September 3, 2007 – Survey: Customers favor single-line Powersports dealers

According to J.D Power and Associates Motorcycle Competitive Information Study (MCIS), customers are generally more satisfied overall with single-line dealers compared to multi-line dealers. Specifically, single-line dealerships scored markedly higher in the areas of explanation of warranty and explanation of features and operation of the motorcycle.
In addition, employees of single-line dealerships appear to be more knowledgeable and honest than those representing multi-line dealerships. The survey shows that the gaps in these “human element” scores are substantial. In addition, consumers ranked “honesty and integrity of personnel” and “personnel concern for my specific needs” as the top two drivers of overall satisfaction.

Widening the gap
Unfortunately for multi-line dealers, according to the survey, single-line dealers have widened the gap during the past four years. In 2003, the gap between the two dealer types was .31, compared to .48 in 2006. Regarding dealer loyalty, 55 percent of respondents who bought from a single-line dealer indicated that they “definitely will” purchase another motorcycle from the same dealer if given the opportunity — only 44 percent of those who purchased from a multi-line dealer indicated this. When asked if they would recommend their dealer, 62 percent of single-line dealer respondents reported that they “definitely will” recommend their dealer, compared to 51 percent among multi-line dealer respondents.
Brand loyalty also can be affected by the type of dealer network. For example, 55 percent of those who bought from a single-line dealer remained loyal to their brand — 14 percent higher than multi-lilne customers.
For more info on the J.D. Power study, contact Tim Fox at 248/267-6800 or e-mail tim.fox@jdpa.com.