Reputation is thrilled to announce the release of new rankings for small & medium-sized UK dealer groups to supplement our latest Automotive Reputation Report!
Our 2023 report delves deep into the automotive landscape, analysing a whopping 5.5 million car buyers and service reviews. This extensive report illustrates the evolving sentiment of automotive customers and the pivotal role of consumer feedback in the industry.
Consumer Feedback's Influence on the Automotive Customer Journey
Despite challenges like an uncertain economy and high car prices, the industry continues to grow. This is reflected by an 11% uptick in automotive consumer review volumes in 2023.
Automotive companies that actively engage with customers and learn from customer feedback are the ones reaping the benefits of this growth. This is underscored by the report’s industry rankings, which rank brands according to Reputation Scores comprised of three metrics - engagement, consumer sentiment, and online visibility.
Moreover, the report further emphasises the importance of consumer feedback as an integral part of the customer journey:
- 84% of customers said reviews influenced their choice of dealership in 2023.
- 93% of Gen Z utilise reviews for purchasing decisions.
- 74% of auto shoppers only consider dealerships with a rating of 4 or above.
Supplemental UK Dealer Group Rankings & Analysis 2023
While the 2023 Automotive Reputation Report included the largest dealer groups by turnover, Reputation’s data science team applied the same methodology to reveal additional rankings for the smaller groups represented in the UK AM100 (2022).
Howards Motor Group leads this supplemental table with a score of 855, boasting an impressive sentiment score of 92 and a perfect engagement score of 100. They are closely followed by Toomey Motor Group and Vantage Motor Group with scores of 818 and 792, respectively.
Meanwhile, two brands, Howards Motor Group, and SG Petch, have achieved a perfect engagement score of 100. This indicates their active involvement and interaction with their customer base.
Toomey Motor Group has the highest sentiment score of 98, suggesting extremely positive customer feedback. This is followed closely by Howards Motor Group with a sentiment score of 92.
Ranking*1Dealer Group Brand*2Reputation Score*3Sentiment %Visibility %Engagement %1Howards Motor Group85592771002Toomey Motor Group8189865853Vantage Motor Group7928669994W R Davies Motor Group7658566875Brayleys Cars7627276996Barretts of Canterbury7498264957Vospers7447967958SG Petch73379631009Waylands Automotive73280629910Riverside Motors72673689911Chorley Group71882669912Marriott Motor Group71567749613Peoples70881597714D. M. Keith Limited70077618015Cars269873658116Burrows Motor Company69671659317Endeavour Automotive69271658318Ancaster Group68968659619City West Country Limited68673609220Cotswold Motor Group68476626121VT Holdings67770649022William Morgan Group67765659823Sandown Group676715910024Parkway Derby Limited67562699425Brindley Group67266678026Yeomans66872588427Vines Group66459689928Eden Motor Group65966628429Cathedral Motors Ltd64865609530JCB Medway Ltd64362638631Ocean Group64364599732Drive Motor Retail64068606533Thurlow Nunn63461638434Fish Brothers62560628535Bowker Motor Group62265559536Ford Retail62055649337Sandicliffe61962616838John Grose Group61867537939Richmond Motor Group60964559340Frank G Gates Ltd60147698741Caffyns PLC59258578242TC Harrison Ford56858585343Hartwell PLC56542649944Donnelly Group55867489045Drift Bridge Group54446616846Heritage Automotive53644588547Stephen James Group53650575248BMW Retail (Park Lane)53540619349Foray Motor Group52356568650Day's Motor Group373434443*1 Rankings updated on 11/10/2023.
*2 Supplement rankings are determined by evaluating the AM100 (51 to 100 by turnover) dealer groups in the UK.
*3 Excludes social media data.
How Dealer Group Brands Can Put Feedback to Work
Consumer feedback is a powerful tool driving transformative change in the automotive industry. Embracing and acting upon this feedback can be a differentiator for dealer group brands, setting them apart in a competitive market where actionable data matters.
By harnessing these insights, brands can not only enhance their reputation but also foster stronger relationships with their customers, improve the customer experience and generate more revenue in the process.
Here are some actionable steps from our Automotive Reputation Report that you can use to put feedback to work at your automotive company:
- Harness Consumer Insights: Dive deep into consumer reviews to understand their preferences, pain points, and expectations. Use this feedback to refine your offerings and enhance the customer experience.
- Elevate Your Reputation Score: Aim to boost your Reputation Score by actively addressing negative feedback and promoting positive reviews. Remember, a mere 150-point increase can lead to a 10% surge in sales.
- Engage with the Digital Generation: With 93% of Gen Z relying on reviews for purchasing decisions, it's imperative that auto dealers maintain a strong online presence by actively engaging with customers online and by encouraging customers to leave reviews.
Get Deeper Automotive Industry Insights
Get Deeper Automotive Industry Insights
Dive into our comprehensive Automotive Reputation Report to discover more insights into how the top OEMs, dealer groups and dealerships leverage their reputation and consumer feedback to boost their bottom line.
Learn how Dealer Group leaders like Snows Motor Group and Howards Motor Group boost their brand's reputation - their most valuable asset. Put feedback to work for your dealership with the Automotive Reputation Report 2023.
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