By asking the right questions we build trust and gain insight into needs of the buyer and help them make a decision on their terms.
Managing a thriving car dealership is tough for everyone. That’s why you must find a way to be different from your competition to thrive. That’s where your secret weapon comes in - customer experience.
You need to ask yourself how to improve customer service in the automotive industry. To get this question right, you need to ask yourself if you know what your customers want.
In this article, we will examine customer experience in the automotive industry, including the best strategies to improve it. We will also provide an example of how customer experience tools are used in the real-world.
Asking your customers questions related to their purchase can build trust and give you insight into their needs.
Let us look at Martin’s example. He visits the dealership every Saturday and tests six cars, but he never closes. Martin is obviously interested in your cars. However, he never seems to make up his mind about which one he wants.
Three other salespeople tried and failed to get him to close. Dan was the only person who took the time to listen to Martin’s photography stories and didn't rush him.
Using results-focused questions, Dan discovered that Martin had a trusted advisor, his son. He also discovered his son was unavailable on Saturdays, which explained why Martin had yet to buy a car.
Giving buyers better customer service allows you to attract more returning buyers. Accenture discovered that almost half of customers would switch brands after a bad experience.
With this in mind, here are some of the methods that a car dealership should consider on how to improve automotive customer service.
Use various tools to collect and analyze information on your customers. In Martin’s case, Dan asked Results-Focused Questions. These are questions that make clients open up more, helping us understand their needs.
For example, instead of asking, “Why did you choose this car?” You can go deeper and ask, “Describe to me what made you decide on this particular model?” You should then give the client time to give you their answer. In short, the more in-depth you are willing to be with your line of questions, the more you can learn about your buyers.
From his answers, we see that Martin has an amiable personality. He relies on someone he trusts to guide him in making car-buying decisions. Knowing what motivates your customers to buy lets you place them in unique categories. From there, you can create a plan that addresses all their concerns.
Creating a personalized customer experience will help you address their concerns and preferences. A good example of this technique is the one implemented by Tesla. When Tesla sells you a car, they give you many options to customize it.
As with all relationships, it takes time to lay the foundation. As a dealership, your goal is not simply to sell and move on to the next customer. Modern customers want to know that a company cares about what they want, not just their checkbook.
Customers need to feel they are getting something out of their relationship with you. This can be advice, insight, recommendations, and explanations of features.
When Dan finally understood Martin, he set up an appointment with Martin and his son. This way, he created a safe environment for Martin to close.
Active listening is an art that can help you unlock long-term revenue from customers by winning their loyalty. When your customers tell you their needs and concerns, demonstrate that you acted on them.
To grow your sales, you will need to get everyone on board. The first step in this strategy is empowering your sales reps. They need to be as knowledgeable as possible about each car they sell. That means they are not simply reading what is on the brochure.
They should have the skills to communicate each car's features and unique selling points on their list. When customers raise a concern, a well-trained sales can tie in the concern with a feature on the car they are selling.
Qunatum5 can help you differentiate yourself in dealerships selling the same product. You can offer better customer service and grow your revenue over time.
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