A NEW survey has highlighted fleets’ dissatisfaction with franchised dealers.

It found the overall satisfaction rating of dealers had fallen every year since 2003, from 75% to 64.5% this year.

Carried out by Fleet News sister-title Sewells Information & Research, more than 700 fleet operators were asked about their satisfaction on a range of related subjects, including vehicle acquisition, relationships with dealers, dealer sales operations, aftersales support and relationships with vehicle manufacturers.

The top priority for fleets is the ability of dealer staff to own and solve problems quickly, particularly in aftersales.

Respondents also want dealers to be friendly, business-like, understanding and responsive.