisfaction Index, an auto-retailing survey conducted by consultancy firm Pied Piper Management. The organization hired 3,600 "mystery shoppers" to visit dealers around the U.S. and record their experiences. Mercedes-Benz topped the list, with other premium marques like Lexus, Land Rover and Acura following closely behind. Detroit ...
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Automobile Magazine
Study: Mercedes Dealers Treat Customers Best, Most Brands Post Improvements
July 2010
Pied Piper's annual Prospect Satisfaction Index ranks dealers in order of consumer satisfaction, so, logically, any automaker would want to be at the top of the list. Mercedes-Benz has taken the gold in 2010, thanks to its sterling customer satisfaction. In what is sure to be reassuring news for the auto industry as a whole, 25 of the 34 brands scored higher compared to last year's index. During the survey, Pied Piper dispatched 3658 mystery ...
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Motor Trend
Mercedes Scores Top Dealer Marks; Most Brands Improve Over Last Year
July 2010
A recent dealer study conducted by Pied Piper of Monterey, California, reports that Mercedes-Benz has the most highly rated dealers in the United States according to the Prospect Satisfaction Index. In what is sure to be reassuring news for the auto industry as a whole, 25 of the 34 brands scored higher compared to last year's index. During the survey, Pied Piper dispatched 3658 mystery shoppers to dealers to gather feedback for a variety of ...
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Automotive News
Mercedes dealers ranked most customer-friendly; Ford, Chevy gain
July 2010
A study measuring how dealerships treat customers rated Mercedes-Benz highest but said Detroit's brands have showed the most improvement. Ford, Lincoln and Chevrolet scored above the average for the first time in the four years that Piped Piper Management Co. has conducted its study. Lexus was No. 2 and Mitsubishi placed last in the survey. Pied Piper, of Monterey, Calif., sent 3,658 mystery shoppers into dealerships to develop its Prospect ...
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Detroit Free Press
Car dealers see how to seal deal with secret shopper study
July 2010
A host of mystery shoppers sent to critique dealerships across the country gave luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Lexus high marks and put Ford and Lincoln above the industry average.
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Ward's Auto
Survey Says Mercedes Dealerships Treat Customers Best
July 2010
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 ...
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The Detroit Bureau
Mercedes Dealers Best At Treating Potential Customers
July 2010
Product, product, product? Perhaps, but even the best vehicles won?t sell unless dealers know how to work with their customers, and according to a new study, Mercedes-Benz leads the way when it comes to doing the best job on the showroom floor. Not surprisingly, luxury makers lead the way when it comes to satisfying customers during the shopping experience, according to the latest annual Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, which uses a cadre ...
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Press Release: 2010 Pied Piper PSI U.S. Auto Industry Benchmarking Study
Mercedes-Benz dealers achieve highest ranking; Detroit brand dealers most improved
July 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 ...
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MediaPost Marketing Daily
Chevy Is First Non-Luxury Brand On PSI List
July 2010
Mercedes-Benz dealerships ranked highest in the new 2010 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) U.S. Auto Industry study. But Detroit automakers are the most improved in the study, which uses "mystery shoppers" to gauge how consumers are treated while shopping. In the study, 25 of 34 major auto brands have higher scores, led by luxury brands: Lexus came in second overall, followed by Land Rover, Acura, Jaguar, Audi, Cadillac, Lincoln and ...
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About.com: Motorcycles
Victory, Ducati, Harley-Davidson Top Pied Piper's Dealer Satisfaction Survey
May 2010
If you've ever looked forward to motorcycle shopping but wound up feeling insulted by the sales process (or the lack thereof), Pied Piper's Prospect Satisfaction Index might hold some interest. Using 2,014 anonymous mystery shoppers, the study tracks major motorcycle manufacturers and their ability to sell their brands to prospective buyers. The study's top 14 finishers can be seen in the graph above; click to enlarge.
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