When it comes to how effective car dealerships are at selling vehicles to potential customers, Audi does it best in the United States, according to a new study.
The 2018 Prospect Satisfaction Index U.S. Auto Industry Benchmarking Test compiled by Pied Piper Management saw mystery shoppers visit 3466 dealerships across 34 different auto brands between July 2017 and June 2018.
These mystery shoppers gauged how each salesperson was operating and looked at no less than 50 points which they thought would influence a person’s decision about whether or not to purchase a new vehicle, Car and Driver reports.
It was determined that salespeople from Audi were the most likely to ask customers about how they intended to use the vehicle and name things that distinguish its models from competitors, while also being the most willing to provide a walkaround demonstration of the car’s features.
At the other end of the spectrum are what Pied Piper likes to refer to as “museum curators.” These salespeople know a lot about the vehicles they’re selling, but actually do very little to encourage ownership.
In the survey, Tesla was ranked last. According to Pied Piper, roughly one of four Tesla outlet visits nationwide offered an experience that was near-perfect. However, on the other three, its mystery shoppers uncovered salespeople who seemed to know a lot about different Tesla products but seemed to do little to actually sell a vehicle to a potential customer.
Other brands that fell below the industry average included Porsche, Genesis, Fiat, Ford, Jeep, Subaru, Volkswagen, Mazda, Honda, and Chrysler. Among those above the industry average were Lexus, Toyota, Mercedes, RAM, Jaguar, BMW, Kia, Chevrolet, and Hyundai.