Best-In-Class – Customer Satisfaction: Pioneer Motorsport
“We place a lot of value on our reputation,” said Kyle Armstrong, general manager of Pioneer Motorsport in Chaffee, New York. “Everything’s digital now, and from time to-time people say, ‘Hey, we pulled up some dealerships and you guys were a 4.7 vs. a 4.6.’ That’s cool, but I think internally we just know we do a good job. And even when we do make mistakes, it’s not what the mistake was, it’s how you handle it.”
Customer satisfaction is an important metric in all retail today. With technology, more people use this metric to help with a purchase decision. Pioneer Motorsport considers it vital to monitor the numbers and to get feedback from the front end to the back end of the store. The team at the dealership believes that while a first impression and gaining a sale is huge, it only carries a dealership so far.
In both OEM-measured metrics, and in Google scoring, Pioneer Motorsport watches the numbers closely and continues to rank well (with a 9.58 in overall customer satisfaction from Can-Am, Sea-Doo, Ski-Doo, CFMOTO, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki and Yamaha, and a steady 4.7 ranking from Google).
“As a family-owned dealership, we take pride in giving the best experience we can from start to finish,” said Armstrong. “Too often, dealers want to focus on quantity over quality. We’ve stayed focused on quality, and that’s been instilled in me and my brother, also some long tenured employees. We know our name’s not directly on the building, but it’s still a family business and people know that.”
Armstrong works hard to find staff that share his values about customer satisfaction. “It’s been a struggle to find quality help that meets standards,” he said. “And when we bring people in, if it doesn’t work, we need to recognize that sooner than later. We’re the country club of dealerships, not just the everyday mom and pop shop.”
“We’re not perfect,” he adds, “and we don’t claim to be perfect. We own our mistakes and I think that’s why we do a good job. People come in and know they’re going to get a good honest relationship. We don’t want to be the cheapest out there, but we want to give people what they’re paying for, which is great customer service.”
Armstrong says his mom built the business to where it is today, “and I want to fill her shoes as time goes on.”
The dealership believes that long-term service is what can set them apart. The service department provides customers with honest work delivered with a good customer rapport. Despite growing pains from the last two years, the dealership has not deviated away from customer satisfaction even as demand has grown.
Armstrong cautions against service companies promising quick solutions. “A lot of services want to give you more leads, but just try to dial those things in appropriately so you can work efficiently and effectively.”
When reviews come in, the team acknowledges and responds to all comments.
“It all starts with your people,” said Armstrong, “and getting the right people that want to grow your image and your name the right way, not just the easy way. I’ve been fortunate to come into a well-established business and now I am responsible for continue to grow it the right way.”
He adds that paying attention to customer satisfaction should help employee satisfaction. “Our people do an amazing job,” he said, “and my service manager is one who makes sure he gives 110% all the time, but you need to continue to work through issues that arise and continue to grow and build as a team.
