This year marks the 30th annual Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI) survey from the National RV Dealer Association (RVDA). The survey collects information about the manufacturers and brands they sell from dealers across the US and Canada.
Are you new to the business or simply want to learn more about 2024’s survey before you jump in? In this guide, we’ll review all the basics of the DSI survey, including when and what to expect from its results.
Keep reading to learn more about this annual RVDA survey.
Who is RVDA?
The National RV Dealers Association, or RVDA, is the industry’s largest and only national association dedicated to supporting RV dealers and retailers’ shared interests. It does so through continuing education, member services, market expansion programs, and overall industry leadership.
RVDA, as the industry leader, is pivotal in supporting dealer and manufacturer relationships. This includes collecting crucial insights and analytics on satisfaction. Enter the Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI), which we’ll break down next.
What is the DSI Survey?
The DSI is an annual survey that deals with the satisfaction of manufacturers and brands’ attention to four core categories of RV sales –
- Reliability/Quality
- Parts Support
- Warranty Support
- Sales Support
“The DSI is a confidential survey measuring dealers’ level of satisfaction with their manufacturers in areas of vital interest to dealers,” said RVDA President Phil Ingrassia. “It is more important than ever for dealers to provide feedback to manufacturers through the DSI survey as the industry works to improve the overall customer experience with RV travel.”
Once collected, the results are distributed to the industry, allowing RV dealers to make more informed decisions about their partner manufacturers and brands. The results also provide key performance indicators (KPIs) for manufacturers and brands to improve.
DSI Survey Basics
The DSI survey is open until September 11th of this year, providing RV dealers plenty of time to evaluate the past year of working with manufacturers and brands properly. All answers are also strictly confidential, allowing RV dealers to be brutally honest about their constructive criticism without fear of blowback from their partner vendors.
Lastly, it’s essential to know if your RV dealership has multiple locations; the RVDA asks that you submit an individual question per location. This allows the association to gather as much data as possible and gauge location-based trends.
The Final Word: Dealer Satisfaction
The relationship between RV dealership owners, manufacturers, and brands is crucial for the industry’s overall success and customer satisfaction. Hence, RVDA’s Dealership Satisfaction Index tradition is to collect and publish anonymous results to maintain quality standards and help set improvement goals.
If you’re striving for operational excellence for your RV dealership, we applaud you here at RV Business Solutions (RVBS). By making this investment, you’ll help boost its success and set your business up for a valuable, maximum-profit sale.
Make RVBS your go-to source for all things RV by subscribing to our email list for monthly insights and industry news. In the meantime, it’s never too early to get ahead of positioning your dealership for optimal sale success.
Book a complimentary discovery call with RVBS, the leading buy-sell advisory group in the US. Contact RVBS or learn more about our team today.
Roger L. Nuttall served as President of Camping World, Inc. from January 2011. Prior to that, he was the Chief Operating Officer of FreedomRoads, LLC from January 2009 to January 2011, and the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of FreedomRoads, LLC from November 2003 to December 2015. From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Nuttall was a partner at McKay, Nuttall, and Reid, an accounting and consulting firm. Before that, he held various staff and management positions at Grant Thornton LLP from 1974 to 1981. From 1983 to 2003, Mr. Nuttall served as Chief Financial Officer and board member of Blaine Jensen & Sons, Inc., a multi-dealership RV company. He received a B.A. from Weber State University.
Mike has almost 30 years’ experience in the Recreational Vehicle (RV) Industry and provides advisory and consulting services to clients within that industry.
Scott Degnan is the Partner and Co-founder of RV Business Solutions and President of Degnan Management Group, Inc., a consulting firm.
Dom Bookman is the Chief Operating Officer and Investor Relations lead at RV Business Solutions. With 12 years of experience in the tech industry, Dom is a serial entrepreneur specializing in business development, marketing, and growth strategies for leading brands. He has successfully piloted startups and facilitated multiple exits for early-stage companies.