With the emergence of countless new services and players over the past decade, customer loyalty is no longer what it used to be.
Ensuring that customers go to you to buy their future vehicles is a top priority for every auto agency. Hence, post-sale follow-ups are more essential than ever, nurturing customer-supplier relations, and building buyer loyalty.
Post-Sale Activity: an Added Value
For a long time, dealerships only focused on selling cars -new and used- while somewhat neglecting post-sale activity as it is considered to be less profitable.
This makes it easier for customer attachment to gradually weaken as other post-sale service solutions have developed and it became common for customers to turn away from their dealership once the vehicle warranty has expired.
This problem will decrease your sales and affect your customer retention rates, but being aware of it is the first step to fixing it.
Ok, got it, but how?
You have to keep in mind these two things:
- Improve the Quality of Post-Sale Services
Customer service should be a central element of your strategy: it is the window of your business.
Good customer service is a magnet for purchases, endorsements, and constructive feedback. To achieve that here are some tips:
- Find advisors who put you in the spotlight.
- Multiply the communication channels for your customers.
- Put customers first, always.
- Handle unhappy customers.
- Value customers who give you good feedback.
- Reconstruct Customer-Supplier Relationship
According to a recent study in the automotive industry, good customer-supplier relationships increase business productivity by 3 to 5%. This is a reflection on the strategy of the purchasing and supply-chain directors of 150 global companies, the majority of which (80%) say they place the creation and development of sustainable customer/supplier relationships at the heart of their initiatives.
Databases: A Helpful Tool
Auto agencies have a bank of information about their customers and potential buyers. They can use this info to revive the customer-supplier relationship.
As long as the database is up to date and the leads are qualified, the dealership has a lot of data to work with to improve its strategy.
For customers: This means offering the customer the right service, at the right time, at an affordable price.
For example, using the database, the dealership can send emails to customers reminding them that they should have an oil change in a week, or spring detailing, or any other service the agency provides.
This way, by optimizing customer follow-ups, the agency has a better understanding of how they need to adjust their marketing plans.
For potential buyers: people mainly search vehicles online now. Thus, the dealership must distinguish itself by offering online services like car valuation, and high-quality post-sale service to encourage purchases within the dealership.
The Growing Importance of Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction plays a vital role in the success of every single business.
I mean, just think about it, if you are not treating your customers well or not bothering to offer quality services, then it is very easy for them to switch to another service provider who appreciates their significance in sustaining the business.
Over the past twenty years, customer satisfaction has been more and more important in vehicle sales, and the emergence of the web and new technologies made it easier for customers to voice out their criticism or praise.
So now, you have to be more careful. You don’t want carelessness and apathy to negatively influence or sometimes even ruin the reputation you’ve worked this hard to achieve.
In order to achieve both customer satisfaction and your sales objectives, you need to offer great customer service because implementing a customer-centric strategy and responding to the needs of your customers differentiates you from competitors and makes you the number one pick for all potential clients.
This strategy is becoming all the more important as customers are increasingly turning away from mass advertising and moving toward supporting worthy businesses.
Solely selling vehicles is no longer enough; make room for feedback to attract your target audience with better treatment and smarter strategies!
Just like there’s no king without his people, there’s no company without its customers. Treat your customers well and it will all come back to you.
