Despite growth, some dealers grumble - Automotive News
Even as new-vehicle sales climb toward historic levels, dealers with Volkswagen, Infiniti, Mini, Smart and Fiat franchises are concerned about the long-term value of their franchises and their relations with manufacturers. Dealers with those brands are the most disgruntled overall, according to the most recent Dealer Attitude Survey, conducted and distributed twice a year by the National Automobile Dealers Association. Lexus dealers expressed the most upbeat attitude in the industry, according to scores on the survey's Overall Attitude Index, followed by dealers for Toyota, Subaru, Audi and Ford. The overall index combines results from survey responses on:. Value: These questions focus on past, present and future franchise values and dealers' perceptions of the brand's product quality and desirability. Policy: These questions ask about the automaker's consideration of dealer input, its policies to support dealer efforts in achieving customer satisfaction and whether the factory's policies and procedures are fair. Fiat Chrysler's dealers scored their brands' field personnel the worst on the survey. The four lowest-ranking brands in this area of the survey, starting from the bottom, were Fiat, Chrysler, Ram and Dodge. Source: www.autonews.com
