October 2021 – Issue 2.0 #9
…like the Borg on Star Trek, you will be assimilated or you will die… at least that is the message in the new Pied Piper PSI Study. Founder Fran O’Hagan modified his annual survey to address the omnichannel this go round. While the findings are fascinating, the truly frightening thing Pied Piper unearthed was the fact that 6 out of 10 direct requests for UTVs (the hottest selling segment in the world confirmed by Savlowitz & Ponton) are never followed up on at the dealer level.
“What happens when motorcycle or UTV customers visit a dealer website and inquire about a vehicle,” asks O’Hagan. The short answer to that question is “nothing” for 6 out of 10 incoming queries. “The biggest gaping omnichannel hole in powerspots right now isn’t weak websites, or missing website digital tools, or poor sales practices in-person at the dealership; although all of those areas will benefit a lot from improvement,” he explains. “No, the powersports industry’s gaping flesh wound is dealer failure to respons to web customer inquiries.” All of the programs in the universe can’t help the Dealer if they are not implemented.