Triumph ranked first among 27 powersports brands in Pied Piper’s 2024 PSI® Service Telephone Effectiveness® (STE®) Study, which assessed the efficiency and quality of service calls from a customer’s perspective of quickly and easily scheduling a service appointment. Following Triumph in the rankings were dealers servicing 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,” said Fran O’Hagan, Pied Piper CEO. “Powersports customers who find scheduling service difficult often switch to another dealership or independent shop, or even get rid of their vehicle.”
Brands showing the most improvement from last year included Triumph, Kymco, CFMoto, HiSun, and Kawasaki, each increasing their STE scores by more than four points. Sixteen brands saw a decline in performance, including Harley-Davidson, Zero, Suzuki, Moto Guzzi, and Indian.
Overall STE scores range from 0 to 100, based on measurements supporting the goal of quickly speaking with a service representative to schedule an appointment within a reasonable time. Efficiency measurements account for 62% of the total score, while quality measurements make up 38%.
One in seven (15%) powersports customers failed to schedule service, hanging up their calls. Thirty-three percent achieved their goal quickly, speaking with a service advisor within one minute and scheduling an appointment within one week. Thirteen percent of dealerships achieved STE scores over 70 by providing a proactively helpful experience exceeding basic expectations.
The national average STE score dropped three points from 46 to 43 compared to last year. Dealers were more likely to place customers on hold, less likely to give their name, ask for contact information, or provide repair time and cost estimates. However, they offered earlier appointments, averaging six days out compared to nine days last year, and more frequently asked if additional services were needed.
Triumph, this year’s top-scoring brand, improved its STE score by nine points to 55, approaching the automobile industry average of 58. Triumph customers spoke with a service advisor within one minute and scheduled service within one week 47% of the time on average, up from 18% last year. Additionally, only 8% of Triumph customers waited on hold for more than two minutes, down from 24% last year.
Performance varied by brand and dealership:
- “Mission Failure” (customer hang-ups): Less than 10% for Polaris, Aprilia, Can-Am, and Triumph; more than 25% for Tracker, Zero, Moto Guzzi, Indian, and Ducati.
- “Mission Acceptable” (speaking with a service advisor within one minute and scheduling within one week): More than 40% for Indian, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, and KTM; less than 20% for Cub Cadet, John Deere, Zero, and Arctic Cat.
- Days out for first available appointment: Less than 5 days for KTM, Indian, Harley-Davidson, and Roxor; more than 9 days for Arctic Cat, Tracker, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Livewire.
- Hold times over two minutes: Less than 5% for Husqvarna, Cub Cadet, Kawasaki, Roxor, Polaris, BMW, Kubota, HiSun, and Moto Guzzi; more than 15% for Tracker, Yamaha, Arctic Cat, Indian, and KTM.
- Asked about additional issues: More than 35% for Triumph, Indian, John Deere, Arctic Cat, Kawasaki, and Royal Enfield; less than 25% for Tracker, Livewire, Harley-Davidson, Moto Guzzi, Zero, Roxor, and Cub Cadet.
Understanding the actual customer experience during service calls is the first step toward improvement, which is often surprising. “The effort is worth it,” said O’Hagan. “Satisfied service customers are more likely to be long-term loyal customers for both service and future vehicle purchases.”
Pied Piper PSI industry studies have been conducted annually since 2007. The 2024 Pied Piper PSI®-STE® Powersports Study (U.S.A.) was conducted between October 2023 and April 2024, involving service department calls to 1,928 dealerships nationwide representing all major powersports brands.
