Press

One of the most effective devices for selling vehicles was invented nearly 150 years ago.

It’s the telephone. Sure, early phones were nothing like today’s multifunctional smartphones. But a dealership’s response to a digital sales lead should include phoning the customer.

So says Fran O’Hagan, CEO of Pied Piper, a consultancy that uses mystery shopping to rank dealerships’ internet effectiveness, particularly the rapidity of responding to answer a question posed by a shopper.

“Speed of response is still important,” he tells WardsAuto, while speaking of his company’s latest ranking of multiple-store dealership groups’ internet effectiveness. (See chart below for rankings.)

Similar Pied Piper annual studies rank dealers by brand.