- Blog
- 5 Ideas to Improve Customer Satisfaction in Your Dealership
5 Ideas to Improve Customer Satisfaction in Your Dealership
Boost your dealership’s customer satisfaction with these effective strategies. From improving digital experiences to providing flexible financing options, you’ll find five ideas to make your dealership and its customers thrive.
What happens if you’re one of several used car dealers in a competitive area? Well, you have to differentiate your business somehow.
Customer satisfaction is the perfect differentiator because it sets your dealership apart by creating a positive experience for your customers. When customers feel valued and their needs are always taken care of, they’re more likely to pick your dealership over others.
So, if you’re looking to maximize customer satisfaction in your dealership, you’re in the right place. We’ll share effective, practical, and actionable tips with you.
Customer satisfaction is a strategic factor, here’s why
The most straightforward way to increase your dealership’s profitability is by selling more cars. Still, that isn’t the only way!
According to Zendesk, 75% of customers are willing to spend more money with businesses that offer a great customer experience.
Therefore, it’s clear that customer satisfaction isn’t just a nice-to-have addition—it’s a strategic factor that plays a huge role in your dealership’s success.
Improving automotive customer experiences can lead to increased customer loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and, ultimately, a more profitable business.
So, the next time you’re tempted to skip a follow-up call, just think of the profits you could gain by delivering an exceptional service.
Ideas you should try to maximize customer satisfaction at a dealership
“Improving dealership customer experience” may seem like a daunting phrase. Luckily, the process is easy to carry out; it only takes a bit of preparation.
We’ll now guide you through five ideas that you can implement to ensure customer satisfaction in your dealership.
Idea 1: Make customers feel welcome digitally
You won’t be surprised to learn that most car buyers start the search for their new vehicle online.
That’s why you should optimize your dealership’s digital presence accordingly and ensure that your website is welcoming and engaging.
Take a look at how we do this ourselves:
When you first enter the eCarsTrade website, you’re greeted with a clear description of our business. “Ex-lease Car Auctions from Europe” is a one-liner that immediately informs visitors of our specialty.
So, those who are interested in this type of service will stay and browse, while others can quickly decide if it’s not what they’re looking for and move on.
We then list the steps you’ll take to stock your fleet from our auctions, each one visually represented with clear graphics for a straightforward process.
These are just some of the strategies that successful dealerships use to enhance customer satisfaction online. If you want your website to satisfy both customers and search engines, here are the elements your web has to contain:
- Intuitive navigation
- High-quality visual content
- Responsive design
- Quality photos
- SEO-friendly automotive content
- Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
- Customer testimonials
- Contact information
Once you implement all these, you’ll create a more enjoyable experience for your customers, and likely get more sales.
Idea 2: Take care of customer satisfaction even after a sale
Customer satisfaction goes beyond the moment when a customer buys a car. Ideally, you’ll take care of their needs even after the purchase, which is known as the automotive after-sales experience.
Depending on your dealership’s specialty, this commitment may involve:
- Offering maintenance services
- Warranty support
- Part installation guides
- Follow-ups
Follow-ups are a particularly well-known strategy in the automotive industry, and you can find plenty of advice on follow-ups with potential buyers who have shown interest in a dealership.
For instance, this video shows you a structured guide on follow-ups with customers who visited the dealership but did not make a purchase.
However, it’s equally important to follow up with customers who have already bought a car from you. This after-sales strategy will show customers that they are valued and supported long after they leave the dealership.
So, whether you call to ask customers if they’re happy with their new car, or check in to offer more help, you’ll make them feel good about choosing your dealership and keep them coming back.
Idea 3: Offer high-quality vehicles
Your used car dealership may cater to private customers, business fleets, or maybe you’re focused on buying damaged cars and refurbishing them or selling parts. Whatever your specialty is, your end customers expect reliable, high-quality vehicles suitable for their needs.
In other words, if you care about customer satisfaction in your dealership, your starting point should be offering high-quality vehicles.
With eCarsTrade, stocking dealerships is now easier than ever.
You can use the platform to participate in auctions or buy vehicles sold at fixed prices.
Either way, you can feel confident knowing that you’re stocking your lot with cars that have been inspected and whose characteristics are described in detail.
eCarsTrade can also assist you with export and delivery, which allows you to find the best used cars across Europe.
This, in turn, allows your customers to access a wider range of high-quality vehicles, ensuring they find exactly what they’re looking for and increasing their satisfaction with your dealership.
Idea 4: Respond to customer reviews
Most customers today read reviews of businesses before buying from them—they rely on reviews to make informed decisions.
So, actively managing the reviews is your chance to influence potential customers by showing how committed you are to quality and customer satisfaction.
As we wrote in our article on building relationships with customers, making things personal and using customers’ names can help create a stronger connection. This practice shouldn’t be limited only to sales pitches; you should also apply it when replying to customer reviews.
Notice how Autobedrijf De Klip, a Rotterdam-based used car dealership, addresses the customers by their first names when replying to positive reviews.
An example of a positive review on TrustPilot
Sure, there’s nothing easier than replying “Thank you!” to all positive reviews.
However, customers aren’t really fond of businesses that only respond to praise. A BrightLocal 2024 survey reveals that customers are most likely to use businesses that respond to both positive and negative reviews.
Data source: BrightLocal
Take a look at how the same dealership you’ve seen above responded to a negative review accusing the dealership of scamming buyers.
As you can see, the dealership acknowledged (and gently denied) the accusation and also offered the customer an opportunity to contact them for further assistance, aiming to resolve any issues.
An example of a negative review on TrustPilot
This response shows that the dealership cares about customer satisfaction, and keeps the door open for fixing the situation in a constructive way.
All in all, whether you receive good or bad reviews, you should always take the time to come up with thoughtful responses. Remember that your potential customers who you haven’t yet met may be reading these!
Idea 5: Implement flexible financing options
Cars can be a big expense for anyone, including business buyers. If you think about it, business customers are especially affected because they often buy multiple vehicles a month, adding up to a hefty price.
Offering flexible financing options makes buying a vehicle easier and boosts customer satisfaction by helping both private and business buyers find payment plans that fit their needs.
So, if your business can support it, consider offering:
- Low-interest rates on loans
- Discounts for bulk purchases
- Deferred payment plans for businesses
- Seasonal promotions with special financing deals
These options help your customers manage their budgets better, making it easier for them to drive away in the vehicles they want, which ultimately increases their overall satisfaction with your dealership.
Moving forward with customer satisfaction in your dealership
There you have it—these five ideas show that improving customer satisfaction is easier than you might have thought.
By putting them into action, you can create happier customers and a more successful dealership.
Responding to a customer review or making a follow-up call might seem like small tasks, but actions like these go a long way toward building trust and strengthening relationships with your customers.
You can implement most of the ideas we’ve covered on your own. However, if you’d like to streamline vehicle sourcing, you can count on eCarsTrade to make your job easier!
eCarsTrade isn't just an online auction platform - we're also a valuable resource for car dealers and traders. Our blog offers expert advice on various topics, including:
