Victory Tops 2010 Pied Piper PSI Study

The fourth-annual Pied Piper PSI study examines how effectively a brand’s dealerships help potential buyers. The Monterey, Calif., based Pied Piper Management Co. sent 2,014 anonymous “mystery shoppers” into dealerships across the country between July 2009 and April 2010. The 2010 report examined 14 brands. Brands were rated based on a number of factors to produce an overall score.

The motorcycle industry as a whole earned a rating of 103, up two points from the 101 scored in 2009. Victory’s rating increased by five points 107, moving it to the top spot and leapfrogging last year’s leader, Ducati and the 2007-2008 leader, Harley-Davidson.

Victory dealerships scored high for doing the little things like asking for a prospective shopper’s name and contact information. Victory dealers led all brands in asking follow-up questions, explaining what makes the brand unique and encouraging shoppers to sit on a motorcycle.

Ducati lost a point from the 2009 study, scoring 106. Ducati salespeople were the most likely to be able to answer all product questions and were most likely to ask how a motorcycle would be used and by whom. Harley-Davidson also scored 106 and its dealers rated highest in staying attentive and focused on a customer and addressing features and benefits that meet the shopper’s needs.

BMW, Triumph, Yamaha and MV Agusta all rated either at or above the industry rating. Triumph had the highest increase from 2009 with 7 points while Victory and Yamaha each improved by five points.

Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda, Aprilia and KTM improved their scores from last year though they all remain below the industry’s 103 rating. Husqvarna held steady at 90 points while Moto Guzzi dropped a point to 89, putting it at the bottom of the brands included in the study.