Mercedes-Benz Dealers Match the Quality of Their Cars

Three-Pointed Star Dealerships Lead in Customer Satisfaction for Third-Straight Year

HARTFORD, CONN. (08/08/2011)(readMedia)-- Mercedes-Benz cars are known for taking care of their owners with high-class interiors and innovative technology, and Mercedes-Benz dealers are matching the quality of these features with their customer service, according to a new independent study. The German automaker's U.S. dealerships finished first for a third-consecutive year in the 2011 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) U.S. Auto Industry Benchmarking Study, besting BMW, Lexus and Audi dealers.

Pied Piper Management Company, a dealership sales and marketing agency, sent 3,524 mystery shoppers to auto dealerships across the United States to evaluate how each treated customers. The mystery shoppers documented 58 sales process areas, which covered everything from how well the salesperson communicated relevant vehicle features to how effective they were at finalizing a sale. The nationwide efforts of Mercedes-Benz dealers in recent years have pulled the brand up from being an also-ran in the first PSI in 2007 to the leader in 2009, where it has remained since.

"We work very hard to ensure that each person that walks through our doors has a positive experience," said M. Todd Pancavage, general manager of New Country Motor Cars, a Hartford, Connecticut Mercedes-Benz dealership. "Even if a person doesn't buy a car that day, they'll remember that experience and tell others about it. Each Mercedes-Benz can sell itself on its own; we're just here to make sure the transaction moves smoothly and that our customers remain satisfied over the lifetime of their vehicle."

Efforts at the dealership level to exceed expectations are being mirrored by Mercedes-Benz engineers, who are revamping the automaker's multimedia and telematics system. Currently, the Mercedes-Benz COMAND system integrates GPS navigation, audio, video, hands-free calling and information like traffic reports using a high-resolution multi-function display and steering wheel controls. However, the German automaker wants COMAND to do more before its upgraded version reaches U.S. showrooms in 2012 via the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class and M-Class, to name a few.

COMAND will feature new applications next year, including full Facebook integration as well as the use of Google's Street View technology and Panoramio to give drivers a first-person look at their destination before they get there. Several additional apps are in the pipeline for integration, including Twitter, the Stitcher talk radio streaming service and the popular Pandora internet radio service.

Looking further into the future, Mercedes-Benz engineers are also working with COMAND's voice controls to give the system the ability to decipher passengers' natural language. This would mean COMAND could understand intent without the need for specific commands. For example, a passenger could say, "What is the weather like in Hartford?" and the current weather and forecast will come up for the city. Taken one step further, engineers have also begun to explore technology that would allow COMAND to recognize handwriting and enable interior lighting to be controlled with simple gestures.

"Mercedes-Benz is doing more than updating the COMAND system; they're setting a new standard for in-car computing," Pancavage noted. "It's exciting to represent an automaker that is dedicated to providing the automotive technology in the world, and it makes us work that much harder to ensure we match their high standards."

About New Country Motor Cars:

New Country Motor Cars is a premier Connecticut Mercedes-Benz dealership, and they've proved their excellence by receiving the prestigious Mercedes-Benz Best of the Best award for 2010. They have an impressive selection of new and used Mercedes-Benz models to choose from, and their skilled service technicians ensure Mercedes-Benz owners get the most out of their vehicles. Part of the New Country Motor Car Group family of dealerships, New Country Motor Cars is located at One Weston Street in Hartford, Conn. They can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NewCountryMercedesBenz, reached by phone at 888-267-2959, and their extensive Mercedes-Benz inventory can be viewed at www.newcountrymercedes.com.