Think of the times when encompassing the best billboard, enormous expandable gorilla, or the best variety of inventory was just sufficient to attract customers to your dealership? Well, this is no longer the scenario as innovative digital channels and ever-evolving customer expectations have disrupted the marketplace. Customers today have more options, do extensive research and expect a seamless experience across multiple touchpoints before even considering to step into any dealership.
Read on to find out some prototypical customer experiences that can help you increase your dealership sales: Enable your customer to reach you using multiple channels
Traditionally, automakers and dealers have been interacting with customers making use of the multi-channel approach which allows for diverse sources and ways to accumulate information. However, these channels often provide a disjointed customer experience.
Customers today want flexibility and freedom to switch between several information sources and obtain a similar brand experience across every channel. Thus, today dealers need to grow to an omnichannel strategy to cater a seamless customer experience at every level of the customer life-cycle throughout stationary, mobile and virtual sales and communication channels.
Today, it is recommended to actively manage all communication channels at your dealerships via advanced integrated CRM systems which further make certain access to holistic customer data and information to all the employees at every level of the customer journey in the car buying process.
Know Your Customer & Customize Your Future Interactions with them
Are your customers welcomed by a salesperson ready to PUSH a sale or a consultant who is primed to ask questions to provide them with the car they need according to their present situation?
At any given time, customers want to feel like they can trust the person who is selling them the car. This implies questioning them about their monthly payment budget, their car usage, number of family members who will ride in it and even be notifying them of potential interest rate changes so that they can make a well-versed financial decision.
The sales advisors at the automotive dealerships carry mobile devices (tablets/iPads) that allows them to seamlessly do everything quickly while being side-by-side with the customer. No running back to the desk to fetch various documents or photocopies.
The sales advisor scans it all through the device. This leaves the customers with a feeling of transparency since the customer can see just what the salesperson can see and the sales advisor doesn’t leave the customer’s side to fetch the latest inventory, price or incentive information.
Let Your Customers Embrace Convenience
Is it comfortable for your staff who are assisting with a sale to find suitable Vehicle for your customers? Can they pull up pricing and other information about a car before customers go and see the car in person?
Whether it be using a mobile handset or an iPad or a tablet, your staff must have car information at their fingertips. Your customer’s time is precious and being able to access a car in a well-organized lot shall show your customer that your dealership values time and efficiency. The faster the process, the more likely customers can be open to a sale.
Allow your customer to make an appointment, check their car report, check upcoming service suggestions and browse your present vehicle inventory from their PCs or mobile devices. You may even make use of various texting platforms to take the customer experience to another level. You can cover everything from a quick reminder message of an upcoming oil change to allowing your customer to text in a service request can set you apart as a convenient place that customers would want to go and suggest their friends about.
Shorten the Car-Buying Process by Automation
According to various analysis, car buyers are the least satisfied with the length of the car buying process. Almost 72% of the customers wish to complete their applications and other paperwork online.
The key factor driving this is to save time at the dealership and to have less pressure while filling out the paperwork. Shifting paperwork online and empowering customers to finish it on their own greatly enhances the in-dealership experience and thus cut down on the time they spend in the dealership on the day of purchase.
In order to further enhance the in-dealership experience, one must consider to cut down on the idle-waiting time on the day of purchase. So, in order to enhance customer experience for your dealership, you must consider every possible way to cut down the processing time for car buying.
Add a Digital Edge to Your F&I Process
According to a study, satisfaction deteriorates after 90 minutes at any dealership, no matter how exceptional your customer experience is. Standard financial and insurance paperwork takes more than an hour. Dissatisfaction begins to sneak in.
Consider allowing your customers to enter F&I information online to significantly shorten the process. Also, having a detailed description of F&I products online that comprises of their benefits can further cut down time F&I, staff need to take to explain it to your customers. This eventually, can help your dealership increase the likelihood of a sale.
There always is a persuasive correlation between customer satisfaction and loyalty. When dealers identify that their customers are eyeing on experiences that put their requirements first as well as underlines education and consultation as an alternative of a ‘’sell, sell, sell” approach, dealers are more likely to convert initial requests into loyalty.
The trail to increased sales and referrals is by catering a stellar customer experience that offers potential car buyers specifically what they need. This necessitates data, lots of it, and of course the technology and analytic capabilities to come up with insights to deliver targeted messaging across the right touchpoints at the right time. AIMDek is a pioneer in delivering Automotive Dealer Software Solutions, which includes Intranet for internal communication, a franchise portal for seamless communication between dealers are their resellers/franchise owners and customer experience platform for providing a car buying experience for your customers a memorable one. Learn how to stand apart as a great automotive dealership by reaching out to us at marketing@aimdek.com.
