Abstract:
The present technology relates to systems and methods for measuring, benchmarking, and improving dealer service retention effectiveness using a pairwise dealer comparison on shared customers.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates generally to dealer service retention. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Dealer service retention is generally a metric that measures the performance of a service department of a vehicle dealer. Dealer service retention measures, for example, of a number of vehicles in operation, the number of vehicles that visit a dealer for repair or maintenance. Dealer service metrics and benchmarks are often biased and provide unfair measures that are not accepted by the dealer network. For example, some metrics can make good performers look bad and poor performers appear good. In addition, very little actionable information is provided to dealers who want to improve service performance. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The present technology relates to measuring, benchmarking, and improving dealer service retention effectiveness using a pairwise dealer comparison based on shared customers. 
         [0004]    Methods comparing dealers using a pairwise comparison facilitate analyzing and improving dealer service retention. Improved dealer service retention improves the revenue and profit from parts for both the dealer and the original equipment manufacturer. Indirectly, increased dealer service retention improves new vehicle sales because there is a positive relationship between dealer service retention and repeat vehicle sales. 
         [0005]    Other aspects of the present technology will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates schematically a system including a computing unit, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a method for measuring, benchmarking, and generating improvement guidance to improve dealer service retention, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates schematically a first dealer in a first area and neighboring dealers in neighboring areas. 
       
    
    
       [0009]    The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized, such as to show details of particular components. In some instances, well-known components, systems, materials or methods have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. The disclosed embodiments are merely examples that may be embodied in various and alternative forms, and combinations thereof. As used herein, for example, “exemplary,” and similar terms, refer expansively to embodiments that serve as an illustration, specimen, model or pattern. 
         [0011]    While the present technology is described primarily herein in connection with automobile dealers that service automobiles, the technology is not limited to automobile dealers. The concepts can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as in connection with aircraft, marine craft, non-vehicle products, and other. 
         [0012]    The present disclosure describes systems and methods that include 1) a metric of actual service retention that facilitates a pairwise comparison of dealers and 2) an object to enable dealers to take effective improvement actions. The object can be used to identify improvement opportunities for individual dealers. 
         [0013]    As described herein, the term “service retention” refers to a measure (e.g., observed or estimated using a model) of how many of the vehicles within a category are serviced by a dealer. Exemplary categories are based on whether a vehicle (i.e., represented by a vehicle identification number (VIN)) is within an area associated with a dealer and whether the dealer sold the vehicle. 
         [0014]    As described in further detail below, actual service retention is calculated based on collected data (e.g., the service retention of a dealer that is observed within a category). 
       FIG.  1   
     System and Computing Structure 
       [0015]    According to one embodiment, a system  10  is configured to perform a method  100  illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 1  shows features of the system  10  schematically. The system  10  includes a computing unit  30 . The computing unit  30  includes a processor  40  for controlling and/or processing data, input/output data ports  42 , and a memory  50 . Connecting infrastructure within the system  10 , such as one or more data buses and wireless transceivers, are not shown in detail to simplify the figures. 
         [0016]    The processor could be multiple processors, which could include distributed processors or parallel processors in a single machine or multiple machines. The processor could include virtual processor(s). The processor could include a state machine, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable gate array (PGA) including a Field PGA, or state machine. When a processor executes instructions to perform “operations,” this could include the processor performing the operations directly and/or facilitating, directing, or cooperating with another device or component to perform the operations. 
         [0017]    The memory  50  can include a variety of computer-readable media, including volatile media, non-volatile media, removable media, and non-removable media. The term “computer-readable media” and variants thereof, as used in the specification and claims, includes storage media. Storage media includes volatile and/or non-volatile, removable and/or non-removable media, such as, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CDROM, DVD, or other optical disk storage, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices or any other medium that is configured to be used to store information that can be accessed by the computing unit  30 . 
         [0018]    While the memory  50  is illustrated as residing proximate the processor  40 , it should be understood that at least a portion of the memory can be a remotely accessed storage system, for example, a server on a communication network, a remote hard disk drive, a removable storage medium, combinations thereof, and the like. Thus, any of the data, applications, and/or software described below can be stored within the memory and/or accessed via network connections to other data processing systems (not shown) that may include a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), or a wide area network (WAN), for example. 
         [0019]    The memory  50  includes several categories of software and data used in the computing unit  30  including applications  60 , a database  70 , an operating system  80 , and input/output device drivers  90 . 
         [0020]    As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the operating system  80  may be any operating system for use with a data processing system. The input/output device drivers  90  may include various routines accessed through the operating system  80  by the applications to communicate with devices, and certain memory components. The applications  60  can be stored in the memory  50  and/or in a firmware (not shown) as executable instructions, and can be executed by the processor  40 . 
         [0021]    The applications  60  include various programs that, when executed by the processor  40 , implement the various features of the computing unit  30 . The applications  60  include applications described in further detail with respect to exemplary methods. The applications  60  are stored in the memory  50  and are configured to be executed by the processor  40 . 
         [0022]    The term “application,” or variants thereof, is used expansively herein to include routines, program modules, programs, components, data structures, algorithms, and the like. Applications can be implemented on various system configurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal computers, hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based, programmable consumer electronics, combinations thereof, and the like. 
         [0023]    The applications  60  may use data stored in the database  70 . The database  70  includes static and/or dynamic data used by the applications  60 , the operating system  80 , the input/output device drivers  90  and other software programs that may reside in the memory  50 . 
         [0024]    It should be understood that  FIG. 1  and the description above are intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable environment in which the various aspects of some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. While the description refers to computer-readable instructions, embodiments of the present disclosure also can be implemented in combination with other program modules and/or as a combination of hardware and software in addition to, or instead of, computer readable instructions. 
       FIG.  2   
     Method of Operation 
       [0025]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary method  100  that facilitates analyzing and improving service retention, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the steps of the method  100  are not necessarily presented in any particular order and that performance of some or all the steps in an alternative order is possible and is contemplated. The steps have been presented in the demonstrated order for ease of description and illustration. Steps can be added, omitted and/or performed simultaneously without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0026]    It should also be understood that the illustrated method  100  can be ended at any time. In certain embodiments, some or all steps of this process, and/or substantially equivalent steps are performed by execution of computer-readable instructions stored or included on a computer readable medium, such as the memory  50  of the computing unit  30  described above, for example. 
         [0027]    The method  100  begins  102  and flow proceeds to blocks  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 ,  112 . Blocks  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110  are associated with computer-executable instructions for a method of generating an improved metric of actual service retention; and block  112  is associated with computer-executable instructions for generating a pairwise comparison object with actionable feedback to enable dealers to take more effective improvement actions. 
         [0028]    In block  104 , the processor  40  accesses dealer service data  200  stored in the memory  50 . The dealer service data  200  includes data that represents vehicles (e.g., same-brand vehicles), the dealer (or dealers) that have serviced the vehicle, and the location of the customer who owns the vehicle. For example, referring momentarily to  FIG. 1 , the dealer service data  200  is entered at individual dealerships into databases by dealers  201 ,  202 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  206  when a service is performed and is accessed from the dealer databases or aggregated and accessed from database  70 . 
         [0029]    In block  106 , the dealer service data  200  is sorted or filtered into different categories or sets. One or more cells of Table 1 represent a category, as described in further detail below. The variables in Table 1 represent a number of vehicles in different sets, as described in further detail below. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Sold 
                 Not Sold 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 In Area 
                 a 
                 b 
               
               
                   
                   
                 A 
                 B 
               
               
                   
                 Out of Area 
                 c 
                 d 
               
               
                   
                   
                 C 
                 D 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0030]    In Table 1, variable a is the number of vehicles that were sold (or leased) by a dealer of interest (hereinafter interest dealer) to customers residing in the interest dealer&#39;s area and that were serviced by the interest dealer; variable b is the number of vehicles that were sold by a comparison dealer to customers residing in the interest dealer&#39;s area and that were serviced by the interest dealer; variable c is the number of vehicles that were sold by the interest dealer to customers residing out of the interest dealer&#39;s area and that were serviced by the interest dealer; and variable d is the number of vehicles that were sold by a comparison dealer to customers residing out of the interest dealer&#39;s area and that were serviced by the interest dealer. 
         [0031]    In certain embodiments, a service by a dealer is counted in the number of vehicles serviced by the dealer only if the service is within a certain time frame or window. For example, the time window is the first year of ownership, years two to six of ownership, or more than six years of ownership. 
         [0032]    Referring momentarily to  FIG. 3 , dealers  201 ,  202 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  206  are in respective dealer areas  301 ,  302 ,  303 ,  304 ,  305 ,  306 . Here, dealer areas  302 ,  303 ,  304 ,  305 ,  306  neighbor the dealer area  301 . Although comparison dealers can be dealers that are in areas that neighbor the area of the interest dealer, in alternative embodiments, one or more comparison dealers is not in an area that neighbors the area of the interest dealer. 
         [0033]    Continuing with Table 1, variable A is the number of vehicles that were sold by the interest dealer to customers residing in the interest dealer&#39;s area; variable B is the number of vehicles that were sold by a comparison dealer to customers residing in the interest dealer&#39;s area; variable C is the number of vehicles that were sold by the interest dealer to customers residing out of the interest dealer&#39;s area; and variable D is the number of vehicles that were sold by a comparison dealer to customers residing out of the interest dealer&#39;s area. 
         [0034]    The cells of Table 1 represent two relationships between the interest dealer and a customer: a sales-based relationship and a geography-based relationship. By sorting the dealer service data  200  into categories, a finer, more granular measure of actual service retention r can be determined. 
       Pairwise Dealer Comparison 
       [0035]    Referring to Tables 2 and 3, certain cells Table 1 are shown for a first dealer  201  and a second dealer  202 . Table 2 and Table 3 are tailored to the first dealer  201  and the second dealer  202  (e.g., as compared to Table 1, which focuses on an interest dealer and one or more comparison dealers). 
         [0036]    In the tables, the variables are designated with subscripts i, j, respectively. The subscript i represents the dealer that is the interest dealer and the subscript j represents the dealer that is the comparison dealer. In Table 2, the first dealer  201  (represented by numeral 1) is the interest dealer (i=1) and the second dealer  202  (represented by numeral 2) is the comparison dealer (j=2). 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Table 1 for a first dealer (i = 1) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Sold by First Dealer 
                 Sold by Second Dealer 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 First Dealer Area 
                   
                 b 1,2   
               
               
                   
                   
                 B 1,2   
               
               
                 Second Dealer Area 
                 c 1,2   
               
               
                   
                 C 1,2   
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0037]    Variable b 1,2  is the number of vehicles that were sold by the second dealer  202  to customers residing in the first dealer&#39;s  201  area and that were serviced by the first dealer  201 . Here, variable b 1,2  does not include vehicles sold by other dealers (e.g., dealers  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  206 ) to customers residing in the first dealer&#39;s  201  area and that were serviced by the first dealer  201 . The same applies to variables c 2,1 , b 2,1 , c 1,2 . 
         [0038]    Variable c 1,2  is the number of vehicles that were sold by the first dealer  201  to customers residing in the second dealer&#39;s  202  area and that were serviced by the first dealer  201 . 
         [0039]    Similarly, in Table 3, the second dealer  202  is the interest dealer (i=2) and the first dealer  201  is the comparison dealer (j=1). 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 3 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Table 1 for a Second Dealer (i = 2) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Sold by Second Dealer 
                 Sold by First Dealer 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Second Dealer Area 
                   
                 b 2,1   
               
               
                   
                   
                 B 2,1   
               
               
                 First Dealer Area 
                 c 2,1   
               
               
                   
                 C 2,1   
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0040]    Variable c 2,1  is the number of vehicles that were sold by the second dealer  202  to customers residing in the first dealer&#39;s  201  area and that were serviced by the second dealer  202 . Variable b 2,1  is the number of vehicles that were sold by the first dealer  201  to customers residing in the second dealer&#39;s  202  area and that were serviced by the second dealer  202 . 
         [0041]    Some of the dealer service data  200  is found in both Table 2 and Table 3. For example, a vehicle that is sold by the second dealer  202  to a customer residing in the first dealer&#39;s  201  area is in the count for variable B 1,2  for the first dealer  201  and is in the count for variable C 2,1  for the second dealer  202 . 
         [0042]    Vehicles that show up in the dealer service data  200  for each of a pair of dealers are shared customers of the two dealers. These shared customers are sold by one dealer but, for example, are nearer another dealer. As such, the dealers are in competition for the shared customers. 
         [0043]    The pair of dealers  201 ,  202  is evaluated using a pairwise comparison. Particularly, the shared customers of the two dealers  201 ,  202  are isolated and the actual service retention r of the two dealers  201 ,  202  on this population of shared customers is compared. The pairwise comparison using shared customers can be more accurate than comparing overall retention, particularly where these customers are more likely to be homogeneous. 
         [0044]    In block  108 , to calculate values for the pairwise comparison, values for variables b 1,2 , b 2,1 , c 1,2 , c 2,1  are determined from the dealer service data  200  and values for variables B 1,2 , B 2,1 , C 1,2 , C 2,1  are calculated based on the values for variables b 1,2 , b 2,1 , c 1,2 , c 2,1 . For each of the dealers  201 ,  202 , the number of vehicles that were sold by the competing dealer to customers residing in the interest dealer&#39;s area (B 1,2 , B 2,1 ) and the number of vehicles that were sold to customers residing out of the interest dealer&#39;s area (C 1,2 , C 2,1 ) are calculated as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
      
       B 
       1,2 
       =C 
       2,1 
       =b 
       1,2 
       +c 
       2,1  
      
     
         [0000]    
       
      
       B 
       2,1 
       =C 
       1,2 
       =b 
       2,1 
       +c 
       1,2  
      
     
         [0045]    In this example, the number of vehicles that were sold by the second dealer  202  to customers residing in the first dealer&#39;s  201  area (B 1,2 ) and the number of vehicles that were sold by the second dealer  202  to customers residing out of the second dealer&#39;s  202  area (C 2,1 ) are the same. Each is calculated as the number of vehicles that were sold by the second dealer  202  to customers residing in the first dealer&#39;s  201  area and that were serviced by the first dealer  201  (b 1,2 ) plus the number of vehicles that were sold by the second dealer  202  to customers residing out of the second dealer&#39;s  202  area and that were serviced by the second dealer  202  (c 2,1 ). 
         [0046]    Similarly, the number of vehicles that were sold by the first dealer  201  to customers residing in the second dealer&#39;s  202  area (B 2,1 ) and the number of vehicles that were sold by the first dealer  201  to customers residing out of the first dealer&#39;s area (C 1,2 ) are the same. Each is calculated as the number of vehicles that were sold by the first dealer  201  to customers residing in the second dealer&#39;s  202  area and that were serviced by the second dealer  202  (b 2,1 ) plus the number of vehicles that were sold by the first dealer  201  to customers residing out of the first dealer&#39;s  201  area and that were serviced by the first dealer  201  (c 1,2 ). 
         [0047]    More generally, the equations can be given as: 
         [0000]    
       
      
       B 
       i,j 
       =C 
       j,i 
       =b 
       i,j 
       +c 
       j,i  
      
     
         [0000]    
       
      
       B 
       j,i 
       =C 
       i,j 
       =b 
       j,i 
       +c 
       i,j  
      
     
         [0048]    Here, the dealer numbers  1 ,  2  can be arbitrarily selected for subscripts i, j. One of subscripts i, j is selected to be 1 and the other of subscripts i, j is selected to be 2. 
         [0049]    In block  110 , the dealer service retention r b , r c  (here, superscripts b, c represent categories represented by variables b, c) is calculated for each interest dealer (index i) relative to a comparison dealer (index j). As above, where the first dealer  201  is the interest dealer and the second dealer  202  is the comparison dealer, i=1, j=2; where the second dealer  202  is the interest dealer and the first dealer  201  is the comparison dealer, i=2, j=1). For each interest dealer i relative to a comparison dealer j, the retention r b   i,j , r c   i,j  is calculated as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               r 
               
                 i 
                 , 
                 j 
               
               b 
             
             = 
             
               
                 b 
                 
                   i 
                   , 
                   j 
                 
               
               
                 B 
                 
                   i 
                   , 
                   j 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       
         
           
             
               r 
               
                 i 
                 , 
                 j 
               
               c 
             
             = 
             
               
                 c 
                 
                   i 
                   , 
                   j 
                 
               
               
                 c 
                 
                   i 
                   , 
                   j 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
         [0050]    Using the exemplary values of b 1,2 =20, b 2,1 =94, c 1,2 =207, and c 2,1 =117, exemplary values for service retention r are calculated for each dealer (as shown in Table 4). In block  112 , an object (e.g., Table 4) is generated based on the values of service retention. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 4 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Indexed 
                 Saturday 
                   
               
               
                 Dealer 
                 Pairwise b/B 
                 Pairwise c/C 
                 Total 
                 Hours 
                 CSI 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 1 
                 r b   1,2  = 19% 
                 r c   1,2  = 70% 
                 89% 
                 0 
                 88.1% 
               
               
                 2 
                 r b   2,1  = 30% 
                 r c   1,2  = 81% 
                 111% 
                 5 
                 91.9% 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0051]    The results of Table 4 show that the second dealer  202  has greater retention than the first dealer  201  in both category b/B (30% exceeds 19%) and category c/C (81% exceeds 70%). Second dealer  202  thus outperforms first dealer  201  in head-to-head competition on shared customers. Table 4 also includes other factors (e.g., controllable factors such as Saturday hours or the consumer satisfaction index (CSI)) that can help explain the difference in performance. As such, Table 4 is an object that provides feedback to the dealers  201 ,  202  to help them improve their dealer service retention r. 
         [0052]    For a dealer with multiple bordering or interacting dealers, the dealer can be compared to each of its neighboring or interacting dealers individually, as described above in blocks  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 ,  112 , and in the aggregate, as described in further detail below. 
         [0053]    Here, the dealer service data  200  is first sorted to be specific to each pair of dealers. For example, referring to  FIG. 3 , for the first dealer  201  (represented by numeral 1) that is bordered by the second dealer  202  (represented by numeral 2), a third dealer  203  (represented by numeral 3), a fourth dealer  204  (represented by numeral 4), a fifth dealer  205  (represented by numeral 5), and a sixth dealer  206  (represented by numeral 6), the dealer service data  200  is sorted to be specific to the pairs of dealers, each pair including the first dealer  201  as the interest dealer and one of the other dealers  202 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  206  as the comparison dealer. 
         [0054]    As shown in Table 5, variables b 1,2 , b 2,1 , c 2,1  are specific to the first dealer  201  and the second dealer  202 ; variables b 1,3 , c 1,3 , b 3,1 , c 3,1  are specific to the first dealer  201  and the third dealer  203 ; variables b 1,4 , c 1,4 , b 4,1 , c 4,1  are specific to the first dealer  201  and the fourth dealer  204 ; variables b 1,5 , c 1,5 , b 5,1 , c 5,1  are specific to the first dealer  201  and the fifth dealer  205 ; and variables b 1,6 , c 1,6 , b 6,1 , c 6,1  are specific to the first dealer  201  and the sixth dealer  206 . A subscript a is used to indicate an aggregation of dealers (e.g., all comparison dealers, i.e., dealers  202 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 , and  206 ). 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 5 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 1 and 2 
                 1 and 3 
                 1 and 4 
                 1 and 5 
                 1 and 6 
                 Aggregate 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 b 2,1  = 90 
                 b 3,1  = 38 
                 b 4,1  = 63 
                 b 5,1  = 56 
                 b 6,1  = 24 
                 Σb i,1  = 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 b a,1  = 271 
               
               
                 c 1,2  = 390 
                 c 1,3  = 197 
                 c 1,4  = 267 
                 c 1,5  = 202 
                 c 1,6  = 131 
                 Σc 1,j  = 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 c 1,a  = 1187 
               
               
                 c 2,1  = 404 
                 c 3,1  = 390 
                 c 4,1  = 472 
                 c 5,1  = 268 
                 c 6,1  = 73 
                 Σc i,1  = 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 c a,1  = 1607 
               
               
                 b 1,2  = 
                 b 1,3  = 47 
                 b 1,4  = 198 
                 b 1,5  = 88 
                 b 1,6  = 113 
                 Σb 1,j  = 
               
               
                 101 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 b 1,a  = 547 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0055]    The data for each pair of dealers is used to calculate dealer service retention r to compare each pair of dealers in each of categories represented by b/B and c/C as shown in Table 6 based on the example values of Table 5. The first dealer  201  outperforms all neighboring dealers, as observed by comparing r b   1,j  to r b   j,1 , and r c   1,j  to r c   j,1  for all neighboring dealers j, and noting that dealer  201 &#39;s value exceeds (i.e., outperforms) that of each neighboring dealer on both comparisons, except the third dealer  203  in both categories b/B and c/C. Another way to measure performance is to compare the overall retention of shared customers by comparing (r b   1,j +r c   1,j ) to (r b   j,1 +r c   j,1 ) for all neighboring dealers j. In this method, dealer  201  outperforms all neighboring dealers j except dealer  203 . 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 6 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 1 and 2 
                 1 and 3 
                 1 and 4 
                 1 and 5 
                 1 and 6 
                 Aggregate 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 r b   1,2  = 20% 
                 r b   1,3  = 11% 
                 r b   1,4  = 30% 
                 r b   1,5  = 25% 
                 r b   1,6  = 61% 
                 r b   1,a  = 25% 
               
               
                 r b   2,1  = 19% 
                 r b   3,1  = 16% 
                 r b   4,1  = 19% 
                 r b   5,1  = 22% 
                 r b   6,1  = 15% 
                 r b   a,1  = 19% 
               
               
                 r c   1,2  = 18% 
                 r c   1,3  = 84% 
                 r c   1,4  = 81% 
                 r c   1,5  = 78% 
                 r c   1,6  = 85% 
                 r c   1,a  = 81% 
               
               
                 r c   2,1  = 80% 
                 r c   3,1  = 89% 
                 r c   4,1  = 70% 
                 r c   5,1  = 75% 
                 r c   6,1  = 39% 
                 r c   a,1  = 75% 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0056]    Additionally, the data tailored to each pair of dealers can be aggregated and the first dealer  201  can be compared to the aggregate of the dealers  202 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  206 . The right-hand column of Table 5 shows the aggregated data from the other columns and the right-hand column of Table 6 shows the dealer service retention r calculated using the aggregated data. The dealer service retention r is calculated using aggregated data as follows: 
         [0000]    
       
         
           
             
               B 
               
                 1 
                 , 
                 a 
               
             
             = 
             
               
                 C 
                 
                   a 
                   , 
                   1 
                 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     b 
                     
                       1 
                       , 
                       a 
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     c 
                     
                       a 
                       , 
                       1 
                     
                   
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                       
                         j 
                         = 
                         2 
                       
                       
                         j 
                         = 
                         6 
                       
                     
                      
                     
                         
                     
                      
                     
                       b 
                       
                         1 
                         , 
                         j 
                       
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                       
                         i 
                         = 
                         2 
                       
                       
                         i 
                         = 
                         6 
                       
                     
                      
                     
                         
                     
                      
                     
                       c 
                       
                         i 
                         , 
                         1 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       
         
           
             
               B 
               
                 a 
                 , 
                 1 
               
             
             = 
             
               
                 C 
                 
                   1 
                   , 
                   a 
                 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     b 
                     
                       a 
                       , 
                       1 
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     c 
                     
                       1 
                       , 
                       a 
                     
                   
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                       
                         i 
                         = 
                         2 
                       
                       
                         i 
                         = 
                         6 
                       
                     
                      
                     
                         
                     
                      
                     
                       b 
                       
                         i 
                         , 
                         1 
                       
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                       
                         j 
                         = 
                         2 
                       
                       
                         j 
                         = 
                         6 
                       
                     
                      
                     
                         
                     
                      
                     
                       c 
                       
                         1 
                         , 
                         j 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       
         
           
             
               r 
               
                 1 
                 , 
                 a 
               
               b 
             
             = 
             
               
                 b 
                 
                   1 
                   , 
                   a 
                 
               
               
                 B 
                 
                   1 
                   , 
                   a 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       
         
           
             
               r 
               
                 a 
                 , 
                 1 
               
               b 
             
             = 
             
               
                 b 
                 
                   a 
                   , 
                   1 
                 
               
               
                 B 
                 
                   a 
                   , 
                   1 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       
         
           
             
               r 
               
                 1 
                 , 
                 a 
               
               c 
             
             = 
             
               
                 c 
                 
                   1 
                   , 
                   a 
                 
               
               
                 C 
                 
                   1 
                   , 
                   a 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       
         
           
             
               r 
               
                 a 
                 , 
                 1 
               
               c 
             
             = 
             
               
                 c 
                 
                   a 
                   , 
                   1 
                 
               
               
                 C 
                 
                   a 
                   , 
                   1 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
         [0057]    In this example, the first dealer  201  outperforms the aggregate of the neighboring comparison dealers  202 ,  203 ,  204 ,  205 ,  206 . 
         [0058]    Various embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Variations, modifications, and combinations may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. All such variations, modifications, and combinations are included herein by the scope of this disclosure and the following claims.