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Want to Sell More Cars? Start by Answering Your Leads
Latest Pied Piper rankings reveal that quick, consistent digital follow-up is a top predictor of dealership sales success
May 2025
Dealers who respond promptly and personally to online customer inquiries aren’t just offering good service – they’re selling more cars. That’s the takeaway from the 2025 Pied Piper Internet Lead Effectiveness (ILE) Auto Dealer Group Study, which ranks how well dealer groups respond to internet leads submitted through their websites.
“Modern customers visit dealership websites first, and today’s sales success is driven by how the dealerships respond,” Fran O’Hagan, CEO of the Pied Piper consultancy, which uses mystery shopping to track responsiveness metrics across the largest U.S. auto groups, tells WardsAuto.This year’s No.1 spot goes to Napleton Automotive Group, based in Loves Park, IL. That is its fourth consecutive No.1 ranking. And they did it with a breakthrough, too.
The 2025 Napleton score of 91 marks the first time a dealership scored above 90.
“The secret is that we take responding online seriously,” Brian Napleton, who owns the 50-dealership group based in metro Chicago and operating stores in seven states with his brother Ed, tells WardsAuto. "Responding to online (inquiries) in an efficient, timely manner is the first impression you get to make with customers. What’s more important than that?”
The other top winners include Herb Chambers Auto Group, based in Dorchester, MA (81); Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, based in Irving, TX (76); and Ken Garff Automotive Group, Salt Lake City (75).
