Though Chrysler Group’s U.S. sales shot up 26 percent last year, Sergio Marchionne believes that long-term sales success hinges on improving customer experiences at the automaker’s dealerships.
“We’re not top league. We moved up,” the Chrysler CEO said. “But that’s not true of the customer interface. We’re doing well, [dealers] are doing well, but they’re not doing well with the customers.”
The latest J.D. Power and Associates Sales Satisfaction Index Study, which measures consumer experiences at dealerships, ranked Chrysler Group’s Jeep, Ram and Dodge brands in three of the bottom four places among mainstream (non-luxury) brands. Chrysler itself was rated ninth out of 19 mass-market brands, and the survey gave Chrysler Group particularly low marks in the categories of salesperson, delivery process and negotiating.
Marchionne admitted that some salespeople were failing to treat customers “with the dignity they deserve.”
In order to reach its goal of increasing global sales in 2012 by 400,000 vehicles, Chrysler Group has temporarily suspended its Dealer Standards program to make changes and ensure that it results in improved customer satisfaction. The program provides an incentive for dealers to meet factory standards for customer service, management and facilities by providing rewards of $4,500 to $200,000 per quarter depending on dealer size.
“We can do all the Eminems you like, all the commercials, but at the end of the day, this only gets you so far,” he said. “The interface is with the guy who sells you the car.”
