Chevy rates poorly for its responsiveness to leads from customers that come in over the Internet, according to the 2025 Pied Piper PSI Internet Lead Effectiveness (ILE) Auto Industry Study that was recently published.
Chevy has shown no consistent responsiveness tendency over time according to this and previous studies by Pied Piper, an automotive data analytics company based out of Monterey, California.
The Prospect Satisfaction Index Internet Lead Effectiveness score achieved by Chevy in the 2025 study was 60, notably below the U.S. auto industry average of 65. The top three brands in the study were Subaru, which scored 77, Infiniti with 73 and Acura with 71 points. Out of GM’s four core brands, Buick scored slightly lower than Chevy, GMC was above it but still below average, and Cadillac equal to the industry average.
However, while the Bow Tie brand scored below average, its performance is still improving overall according to Pied Piper. Its responsiveness to Internet leads rose by 2 percent year-over-year and has surged 20 percent since 2021. Looked at from this perspective, Chevy has improved its performance more in the past 4 years than overall winner Subaru, which boosted its responsiveness by 15 percent since 2021.
Chevy also rated below average last year in the 2024 study, but was above average in 2023 and matched the industry average in 2022. The study rated auto brands on five different measures of Internet responsiveness, though Chevy is mentioned directly in only one of them.
In the “answered question” category, Chevy responded to online customer questions with an hour somewhere between 50 percent and 70 percent of the time. The Bow Tie brand performed poorly in “phoned customer,” with less than 45 percent of Web inquiries answered by phone in 60 minutes or less.
The brand “offered an appointment” somewhere between 25 and 45 percent of the time, while for “did both fast” – answering a question and phoning within 15 minutes – it did so between 15 and 30 percent of the time. Finally, Chevy “failed to respond” at all to somewhere between 10 and 25 percent of Internet customer contacts.
Overall dealer responsiveness is climbing, though slowly. Pied Piper analytics VP Cameron O’Hagan remarked that most customers start with online inquiries and “how dealers respond to those customers drives today’s sales success,” but also noted that “the trouble is that website customers can be invisible in day-to-day operations which makes them too easy to overlook.”
O’Hagan also highlighted that Internet leads are a crucial part of the automotive business. He stated “the effort to improve is worth it. Historically, dealers who improve their [Internet lead effectiveness] performance from scoring under 40 to scoring over 80 on average sell 50 percent more units from the same quantity of internet leads.”
Comments
For anyone that’s read the classic fairy tale, the “Pied Piper of Hamelin”, and especially its ending, this seems like a very weird name for a “Satisfaction” Index.
They must be using a middle-out strategy for satisfaction.
I have been reading the foreign car manufactures have internet ready centers to put down American products. In particular Subaru is the oldest company that does this with there advertising as they say they donate to organizations like consumer reports. They also have the lowest tech cars. If you buy a new Subaru its basically the same car they made 20 years ago with the same flat 4. The company found it cheaper to do this than make new tech as that is costly.
This article is BS! First of all the Buick Encore we own is very reliable as is my 2019 equinox. I agree with Zack my father owned a Crosstrek I felt like I was in a car who’s interior was from the 90s and rattled, the plastic even when clean always looked dirty and cheap, the engine and transmission CVT made it feel fast but don’t pull out in front of anyone because you’ll regret it. Same thing with my friends RAV4 the back seat compared to my equinox was narrow and uncomfortablen and did I his Rav 4 needed a new transmission before one hundred thousand miles.
So this is about dealers’ responsiveness, not Chevrolet?? Fairly confusing article. I use the dealer for the new purchase and then warranty and recall work and that’s it. My 2012 Silverado has had one dealership visit since purchase, for airbag recall. Same with my 2009 G-6, which I still have, it’s never been back to the dealer except for one recall for the brake light issue.
The wife’s 2019 Nox did go back once due to damage on the road that needed immediate attention.