IronBenchmark · Independent Research · Dealer-Focused

The Dealer Response Report 2026

Customers are reaching dealers through more channels than ever — phone, email, web forms, Facebook Messenger, text, WhatsApp. Most dealers have no idea how many inquiries they're actually getting, or how many they're losing.

This study measures the gap. 16 questions. About 5 minutes. You'll receive the full report free when it publishes.

Equipment dealers only Fully anonymous No vendor angle Free report for respondents

Equipment dealers only  ·  Anonymous and aggregated  ·  Independent research — no sponsors

Section 1 · About You
Let's start with some context.
4 questions · about 60 seconds. All responses are anonymous and aggregated. IronBenchmark is independent research — not sponsored by any equipment manufacturer, dealer group, or vendor.
Question 1What best describes your role?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 2How many locations does your dealership operate?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 3What brand lines does your dealership carry?
e.g. Caterpillar, Komatsu, John Deere, AGCO, Kubota, Bobcat — or Independent / Multi-line
Please enter your brand lines to continue.
Question 4What's your dealership's website URL? (optional)
Helps us verify brand lines and is never shared publicly
Section 2 · How Customers Reach You
The channels your customers are using.
3 questions · about 60 seconds. This section maps where the inbound volume is actually coming from — and whether dealers have visibility into it.
Question 5Through which channels are customers and prospects actively contacting your dealership today?
Select all that apply
Please select at least one channel to continue.
Question 6Which of those channels drives the most inbound contact?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 7Do you actually know how many inbound inquiries your dealership receives in a typical week?
Please select an option to continue.
Section 3 · How You Handle It
What happens when the inquiry comes in.
6 questions · about 90 seconds. No right answers here — the value in this study is in the honest data, including the uncomfortable parts.
Question 8When a customer contacts you through a digital channel — website form, Facebook message, email — who is responsible for responding?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 9How quickly does your team typically respond to a digital inquiry?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 10When a salesperson leaves your dealership, what typically happens to their open customer conversations and leads?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 11After a quote or proposal goes out — who owns the follow-up?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 12What's your biggest challenge managing communications across multiple channels?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 13Has your dealership lost a deal — or nearly lost one — because a customer message wasn't seen or responded to in time?
Please select an option to continue.
Section 4 · Reputation
What customers find when they look you up.
3 questions · about 60 seconds. Your online reputation is being shaped whether you're managing it or not. This section benchmarks how actively dealers are in the conversation.
Question 14Do you know your current Google star rating?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 15Do you actively monitor and respond to your online reviews?
Please select an option to continue.
Question 16How do you currently ask satisfied customers to leave a review?
Please select an option to continue.
Almost done
You're in. Thank you.
Your responses have been recorded. You'll receive The Dealer Response Report 2026 by email when it publishes — free, before public release.

IronBenchmark has two other open studies — both free for respondents:

Heavy Equipment State of Marketing 2026 — budget allocation, cost-per-lead benchmarks by channel, digital adoption, and what's actually delivering ROI across the industry.

AI in Heavy Equipment Sales: 2026 Benchmark — the first study on AI adoption in equipment sales. Tool usage, barriers, competitor confidence gap, and where the industry is headed.

Know a fellow dealer who'd want to see this data? Forward them the link: ironbenchmark.com/dealer-response
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