Positive customer experiences can drive sales and increase loyalty. Great customer service can set your dealership apart and make it stand out — don't let it take a back-seat to hard sales.
What was once a most effective tactic - advertising and sales practices through means of aggressive or forceful selling - hard sales no longer push customers down the sales funnel like it used to. Today’s educated and engaged customers know they have options. They do their research before they come into your dealership, and once they do, they want to know that their custom is valued.
Businesses that make customer service their number one priority is driving profit through the roof.
Online is the new word of mouth; it’s easy to do research, read reviews from previous customers and shop around without having to leave the comfort of your own home. In fact, 57 percent of sales decisions are made before sales are even involved. This means that when a person comes to you, they’re already at the purchase stage of the buyer process and are prepared to make a full transaction. This means that it’s your job to find them what they’re looking for, instead of pressuring them to buy.
“Customers are 5 times more likely to purchase from companies with great customer experience.”
“Poor customer service results in $83 billion in losses by US companies every year.”
With all this in mind, how do you improve your all-important customer service?- Educate your staff on the importance of understanding each stage of the consumer buyer process
- Know your customers need and wants
- Marry your marketing strategy with your customer journey
- Ask your customer the right questions to determine how much research they’ve done
Think about what makes your business stand out. As a car dealership, your core products are the most likely the same as your competitors – you offer vehicles to people who need them, so why should anybody go to you and not another car dealership? Customer service and the “extra mile” offerings are what will make you stand out from the rest!
A customer happy with their experience will tell between 4 and 6 people. Disrupt the market, go the extra mile, develop a market-driven customer experience and reap the benefits!
