There’s no doubt about it, the team at Loop BI make a valid point about retail automotive shifting its focus to retention and aftersales as the supply shortage continues to take its toll.
In the AM Online article, Simon Porri, Loop BI’s MD, explains:
“Long wait times for most brands mean a focus on brand loyalty is now key for auto retailers; delivering exceptional brand experience retains customers and stops them going somewhere else to buy their next vehicle.”
It all adds up, because if a customer (we’ve all been one) has a poor experience with a brand or a retailer, the chances are that customer will be incentivised to shop around in the future.
But, I want to draw your attention back a little bit earlier in the buying journey. There might be some additional benefits that can be gathered up at the same time as solving the retention issue.
When does a customer become a customer? When they drive away, or when they pay their deposit and commit to the purchase?
The majority think of retailers, or at least act as though, it’s the former. Hence this inevitable drop in customer service, communication and care, as soon as that deposit is paid.
Yet, this is the crucial point in the buying journey where EVERYTHING is at stake. We call it the Experience Gap, because the customer ‘experience’ requires the same care and attention it has had to date:
But that doesn’t happen. In fact, sales teams, retailers and manufactures are failing the customer here and making themselves have to work twice as hard when it comes to retention by not simply carrying on the same level of care post-deposit.
The AM Online article, continued with a further Loop BI quote:
“A continued lack of supply of new and used vehicles means OEMs and their franchised retailers have shifted their attention to focus on brand experience, meeting standards compliance, and aftersales.”
We don’t disagree, but retailers that shift their mindset to a little earlier in the journey will find they’re able to dilute the ill-feeling, anxiety and stress that demands the attention that this article describes, later in the cycle.
If you’re keen on filling that Experience Gap, and using our technology to carry all your customers from point of order to point of handover, we have a ‘plug and play’ solution that is now live across 6 brands and 50 dealers in the UK.
Get in touch today if you’d like a demo to see how AutoBuzz works.
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