Car manufacturers and the iPhone generation

628 More

Earning the right to be successful

610 More

Knowledge is power

714 More

Selling cars – it’s all about timing

1,006 More

Truemag

  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Archives
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Local deals for local people

It has long been a frustration for car buyers that they won’t get access to the best deals at their franchised local dealers without having first done the research and made the effort to compare deals with other dealers.

Naturally, from a car dealer’s position, they feel the culture is changing. The manufacturers and their brand partners are focussing far more on building value into the products on offer, and the service offered by the dealer, as part of an all round experience, is designed to keep customers coming back and spreading the word to others.

Whilst in the long term this attitude has to be the right one because of the large sums of money involved in buying new cars, during hard times there is something seductive for customers in deals with £000’s slashed off the “list price” of new cars and this is often more attractive than investigating the overall package. Also many car buyers will not even make the effort to visit a dealer unless they are confident they are going to get a comparable deal to one they have perhaps located at a dealer in another town.

Interestingly research tells us that although buyers are happy to research online and even get quotes from dealers nationally, a large proportion of car buyers would clearly still rather buy from a dealer closer to home because of the peace of mind of knowing they can go back to the dealer in the event of a problem meaning minimum aggravation.

Ironically it is during a downturn that the local dealer is more likely to look after his local customers and the manufacturers are more likely to provide extra incentives as part of a package which, in the long run, is often far more beneficial for a customer who buys from a dealer near them. This is despite the fact that many offers provided by car manufacturers, through the franchised network, are national offers.

For example with 3 years free servicing it is only natural that a dealer will prioritise the service they give to customers who have supported them by buying the new car off them in the first place, relegating the buyer who decides to buy elsewhere to “when they can be fitted in.”

Of course it’s not right but it’s just the way it is.

Some may argue that dealers are often complacent and blasé about how they treat local customers, believing that they are captive and will always come back, but as we all know, with all kinds of things, we in Britain often won’t say anything but will vote with our feet if the service is not as it should be.

A great deal on a car may not necessarily be a great deal when all the other elements are weighed up, but it is still important, wherever the car is to be bought and maintained, that the dealer understands and is sensitive to the needs of all customers.

This is especially the case with money being so tight and making sure customers experiencing the vfm factor when choosing where to buy their new car should be paramount.

Oct 20, 2011In51der
  • Good deals will be available for the patient car buyer
  • Keep an eye out for car manufacturer “pack deals”
  • People still buy people but much later in the car buying process
  • Bulk deals could lead to used car bargains before the year end
  • Small and economical – some fantastic deals
  • Car sales people not so bad after all
  • Will more drivers go electric as fuel sales fall?Car manufacturing up 7.5% in September
    In51der

    Motor Trade Insider - Bridging the gap between the customer and the Motor Trade

    11 years ago Blog, Consumer, Manufacturers78
    Most viewed
    Top 100 UK Dealer Groups
    39,745 views
    The car sales process and the “9 point plan”
    11,808 views
    webuyanycar review – They will buy any car but beware of the asterisk
    6,189 views
    Most commented
    Car sales and the power of silence…
    25 Comments
    Car dealers still not prepared to play the “we buy any car” game
    23 Comments
    A Traders Tale – Part Four
    22 Comments
    Win a pre-loaded Ipod Shuffle!
    19 Comments
    Bargain of the Week – StreetKa 1.6i Luxury
    14 Comments

    Auto Transport

    About MTI

    Motor Trade Insider
    is written by people working actively in the motor trade for people on the inside and people on the outside.

    Our aims
    Build a bridge between consumers and the trade, create Interesting and informative content, break down barriers and create better understanding, expose bad practices and rip-offs and promote outstanding products and service.
    Have something to say?
    We are always looking for experienced writers who can write good original quality posts on motor-trade-insider.com. Please contact us if you would like us to consider you. Make sure you give us details of your own blog or a link to some articles you have written.
    2017 © Motor Trade Insider
    Truemag theme by StrictThemes