Dealers are really feeling the effect of the end of scrappage. The good times certainly rolled whilst the scheme was in place to the extent that many dealers would be excused for thinking that the recession was happening somewhere else.
Those good times have long since passed but it seems many sales execs just haven’t switched on to the fact that those once every 10 year customers are happy once again with their bangers and that selling cars in NORMAL times takes a little more skill and patience.
Car buyers, who are also expecting better deals than are actually available, are getting confusing messages as they don’t really know whether a good deal today will be a good deal tomorrow.
The continuous changes which the car trade is undergoing means that until staff get the message that customers demand (and deserve) great service and will ultimately pay if the product matches that service, they will not be able to conquer more business and consumers will continue to look at other ways of buying cars.
Of course if a customer wants a car, and is ready to buy, someone will be the recipient of the business, however with the products on offer generally of a similar standard and up and coming manufacturers such as Hyundai and Kia, for example, really gaining a foothold in the market will there ultimately be room for everyone?
The follow up call still continues to be a surprise for a buyer rather than an expectation and although many large dealer groups have whole departments dedicated to following up on both buyers and non-buyers as well as after-sales customers, but are the results being acted upon?
Are the staff in a given dealership engaged enough to understand the need to improve? Are they concerned enough to ensure that a non-buyer turns into a repeat customer with a profitable outcome and, what everyone wants, a satisfied customer?
Questions, questions, questions….
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