More dealerships are responding to the customer demand for an improved car buying experience
Technology and innovation in the auto industry have advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years, all of which has contributed to improved safety, performance and reliability of new vehicles. Now too, dealer organizations are making the shift from conventional approaches to embrace the latest concepts.
Digital retailing technology has transformed the expectations of shoppers across virtually every sector — and it’s become part of our daily regime.
We may use an app or an on-line service to purchase morning coffee, music or tickets to our favourite movie or concert. Placing on-line orders for many household items and making hotel and travel bookings through any one of a number of sites has also become common-place.
The same expectation is shifting in the automotive world as car shoppers today want personalized experiences that put convenience at the heart of this process as well.
And while the demand is obviously generated by younger consumers, older generations are also picking up these new habits. We’re seeing more and more automakers make investments that are improving the consumer experience in ordering and configuring their vehicles online.
Another important trend we’re seeing is due to information being more readily available online, consumers are more informed, confident and savvy when they come to dealerships than ever before.
This is giving rise to customers demand for an evolution of the current dealership experience. It’s no longer good enough for dealers to appeal to consumers through a website. Today’s consumers expect when they engage a retailer, that a transaction will take place quickly.
Many of today’s car or truck buyers want an online purchase experience that includes everything from selecting a vehicle make and model, accessories, warranties, credit application, trade in appraisal, through to execution, and subsequently a test drive at their convenience. Consumers want to do more than simply submit contact information and wait for a dealer to follow up.
That is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for individual automakers and dealers to break away from the pack and clearly establish themselves in the marketplace. Fulfilling the needs of consumers may appear straightforward but building the necessary capabilities requires significant planning and effort.
The question will be who “owns” the customer relationship over time as more and more OEMs look to connect and communicate directly with consumers visiting either the brand’s or dealer’s website
In British Columbia, Christian Chia of the Open Road Auto Group was recently recognized as a Pacific Region winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for 2018.
Obviously, an important aspect to any such honour is business savvy. Loyalty marketing, predictive analytics and multi-channel platforms are just some of the tactics he’s embraced.
Chia also suggests in a BC Business Magazine interview, that instead of investing in bricks and mortar, he envisions the increasing significance of mobility services, in fleet management, in technology, in autonomous, in car and ride-sharing — and describes the future as the “golden era for mobility and the auto industry.”
In spite of retail technology advancements, there is still an important role for the physical store — as consumers they still want to view potential automobiles first hand — and frankly, only a test drive and getting behind the wheel of a car, give drivers the true feeling of any vehicle.
The question will be who “owns” the customer relationship over time as more and more OEMs look to connect and communicate directly with consumers visiting either the brand’s or dealer’s website.
There is an opportunity for new car dealers to offer a sales experience that is more transparent, convenient and simple and to retain the direct connection with those looking for a vehicle .
As consumers lead increasingly hectic lives, they will continue to want and expect that the shopping and purchasing experience is one that works for them — and it will be imperative that dealers seize the opportunity and take them along for the ride.
