For the second year in a row, Victory has had the happiest customers in the industry. The 2011 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) U.S. Motorcycle Industry Benchmarking Study, gave Victory the top spot ahead of Harley-Davidson, Ducati, and Triumph.
The PIS study used close to 2000 “secret shoppers” to measure how effective each company was at making potential customers better motorcycle buyers.
“A strong dealership sales process is needed today more than ever,” said Fran O’Hagan, President and CEO of Pied Piper Management Co., LLC. ”The days of ‘order-taking’ are over, and a helpful and effective salesperson can make the difference by turning a shopper into a buyer.”
The secret shoppers visited 14 major motorcycle dealers, and judged how each company handled the sale process. Was there a product walk-around demonstration? Were they told about financing options? Available accessories?
The PIS study pointed out the strengths of several companies. Pied Piper Management, who conducted the study, said in a press release:
“Victory dealerships led the industry overall in multiple sales activities such as providing a product walk-around demonstration, mentioning the availability of financing options, mentioning the availability of accessories, and pointing out features unique from the competition. Eleven different brands led at least one sales process category. For example, Harley-Davidson salespeople were most likely to mention specific features and benefits tied to the shopper’s wants and needs. Ducati salespeople were most likely to offer a test ride. Triumph salespeople were most likely to ask for the sale. BMW and Yamaha salespeople were most likely to make an effort to write-up a transaction.”
Across the board, the motorcycle industry saw a slight decline in service. Here's a chart of the results from the PIS Study.
