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Powersports Business • July 2024 • 3

Triumph Motorcycles was ranked first of 27 powersports brands in Pied Piper ’ s 2024 PSI Service Telephone Effectiveness ( STE ) Study . The study measured the efficiency and quality of service telephone calls based on a customer ’ s objective of quickly and easily setting up a service appointment . Following the Triumph dealers in the rankings were dealers who service Harley-Davidson ’ s electric Livewire brand , BMW , Aprilia , and Polaris Off-Road .

“ Well-run service departments focus on increasing customer loyalty , and the first service experience to drive that loyalty is a customer ’ s phone call to schedule an appointment ,” says Fran O ’ Hagan , CEO of Pied Piper . “ Powersports customers who find scheduling service difficult vote with their feet by moving to another dealership or independent shop , or even getting rid of their vehicle .”

Triumph , Kymco , CFMoto , HiSun , and Kawasaki improved their STE scores by more than four points from last year ’ s study . However , the performance of 16 brands declined , including Harley-Davidson , Zero , Suzuki , Moto Guzzi , and Indian .

Overall STE scores range from 0 to 100 and are calculated from a mix of individually weighted measurements that support the customer mission of quickly speaking with a service representative who can schedule a service appointment within a reasonable amount of time . Efficiency measurements determine 62 % of the total score , while quality measurements determine 38 % of the total score .

One in seven ( 15 %) of the study ’ s powersports customers hung up their phone , having failed to schedule service . Thirty-three percent of the customers quickly accomplished their objective , speaking with a service advisor within one minute and scheduling an appointment within one week . Thirteen percent of the powersports dealerships nationally went further , achieving STE scores over 70 , by also providing a proactively helpful experience that went above and beyond the customer ’ s basic expectations .

The national average STE score dropped three points compared to last year , from 46 to 43 . Powersports dealers in this year ’ s study were more likely , on average , to place customers on hold , less likely to give their name to the

Following the Triumph dealers in the rankings were dealers who service Harley-Davidson ’ s electric Livewire brand , BMW , Aprilia , and Polaris Off-Road . Photo courtesy of Pied Piper MC

customer , less likely to ask for the customer ’ s contact information , and less likely to provide an estimate of how long the repair would take , or what it would cost . However , dealers , on average , offered an earlier appointment , six days out on average compared to nine days out last year , and dealers were more likely , on average , to ask if there were any other services needed while the customer ’ s vehicle was in the shop .

Triumph , this year ’ s top-scoring brand , improved its STE score by nine points over the previous year to achieve a score of 55 , close to the automobile industry average STE score of 58 . Triumph customers spoke with a service advisor within one minute and scheduled service within one week 47 % of the time on average , compared to only 18 percent of the time last year . Similarly , last year , Triumph customers waited on hold for more than two minutes 24 percent of the time , which improved to only eight percent of the time this year .

Performance of each measurement varied by brand and dealership , and the following are examples of performance variation by brand :

“ Mission Failure ” How often did a customer hang up their phone having failed to schedule a service appointment ?

Less than 10 % of the time on average : Polaris , Aprilia , Can-Am , Triumph

More than 25 % of the time on average : Tracker , Zero , Moto Guzzi , Indian , Ducati

“ Mission Acceptable ” How often was a customer able to speak with a service advisor within one minute and schedule a service appointment within one week ?

More than 40 % of the time on average : Indian , Harley-Davidson , Triumph , Moto Guzzi , KTM

Less than 20 % of the time on average : Cub Cadet , John Deere , Zero , Arctic Cat

How many days out was the first available service appointment ?

Less than 5 days on average : KTM , Indian , Harley-Davidson , Roxor

More than 9 days on average : Arctic Cat , Tracker , Kawasaki , Suzuki , Livewire

How often was a customer placed on hold for more than two minutes ?

Less than 5 % of the time on average : Husqvarna , Cub Cadet , Kawasaki , Roxor , Polaris , BMW , Kubota , HiSun , Moto Guzzi

More than 15 % of the time on average : Tracker , Yamaha , Arctic Cat , Indian , KTM

How often was a customer asked if they were experiencing any other issues ?

More than 35 % of the time on average : Triumph , Indian , John Deere , Arctic Cat , Kawasaki , Royal Enfield

Less than 25 % of the time on average : Tracker , Livewire , Harley-Davidson , Moto- Guzzi , Zero , Roxor , Cub Cadet

The first step toward improving the service telephone experience is understanding what happens when customers call , which is often a surprise . “ The effort is worth it ,” says O ’ Hagan . “ Satisfied service customers are more likely to be long-time loyal customers not only for service work but also when it ’ s time to buy another vehicle .”

The 2024 Pied Piper PSI-STE Powersports Study ( U . S . A .) was conducted between October 2023 and April 2024 by phoning the service departments at 1,928 dealerships nationwide representing all major powersports brands .

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