SharkNinja rolls into Hollywood spotlight in latest Brad Pitt movie
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SharkNinja's Limited-Edition APXGP Performance Collection, as featured in Apple Original Films' F1® The Movie
The company hopes to show its ethos around 'design, speed and performance' is reflected in the movie's storyline. For example, chief executive Mark Barrocas said that like 'the characters in the film, we're always pushing to do more, do better, and defy expectations.'
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Spokesman Brandon Hart declined to say how much the company is spending on the movie appearances. Also unclear: how that amount compares with what the company would have to spend to sponsor a real F1 team.
This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene.
Jon Chesto can be reached at
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Business Wire
2 hours ago
- Business Wire
Group 1 Tops Pied Piper's 2025 Service Appointment Rankings; Industrywide A.I. Often Beats Human Staff
MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Group 1 Automotive dealerships ranked highest in Pied Piper's 2025 PSI ® Service Telephone Effectiveness ® (STE ®) Auto Dealer Group Study, which measured efficiency and quality when attempting to schedule service appointments by telephone. Following Group 1 Automotive were Napleton Automotive Group, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, and Ed Morse Automotive Group. 'A.I. now often outperforms human staff on service calls, but handoffs to people frequently fall apart; Dealers must use A.I. as a tool—not a crutch—and stay committed to staffing and smooth transitions." Share Pied Piper submitted service calls to 2,105 dealerships representing 26 of the largest U.S. auto dealer groups, as well as to 200 independent service centers. Each location received an STE score ranging from 0-100 based on their performance in over 30 differently weighted measurements tied to best practices most likely to drive service revenue and customer loyalty. Each dealer group's average STE Score is a combined average of their individual dealership performances. Industrywide - Telephone Service Behaviors Improve Industrywide average service telephone performance continues to steadily improve, with a 2025 average STE score of 64, up four points since last year and six points since 2023. The improvement in average STE score was in large part due to a reduced rate of negative behaviors compared to the previous year. Less Time Spent on Hold – Service customers were placed on hold for more than two minutes only 2% of the time on average in 2025 compared to 13% of the time last year. Fewer 'Mission Failure' – The share of service customers who hung up without having been offered an appointment dropped to 9% this year, down from 13% last year. Group 1 Automotive Leads the Pack – Group 1 dealerships improved their average STE score by 12 points over the past year, achieving a record average STE score of 76. More Service Appointments Scheduled – Only 4% of Group 1 service callers weren't offered an appointment—down from 10% last year and less than half this year's dealer group average. Less Downtime on the Phone – The average Group 1 caller reached a service associate in 51 seconds—8 seconds faster than Group 1's performance last year, and 9 seconds quicker than this year's dealer group average. Group 1 callers were also half as likely to be placed on hold compared to the industry and 9% less likely to experience hold times exceeding two minutes. Rise of A.I. in Service Calls Use of artificial intelligence to interact with service customer calls continues to grow, and for the study Pied Piper collected data comparing the experience of service phone customers who interacted with A.I. vs those who interacted with a human. Today's A.I. Can Handle Most Service Calls – For dealerships using A.I. to answer service calls, those calls were handled successfully by the A.I. 91% of the time, including addressing the customer's request to schedule an appointment, without any reliance on a human service employee. Overall, customers successfully scheduled a service appointment 86% of the time at dealerships that rely on A.I., compared to 90% of the time at dealerships that rely on humans to interact with customers. ' Full Capability' Service A.I. Outperforms Majority of Human Associates – the average STE score when A.I. successfully handled the entire service call was 72, 8 points higher than the 2025 national dealer group average, and nearly as high as the STE average scores of top performing dealer groups. 84% of these successful A.I. interactions achieved STE scores equal to or better than this year's dealer group average STE score. When A.I. Cannot Handle Service Calls, The Transfer Often Fumbles – While some customer requests are very simple, such as oil changes or standard maintenance, other customers call about recalls or a combination of issues, which today usually requires a transfer to a human. A.I. was unable to handle the customer request 9% of the time, and when attempting to transfer to a human associate, those handoffs failed 56% of the time. Typical issues include requiring the customer to call back later, sending to voicemail, endless hold, and call dropped when transferred. Note that the average A.I. transfer occurs 88 seconds into the call, meaning that the failure may leave the customer disgruntled over having wasted their time, compared to the alternative of having to leave a voicemail at the start of a call. When Transferred from A.I. to Human Associate, Average Human STE Performance is Worse – At dealerships using A.I., when the A.I. transfers customers to a human service associate, whether by customer request or reaching the limit of A.I. capability, the average STE score was 50, 14 points lower than the dealer group average and 22 points below the current 'full capability' A.I. average score. At dealerships using A.I., only 28% of transferred customers interacted with service staff whose performance achieved an STE score higher than the average A.I. STE score. 'A.I. now often outperforms human staff on service calls, but handoffs to people frequently fall apart,' said Cameron O'Hagan, Pied Piper's Vice President of Metrics and Analytics. 'Dealers must use A.I. as a tool—not a crutch—and stay committed to staffing and smooth transitions.' Independent Service Centers: Competitive Threat New for 2025, the study also included measurement of independent service center STE performance. The findings show that independent service center performance was mixed, but for some important measurements their performance exceeded the dealer group average. The Independent Service Centers at a Glance – the locations of four different independent service center brands were studied. Average STE scores for each independent were as follows: Midas (65), Firestone (62), Meineke (57), Pep Boys (56), with an overall independent service center industry average STE score of 60, compared to the dealer group average STE score of 64. While 51% of independent service centers outperformed dealers, the independent service centers offered an appointment only 79% of the time on average, compared to 90% of the time on average for the dealer groups. Advantages in some key behaviors – While the average dealer group STE score is higher, independent service centers excel in some individual behaviors: They are twice as likely to offer a cost estimate over the phone and most notably, the average days out until the earliest available appointment hovered around 1 day on average, compared to 4 days out for the dealer groups nationally. 'Failure to schedule an appointment quickly may be all it takes for a dealership's service customer to choose an independent shop,' said O'Hagan. 'Dealerships work hard to avoid losing service customers, and the faster availability and greater price transparency of independents can be a real threat.' 2025 Dealer Group Performance Compared 'Quickly Reach Associate' - How often did customers of the group's dealerships reach a service associate within one minute? More than 80% of the time on average: Zeigler Auto Group, Greenway Automotive, Serra Automotive, Bergstrom Automotive Less than 40% of the time on average: Ken Garff Automotive Group, Ciocca Auto Group, Penske Automotive Group 'Set an Appointment' - How often did the group's dealerships offer an appointment for a specific date and time? More than 95% of the time on average: Napleton Automotive Group, Ed Morse Automotive Group, Group 1 Automotive, Bergstrom Automotive, Morgan Auto Group Less than 80% of the time on average: West Herr Automotive Group, Fox Motors 'Average Days Out' – What was the group's dealerships' average number of days out until the earliest available appointment? Less than 2 days on average: Napleton Automotive Group, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive, Group 1 Automotive, Ourisman Automotive Group, Greenway Automotive More than 7 days on average: West Herr Automotive Group, Fox Motors 'Communication Failure' - How often would calling a group's dealerships for service result in an issue that prevented communication (placed on hold indefinitely, straight to voicemail, stuck in phone tree, etc.)? Less than 3% of the time on average: Ed Morse Automotive Group, Napleton Automotive Group, Zeigler Auto Group, Group 1 Automotive More than 15% of the time on average: Penske Automotive Group, West Herr Automotive Group, Fox Motors Why This Study Matters 'A service customer's initial phone call is a dealership's first step toward building loyalty and generating revenue,' said O'Hagan. 'Yet because these calls often go unnoticed in daily operations, problems are easily overlooked. Increasing visibility leads directly to improvement.' For more than 15 years, Pied Piper has independently published annual industry studies that rank the omnichannel performance of brands and dealer groups. These studies track how industry performance changes over time and let clients understand how their own performance compares. Pied Piper clients order ongoing Prospect Satisfaction Index ® (PSI ®) measurement and reporting – internet, telephone or in-person – for their dealerships, as tools to improve and maintain omnichannel sales and service effectiveness. A.I.-powered insights are delivered directly to clients' phones—providing concise, actionable guidance to boost omnichannel sales and service. About Pied Piper Management Company, LLC Monterey, California - based Pied Piper helps brands and national retailer groups improve the omnichannel sales & service performance of their retailers. Pied Piper's PSI ® process applies data science analytics to determine the omnichannel sales and service best practices most likely to drive unit sales and loyalty. PSI ® then uses a combination of artificial intelligence, machine learning and human actors to measure and report how effectively retail locations follow those best practices. Other recent Pied Piper PSI ® industry studies include: 2025 Internet Lead Effectiveness ® (ILE ®) Auto Industry Study (Subaru was ranked first) 2024 Service Telephone Effectiveness ® (STE ®) Auto Industry Study (Acura was ranked first) 2024 Telephone Lead Effectiveness ™ (TLE ™) Pontoon Boat Industry Study (BRP's Sea-Doo brand ranked first) Learn more, request a presentation of industry study results, or request PSI ® measurement and reporting at This press release is provided for editorial use only, and information contained in this release may not be used for advertising or otherwise promoting brands mentioned in this release without specific, written permission from Pied Piper Management Co., LLC.
Forbes
3 hours ago
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This Fourth Of July Weekend, Sir Lewis Hamilton's Mission 44 Continues To Drive Change At F1
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 03: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari is interviewed ... More during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 03, 2025 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images) This Fourth of July weekend, as Americans celebrate Independence Day, across the pond at the F1 British Grand Prix, Sir Lewis Hamilton's foundation, Mission 44, is taking the time to celebrate change. More specifically, lives changed. With the growing momentum of F1 internationally, an estimated 480,000 international and local motorsport fans will attend the four-day Grand Prix at Silverstone, 70 miles outside of London. Yet there's a different kind of momentum building off the track. At the heart of this shift is Sir Lewis Hamilton, the legendary seven-time F1 World Champion, whose Mission 44 foundation is fueling access, equity and opportunity for underrepresented youth across the globe through giving back. And it may just be this work off the track that redefines his legacy and what it means to be a global icon. NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Race winner Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes celebrates ... More on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 07, 2024 in Northampton, England. (Photo by) A Vision For Change Hamilton's journey from being born and raised in Stevenage, a quiet English town north of London, to the global stage of Formula 1 is a testament to resilience, talent and opportunity. But for many young people, breaking social and economic barriers are insurmountable, even when the talent is there. That is where this story begins. Founded in 2021, Mission44 was born out of a moment of social reckoning and recognition that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Black Lives Matter had catalyzed conversations worldwide, and instead of leveraging protests and politics, Hamilton chose purpose. 'Beyond my achievements on track, the most important thing for me is to know I played my part in building a fairer, more equitable world,' Hamilton stated in their latest annual report. And his commitment wasn't symbolic—it was structural. Seeding the charity with £20 million of his own money, Hamilton began constructing a blueprint for systemic change, tackling barriers in education, employment and social mobility. The charity's mission is to support and champion young people from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring they have the tools and resources to succeed—from funding scholarships to creating mentorship programs that address the systemic inequities that hold so many back. Four years later, over 350,000 young people have been touched globally, with over 40 organizations receiving support or grants. And this is well beyond the U.K. Mission44's global footprint now includes activations in Brazil, across the United States, and throughout Italy, targeting three vital sectors: inclusive education, access to STEM and motorsport careers and youth empowerment. NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JULY 4: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Ferrari walks in the paddock ... More during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 4, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by) Silverstone as a Platform for Purpose Behind the roar of engines, smell of burning rubber, and electric (albeit somewhat wet) atmosphere of the 2025 British Grand Prix, Mission44 was working behind the scenes, through a series of events and activations designed and set up to engage fans, raise awareness and drive change off the track. Each of Us Has A Role To Play Despite the current political atmosphere, the business case for inclusion remains strong. Studies consistently show that diverse teams outperform their homogeneous counterparts, driving innovation and improving financial performance. Pew Research found that 86% of workers have a neutral-to-favorable opinion about increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Companies that abandon these efforts risk alienating employees, customers and stakeholders who value representation and fairness. Which is why foundations like Mission44, and leaders like Sir Lewis Hamilton, are more important than ever. Those to whom much is given have an opportunity to continue to push and drive change toward a world in which the power of giving back can be transformative, on both large and small levels. So, during a weekend in which many Americans celebrate independence and freedom, let's also take time celebrate the individuals and organizations working to ensure those ideals of freedom and opportunity are accessible to all. We all have a part to play—and with leaders like Sir Lewis Hamilton at the helm, the race for equity is just as important as the race for the checkered flag.
Yahoo
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