Dealerships... Love 'em or Loathe Them?
Teej Bushell
Looking for driven and talented Optometrists, Contact Lens Opticians and Dispensing Opticians throughout Wales and Surrey.
With 10% of dealerships closing in the UK since 2010, are we facing a Dealership extinction? Don't all cheer at once - not ALL car sales men and women can be tarnished with the same metallic paint brush as Arthur Daily.
With the steady decline or dealership sites within an aggressive buyer-led market, can everything really be conducted via the internet? You do need to sit in the car, get a feel for space; be reassured that there is room for your toddlers buggy along with a weeks shopping; touch the glorious fabrics the Colour and Trim designers have spent months researching in hues to enhance your driving experience.
Would a 'virtual test drive' excite you enough to spend ￡34,000+ on your BMWi3 EV or do you need the human touch; someone to answer your niggly technical questions, reassure you that your colour choice with matching accessories will be the envy of Mr. and Mrs. Jones next door. Above all else, isn't the haggling over cost and negotiating the "free mats" all part of the 'fun' when purchasing a car?
Yes, perhaps there is a need to trim the number of unscrupulous dealers. Perhaps the focus should shift back a couple of decades when the overall customer experience was just as valued as the loaded rebates awarded to dealerships in recognition for achieving volume sales targets.
How would YOU improve the car buying process?
I beleive positive customer experience, is as important in enabling a customer transaction. A couple of bad examples. Think of the local electronic shop, where there is a mix of stock squeezed shambolically about the place, and low attention to detail in technical content, when asked. Then compare this with a beautifully presented, well spoken presenter, who is articulate in each or technical facts yet who lacks the substance to know what it all means product to product. On the sales floor product presentation and support information go hand in hand. When presenting any product, there should be sufficient space around to enable the customer to see it without there eyes been drawn to another. Take it in embrace it. True, the retail environment does not allow limitless space. Greet your customer on entering, but allow them to wander, explore. If they are attracted to a particular product, have an open conversation, don't push too hard (as an asside, - remember that when you kiss another, you only need to go half way, they will also come to kiss you, if that is what they want) Never use "What will take to get you into a car today". If a customer doesn't buy on their first visit, they may comeback. They remember the positive.