Dealerships are Fine...But How Could They Be Better?
Daily Slideshow: Nobody looks forward to going to a car dealership, but if these few, relatively simple changes were made, it could change the perspective a lot of people have about the car buying process.
A nice place to be
Purchasing a car is a big decision, so why not provide a little comfort and entertainment to make the decision to lay down thousands of dollars that much easier? That’s not to say there needs to be on-site magicians, dancers, or light shows, but having a play area for children to use while their parents shop is a good start. Want to walk the floor or haggle while your little one is busy in the nicely appointed play area? No problem because there would be one. While parents may not always need something like this, rest assured that when they do they will be happy that is there. For adults, there could be a theater like media room with comfy chairs to relax in while waiting for their service rep. And if those two are a bit difficult to make happen due to space issues, free food is always a good way to go – finger food, bagels, sodas – it’s a little investment that can go a long way.
Easier online experience
99.9% of the time, before a customer sets foot in a car dealership, they do research online. And when they visit a dealership’s website, they expect every bit of information about the car they’re interested in being available. So, in order to improve a customer’s experience with a dealership, it needs to start with the website – customers should be able to easily access information about vehicles, schedule appointments, access paperwork, and expect an immediate response to any and all queries they submit.
Tracking experiences
Consolidate a list of transactions a customer makes with the dealership to better understand their experience with the vehicle they purchased, and be proactive with offering timely incentives to come in and have their car serviced. For example, if a customer schedules an oil change once every six months, it would be in the dealership’s best interest to email that customer a coupon for an oil change at the five-and-a-half-month mark. Not only will that remind the customer to schedule their visit, it’ll build brand loyalty to the actual dealership.
Clean locations
Dealerships are often tied to service shops, and it can be a bit of an arduous task keeping the two separate from one another; regardless, it should be a conscious effort on the part of both teams. Service areas aren’t necessarily the cleanest of places, nor should they be, but the showroom should be spotless, as loose parts, smudge marks on the carpet, and more, can distort the customer’s buying experience and, in turn, lead to a negative view of the dealership.
Honesty is priceless
Let’s be honest – car dealerships have a bad reputation when it comes to honesty. So, how does one combat that – complete transparency? A buyer will likely have a much better experience with a dealership if he/she does not have to second guess everything their dealer is saying, and not have to pour through pages of fine print to find out how they’re getting screwed over. If buyers get their spidey-sense tingling that something is afoul not only will they avoid doing business with a certain salesman they'll likely tell everyone they know also to beware of the location. On the flip, if you do business with a great salesperson it will serve as the groundwork for an automotive relationship that will span many years.
Share the information
While we're on the topic, just think of how much more convenient things could be for not only prospective buyers but also present owners if the dealerships shared information with Lexus. It would be very advantageous if they could pass on knowledge about upcoming products, vehicle cancellations, prospective specs and TSBs. More often than not these type of things are mainly discussed amongst owners on car forums such as this far before anyone will get an email from a dealership.
Will you be waiting or do you need a car?
An adequate number of loaner vehicles. Nuff said.
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