Mini Dealers Improve Most on Mercedes-Topped Consumer Treatment Study

Mercedes-Benz dealers treat prospective buyers the best according to the 2015 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, while Mini dealers were the most improved this year.

Mercedes has ranked best in the study for seven consecutive years, while Infiniti and Lexus came in second and third respectively. The top five is rounded out by Mini and Toyota.

Sitting at the very bottom of the list is Tesla, not surprising considering the brand doesn’t have any dealers. From worst to best, the bottom five are finished by Mitsubishi, Volvo, Land Rover and Jeep.

Mini, BMW, Lexus, Chrysler, Dodge, Lincoln and Ram all showed significant improvement on the study this year, while Volvo, smart, Jaguar and Cadillac fell the furthest. Mini jumped from ninth on the study last year to sit in the fourth spot this year by gaining six points, while BMW and Lexus dealers both improved by four points.

SEE ALSO: I ndependent Shops Outscore Dealers in Satisfaction Survey

The study factors in more than 50 different elements of dealership service, but the most important are whether or not a salesperson mentions different financing options, whether they took down the shopper’s contact info and whether the shoppers were encouraged to review the numbers of a potential deal.

The study found a number of salesperson behaviors which are more likely in 2015 than in any previous year. Sales people offered test drives 94 percent of the time, while they provided reasons to buy from their specific dealership 51 percent of the time and suggested sitting down at a desk 83 percent of the time. On the flip side, some behaviors are occurred less than ever before, including being asked how the vehicle will be used, which occurred 72 percent of the time, asking why the prospect considered that certain brand, which happened 59 percent of the time, and offering printed materials, which occured 47 percent of the time.

“Top performing dealerships define specific sales steps to be followed by their salespeople,” said Fran O’Hagan, President and CEO of Pied Piper Management Company LLC. “Less successful dealerships allow a ‘Wild West’ approach where each salesperson decides how to sell.” According to Pied Piper, dealers in the top quarter of the study ranking sell about 16 percent more vehicles versus those in the bottom.

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