Lexus, Infiniti, and Acura dealerships ranked highest in the 2012 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index® (PSI®) Internet Lead Effectiveness(™) (ILE™) Benchmarking Study, which measured auto dealership responsiveness to customer inquiries received over the internet.  Study rankings by brand were determined by the Pied Piper PSI process, which ties "mystery shopping" measurement and scoring to actual industry sales success.

Industry-wide performance improved substantially from 2011 to 2012, with two-thirds of the 34 auto brands recording higher scores.  In 2011, dealerships on average responded to customer inquiries within 24 hours 64% of the time, improving to 78% of the time on average in 2012. 

Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Group LLC brands showed the most improvement from the previous year, with Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealerships improving the most, along with Kia dealerships. 

Today most auto dealerships rely on "Auto Responder" software to generate an automatic email reply to customer inquiries based upon information gleaned from the customer inquiry.  The study showed that 72% of customer inquiries were initially answered using an auto responder, while the first response was a personal email 18% of the time, and there was no dealership reply of any kind 10% of the time.

The study measured 37 different combinations of dealership replies relying on automated and/or personal responses.  The most common dealership reply, occurring 16% of the time, was a simple auto response promising that a salesperson would be in touch soon, followed by a personal email from a salesperson.  Dealerships that follow this "simple" process on average achieved a PSI-ILE score of 66; higher than any current brand average score.  Other effective dealership processes included both a "rich" auto response promoting the dealership and specific vehicles, as well as a personal response to answer questions and encourage next steps.

What do you think?  When you’ve submitted an internet request to one of our dealers, how long did it take them to respond to you with a personal response? Were all of your questions answered in a timely manner? Let us know in the comments box below!

Earlier this week the Geneva Auto Show opened its doors and like every year since 1905 it is hosting auto manufacturers from around the world who are displaying the best of their new technology, vehicles, and concepts.

INFINITI EMERG-E Concept Emerges

A highly advanced, mid-ship sports car that provides an exciting glimpse into Infiniti’s future, the INFINITI EMERG-E Concept has debuted at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show. The INFINITI EMERGE-E is the ultimate expression of Infiniti’s inspired performance.

Its advanced technology draws on the knowledge of suppliers beyond Infiniti’s usual base.  With a 300 kW mid-engine, twin motor, this electric motors-powered sports car is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mpg in just four seconds; and from 0 to 130 in a 30-second burst. This vehicle also operates as an exciting, zero emission urban transport over a 30-mile range.

“It is elegant yet dynamic, and has graceful power,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura.

Mercedes-Benz New A-Class

With the world-premiere of the all-new A-Class Mercedes-Benz made a clear statement on the new dynamism they are headed for.  The new A-Class sits lower to the ground than its predecessor by up to 7 inches. With a reinterpretation of the classic two-box design, Mercedes-Benz designers have created an emotional exterior with an extremely sporty character. The A-Class sets a new benchmark in its class.

New Developments from smart

Smart revealed numerous new ideas for mobility in urban areas at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show:

The smart forus translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of the urban traffic for the first time. With state-of-the-art electric drive with a 55 KW magneto-electric motor the zero-emission smart for-us is agile and lively to drive.

This June the smart fortwo electric drive will start winning buyers in more than 30 countries for its innovative and forward-looking drive concept; with its new battery the smart fortwo electric drive is now able to pass the 75 mph mark.

The smart BRABUS electric drive offers a look at the sporty version of the smart fortwo electric drive.  In addition to modifications to the exterior and interior styling, its drive has been designed to be particularly dynamic and powerful acceleration. Alloy wheels also add to the sporty appeal.

Audi A3 Makes its World Premiere

The Audi A3 is the athlete in its segment; the upscale equipment and trim underscores its elegant style. The basic design expresses the sporty elegance of the A3 with its single-frame grille element and light guide rods in the tail lights that form distinctive contours. Sporty elegance infuses the interior also – with gleaming aluminum-look applications, air vents framed in black rings, and the instrument feature faces backed in gray. The A3 Sportback also offers impressive luggage capacity that varies between 13 and 38 cubic feet.

The Audi A3 Cabriolet, available in the Europe market only, was also unveiled in Geneva.

The Infiniti JX, which will be available in dealerships this spring, was chosen to the “Smartest Family Cars of 2012” list by Parenting magazine for its many family-friendly features, including its collision sensors that automatically engage the brake if another vehicle is detected when the JX is in reverse, as well as four external cameras that provide a 360-degree view of the surroundings. There is also the ability to synch appointments from Google Calendar into the navigation system.

“The Infiniti JX’s features were inspired by families who told us they wanted a luxury vehicle with features like the world’s first Backup Collision Intervention system, an Around View monitor, and not having to take out a child safety seat to get access to the 3rd row,” said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. “We’re proud that Parenting magazine recognized our desire to make hectic family lives a little more efficient and much more enjoyable.”

Visit Parenting magazine online to see a complete list of the “Smartest Family Cars.”