Record response rate to motorcycle dealer survey

The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) has published details of its Autumn 2020 Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS). Paddy O’Connell, Head of the NMDA, revealed that the response rate was the highest ever, at 31 per cent; something that he describes as “very positive” and indicative that a growing number of dealers see the survey as an important and useful channel to provide feedback on the business relationship with their manufacturers.

The results of the DAS indicate how dealers view the issues that are currently affecting their relationship with respective manufacturers, and how these change over time.

Findings showed that the all dealer average when asked about the ‘overall value of the franchise’, grew significantly from 5.6 points out of 10 in spring 2020 to 6.4 now.

• Royal Enfield (9.5), Triumph (8.9) and Ducati (8.2) were the top three franchises
• The franchises with the lowest ratings were Honda (5.3), Yamaha (4.9) and Piaggio Group (4.3)

When the NMDA asked dealers about their ‘ability to do business with manufacturers on a day-to-day basis’, the average score remained static at 3.4 out of 5 points.

• Piaggio Group dealers were the most dissatisfied for the fifth time in a row, with an average score of 2.5, a slight 0.1 improvement from the previous edition of the survey
• Royal Enfield (4.8), Triumph and Lexmoto (both at 4.1) were the top scoring brands

Two key aspects analysed in the survey, profit and future profitability, both saw an increase in terms of dealer satisfaction.

• When rating the profit return by representing their franchise, dealers gave an average score of 2.9, an increase of 0.2 from the spring survey
• The average score for dealers’ satisfaction with future profitability rose significantly from 2.6 to 3.0

O’Connell continued, “The findings of the survey show a general increase in dealers’ satisfaction levels, supported by the inclusion in the survey of a number of brands which have not previously participated. Overall, dealers are fairly satisfied with the business relationship they have with their manufacturers. In particular, dealers’ satisfaction levels with the overall value of their franchise saw a significant average increase from six months ago.

“Positively, a key business aspect, especially during these times, such as businesses’ future profitability, saw an increase in score showing dealers’ resilience and optimism. Most respondents showed high levels of satisfaction also with other elements such as the image, price and value of their brand, as well as manufacturers’ warranty policy.

“We thank our members for their continued support and we hope manufacturers will find the results useful to identify and address any issues affecting the relationship with their dealer network”.