AutoNation, Hendrick Automotive top online reputation survey

AutoNation Inc. and Hendrick Automotive Group topped their respective dealership group peers for a second straight year in a reputation study released Monday.

Reputation, which aids dealership groups and automotive brands in managing online customer reviews and feedback, said in its 2023 study that AutoNation ranks first among U.S. public dealership groups while Hendrick is No. 1 among the country's privately held groups.

Hendrick grabbed the top spot for a third year in a row, while AutoNation marks its second year at No. 1, after ranking third in the 2021 study.

Mitsubishi is tops among nonluxury U.S. brands, while Infiniti snagged the No. 1 spot among luxury brands this year. Both ranked second in their categories in the 2022 survey, with Mitsubishi unseating Subaru and Infiniti unseating Lexus for 2023.

Reputation said it analyzed 5.5 million online reviews for car-buying and service visits across the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom.

The firm determines rankings by measuring data collected via online platforms such as Google and Facebook. It crunches what it dubs a Reputation Score, measuring a company's visibility, customer engagement and sentiment, on a scale of 0 to 1,000.

2023 garnered peak review volumes over the past three years, with the number of reviews jumping 11 percent from 2022, according to Reputation.
 

Lori Berkson, senior director of automotive at Reputation, said this year's survey results continue to underscore the importance of customer reviews.

"In brands that raise a reputation score by 150 points, they could see an increase of sales by 10 percent," Berkson told Automotive News. "That's big."

Keeping customers happy remains a must in the auto industry, she said, especially following COVID-19 pandemic years when face-to-face interactions were limited. Dealership groups that rank high prioritize their reputation, Berkson added.

"A lot of our dealer groups have a very reputation-first mindset," she said. "What does that mean? They think about this first, they talk about it, they act on it. It's part of their Monday morning meeting for some of our bigger dealer groups."

How does a dealership group or brand improve its ranking?

"Asking for reviews is the No. 1 key to improve their reputations," Berkson said. "Every dealership group should be asking for reviews."