What should a contemporary dealership’s customer experience entail?
The modern consumer experience extends far beyond face-to-face interactions.
Considering there is an upcoming generation of car purchasers who were practically co-raised by technology (Gen Z, sometimes referred to as digital natives! ), an alternative to walking through the front door must be considered in order to meet these customers’ specific expectations.
In addition, as a result of the pandemic, many individuals began to recognize the convenience and viability of communicating with businesses online.
Bolster Your Dealership’s Digital Customer Experience
Obviously, this entails providing a digital option. The important word here is “option.” Customers enjoy having options and the ability to do things differently. Even if they won’t necessarily do it, the fact that they can is passively reassuring!
The most exceptional customer experiences are those that give the consumer more freedom to choose their own path and next steps based on what’s best for them!
Customer experience design firm Tallwave has published a report titled 2021 Data-Driven Insights Into Evolving Customer Experience.
“Hybrid Experiences Are Greater Than Ever Before…
After COVID-19 concludes, more than half of respondents intend to return to in-person interactions. This highlights the need to connect brick-and-mortar stores with digital experiences in stores to offer a unified, seamless experience that facilitates consumer engagement, value realization, and increased brand loyalty. (According to Agility PR Solutions)
A Hybrid Customer Experience Provides Stellar Results
Even when purchasing a car, customers anticipate a seamless and customized experience due to the rise of the digital age. The process of purchasing a vehicle is most certainly not an uncomplicated Amazon-style purchase.
However, in a world that is constantly evolving and increasingly dependent on technology, it is becoming increasingly essential to standardize an effortless digital shopping experience when shopping online.
Carvana springs to mind.
However, they almost went too far in the opposite direction and neglected to consider what the consumers might need in addition to their vehicles moving forward. Frequently, dealerships have their own service and repair facilities. Carvana cannot claim to provide that!
Not to mention, concluding the car-buying process in person provides the customer with tangible assurance and eliminates a great deal of back-and-forth during a very complex procedure!
Carvana Did One Thing Correctly…
Carvana, however, was successful in disrupting the automotive industry and shining a light on how people perceive the dealership experience, as well as what it should include and offer shoppers on their unique customer voyage.
Let’s examine the top five things that, in our opinion, a modern dealership’s consumer experience should include, with an emphasis on digital offerings.
Grab a notepad; it’s time to create a list!
Five Digital Age Dealership Customer Experience Offerings 1) Personalization
Even in the digital world, customers must feel as if they are receiving personalized care. Consider investing in digital tools that enable personalization, such as an online live chat platform that can answer customer inquiries in real-time, share a customer’s enthusiasm for purchasing a car, and allay any concerns they may have prior to proceeding with your car dealership.
Customers necessitate personalization. Delivering a personalized, dynamic response that demonstrates empathy and dependability, or restating what the customer requested, is sufficient to reassure a customer that they are being assisted by a real person.
2) Availability of information
Customers want to know exactly what they are receiving when they make a purchase, and dealerships should be forthright about everything, including pricing and financing options (within reason). In the digital age, this entails providing readily accessible and understandable information on the dealership’s website, such as price calculators, financing options, and comprehensive descriptions of each vehicle in stock.
A trusted digital retailing instrument can help a dealership achieve this objective. There are numerous options, and SimpSocial partners with quite a few! We also provide human guidance alongside these digital retail platforms for automobiles.
Occasionally, frustrated clients abandon the financing process during their buyer’s journey. Transparent information provided by the DR tool, coupled with human advocacy, equals increased transaction confidence!
3) Convenience
Customers are occupied and do not wish to wait for hours at a dealership. We live in an age of grocery delivery, Amazon same-day shipping, and instant communication. While bringing a customer into your finance office is the objective, now is the time to be more digitally adaptable.
This includes online applications for financing, digital signatures for documentation, and virtual test drives.
Providing the customer with a sliding scale for the required degree of pre-sale engagement with the dealership can be a tremendous boon. Respecting their time is of the utmost importance and can help you remain top-of-mind and poised for future sales.
4) Engagement
Customers desire to feel enthusiastic about their purchase, and car dealerships should facilitate this emotion. This may involve providing virtual excursions of the dealership or producing engaging video content showcasing the newest models. Additionally, dealerships could construct interactive quizzes or games to assist customers in finding the ideal vehicle for their needs. Consider all potential consumer touchpoints and meet the customer where they are!
Consider improving your social media presence or creating a TikTok account for your dealership. Considering that TikTok has more than 1 billion monthly users, creating entertaining car-buying-related content on the platform has the potential to go viral.
5) Receptiveness.
Customers anticipate prompt responses to their questions, regardless of whether they are submitted via phone, email, social media, or chat/online messaging. Dealerships should invest in digital tools that facilitate quick and effective communication. This will not only help customers feel appreciated, but it will also assist the dealership in establishing a solid reputation for superior customer service.
This applies to responding to online evaluations as well. Prompt, customized responses to online evaluations demonstrate initiative and genuine concern for resolving customer issues. Your online reputation is your reputation overall. One month later, a nonspecific response may be worse than no response at all. In this blog, you can examine the optimal dealership review response principles.
Exceed Customers’ Expectations and Increase Their Loyalty
A contemporary dealership’s consumer experience must be individualized, transparent, convenient, engaging, and responsive. By focusing on these key areas and utilizing the most advanced digital tools, dealerships can provide a consumer experience that distinguishes itself from the competition.
Therefore, whether you are a car buyer or a dealership proprietor, it is time to embrace the digital age and elevate your customer experience!
Deliver an Outstanding Customer Experience with SimpSocial at Your Dealership
SimpSocial is the ideal partner for a modern auto dealership seeking to provide a contemporary customer experience!
We are experts at meeting customers where they are on their customer experience journey and preparing your sales team for success by providing them with robust, informative leads.
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