"The failure to meet the expectations of our customers on line, on the phone & on the lot will cause the customer to eliminate our dealership from the list of potential stores to buy from."
Unfortunately, our success & failures of this business depend on the ability to satisfy or fail to meet our customers expectations. If our customers expect a certain experience when they contact us in person, on the phone or on a website on the Internet and we fail to meet that expectation you will be crossed off and they will move to the next dealership until they receive the way they expect to be treated. Here are some ways to meet our customers expectations in the car buying process.
1. Online Expectations
When a customer comes to a 3rd Party Site or your own Dealership Website they are expecting to receive a specific experience, information and knowledge. Our ability to meet their expectations will add to their decision to do business with us or not. So what do they expect?
- Good Quality & Quantity of Vehicle Photos. The More The Better.
(Interior & Exterior)
- Prices (Competitive to The Market)
- A Story Behind Each Vehicle of Interest
- Any Specials & Offers Available
- Dealership Photos
- Dealership Sales & Service Staff
- Contact Info
- Map To Dealership
- Ease To Navigate Through Each Site
2. On The Phone Expectations
When a customer contacts your store through a phone contact the customer is expecting to hear something specific to why they're calling and they're expecting to be treated a certain way.
Your attitude, response and voice inflections towards the customer will play a big part in their response. It's also important to answer any questions and ask questions to help lead them down the road to setting up an appointment to come and see the vehicle of interest. What customers expect is:
- To Be Treated With Respect
- To Get Answers When They Ask Questions
- To Be Told Consistent Truth
- To Have A Good Experience With The Person They're Talking To
3. On The Lot Expectations
When a customer comes onto your lot, they are mostly anxious & not liking the car buying experience. It's important to remember while you're taking the customer down the road to the sale that while you're expecting to make a sale, they're expecting a few things as well. Here are some things they expect:
- To See The Car They Came To See
- To Be Told The Truth
- To Be Treated With Respect
- To Make A Deal & Buy A Vehicle
We have to remember that although the customer may never tell us this, they really are expecting to find the right car, for the right price when they come to a dealership. I would always remind the customer who would be on the fence that the sooner they say yes, the sooner they can start enjoying their new vehicle and end the car buying process. I trust this will help you as you deal with your next customer.
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