Women are the fastest growing segment of car buyers at car dealerships, spending billions of dollars annually on new and used cars, as well as car service and maintenance.

They’re more confident, educated and prepared to make smart car decisions than ever before, and thanks to dealer rating websites like Women-Drivers.com, Facebook, Twitter and other online outlets, women are also voicing their opinions on those decisions in greater numbers.

Car dealerships have to treat women respectfully or they risk sending customers to their nearest competitor: another dealership, or an independent specialty or “big box” auto repair store.

The car dealer review site is a marketplace connecting women to dealerships that already promote trust and transparency, as demonstrated through their Women Satisfaction Index scores.

Our service reviews underscore the bottom line for women — when they are treated respectfully and have a good experience, they return to that dealership again and again.

This is no surprise to dealerships, as customer retention is critical to their business. Vehicle owners visit a dealership’s service lane two to three times a year. The more a customer comes back, the higher the likelihood they will not only return for service in the future, but will also purchase their next car there.

Five variables are utilized, in part or in whole, by forward‐thinking dealerships with extraordinarily high loyalty and retention rates with women consumers. They are:

1. More Women in the Workplace

There are over 18 percent of women working at car dealerships and many are in the position of service adviser, the first line of contact with the dealership’s customers. These dealerships realize that seeing a knowledgeable woman behind the service counter makes female customers more comfortable to ask questions concerning repairs.

2. Using Technology to Communicate Repair Needs

Most dealers continue to focus on “verbal selling” instead of "visual selling." Women, many of whom are skeptical of “up sells at the dealership” decline the additional or unforeseen recommendation over 40 percent of the time. Why? Customers want proof to ensure that the repair is warranted — and, when they cannot see the problem many opt out, and may even feel suspicious about it.

Companies like ClearMechanic.com develop technology for automotive dealerships including mobile apps, expert illustration content and web‐based tools to “visually explain” repairs with real‐time photos and videos.

Customers and dealerships alike see this as win‐win. Dealerships that use this “proof‐based” technology have a 20 to 40 percent increase in success on additional service recommendations while their customer retention rates and CSI scores improve.

3. Go Beyond TV

Make the service waiting area into places where women are comfortable spending time, especially mothers with children. A relaxed and friendly atmosphere with comfortable seating, WiFi connectivity and flat‐screen TVs are a start.

The warmth of the waiting area, the types of magazines provided and the wall colors also enhance the space. Provide hot and cool beverages and a children’s designated play center.

Allow for free transportation services so women can run errands while waiting for their car to be finished. When possible, allow for courtesy overnight vehicles – this concierge service is employed by luxury brands and can have a real impact on women using a dealership, so trickle‐down brands and dealerships take note.

4. Expand Hours

According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the average service department is open 56 hours a week compared to an 80 hour average for a specialty car repair chain store. With 40 percent of children today being born to unwed mothers and 29.5 percent of households run by single parents, dealerships that expand their hours are expanding their customer base.*

5. The Golden Rule

Put a highly trained listener into the position of Service Adviser – the professional who can hear not only what women are actually saying, but also be interested in what they aren’t saying. Abandon the role as the know‐it‐all automotive expert and strive to support and educate women throughout the entire sales process. Treat women with respect and treat them as the savvy consumers they are.

Without question, customer service and customer satisfaction are being re‐defined by women car buyers and dealerships alike. Women value relationships and trust car dealers who focus on building a long‐term relationship, not just making a sale.

Every dealership should strive to be identified as a dealership that women trust, since providing superior service to its women customers means that same level of service to all of customers.

*SOURCE: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1337.pdf.

Who made the cut for the top car dealerships in the US? The female consumer has spoken and out of 1300 dealerships in the United States receiving reviews, the Top 10 Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers are in. The Certificate acknowledges the positive, consistent and respectful experiences women had at these dealerships in 2011. Women-Drivers.com hereby awards the following dealerships Certified Women-Drivers Friendly Dealer of the Year.

Wright Nissan

Tom Hull, Wright Nissan GM, and Wright Nissan Sales Team

Sheboygan Auto

General Manager, Jared Romanowski and Sales Team

Rohrich Toyota

General Manager Mark Podrosky and Sue, Finance Manager

North Hills Toyota

Carlos Echevarria, GM North Hills Toyota, Anne Fleming, President of Women-Drivers.com

Monroeville Chrysler Jeep

Monroeville Chrysler Jeep Team

Jeff Mountain, Monroeville Chrysler Jeep Internet Manager, Vic Olive, Monroeville Chrysler Jeep GM

Kelly Mitsubishi

Tom Carey, General Manager, with Mitsubishi Sales Team

Day Ford

Anne Fleming, President Women-Drivers.com, Debbie Flaherty, Day Ford Owner, Peter Flaherty, Day Ford GM

Day Chevrolet

Dave Steward, Day Chevrolet GM, Anne Fleming, President Women-Drivers.com, Debbie Flaherty, Dave Chevrolet Owner

Baierl Chevrolet

General Sales Manager, Mike Paolucci

Haasz Auto Mall, Chrysler

Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers are leading the trend towards higher consumer satisfaction via the rising purchasing power of women; these particular dealers are getting more sales, leads and referrals.

What Are the Criteria for Being a Certified Dealership?
A dealership must have a minimum of ten reviews to qualify. For each review written, a rating is posted with scores ranging from a 5.0 (Excellent) to a 1.0 (Marginal). Each review falls under one of three categories: Browsing, Purchasing or Servicing. A Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ rating of 3.8 or higher indicates that a dealership has earned the trust and reputation of being service‐oriented towards women. To retain this status and receive its Benefits, dealers must get reviews continuously.

About Women-Drivers.com
Women-Drivers.com provides car dealers with distinct, web-based marketing solutions that build trust and transparency, resulting in greater sales and servicing from women. Women-Drivers connects women to Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers and publishes a platform of services to qualifying dealerships to distinguish and market themselves. The innovative Facebook Integration of women+family content results in dealerships building larger social communities, longer time spent on the dealerships site, and more sales conversions. For more information contact info@women-drivers.com.

Who made the cut for the top car dealerships in the US? The female consumer has spoken and out of 1300 dealerships in the United States receiving reviews, the Top 10 Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers are in. The Certificate acknowledges the positive, consistent and respectful experiences women had at these dealerships in 2011. Women-Drivers.com hereby awards the following dealerships Certified Women-Drivers Friendly Dealer of the Year.

Wright Nissan

Tom Hull, Wright Nissan GM, and Wright Nissan Sales Team

Sheboygan Auto

General Manager, Jared Romanowski and Sales Team

Rohrich Toyota

General Manager Mark Podrosky and Sue, Finance Manager

North Hills Toyota

Carlos Echevarria, GM North Hills Toyota, Anne Fleming, President of Women-Drivers.com

Monroeville Chrysler Jeep

Monroeville Chrysler Jeep Team

Jeff Mountain, Monroeville Chrysler Jeep Internet Manager, Vic Olive, Monroeville Chrysler Jeep GM

Kelly Mitsubishi

Tom Carey, General Manager, with Mitsubishi Sales Team

Day Ford

Anne Fleming, President Women-Drivers.com, Debbie Flaherty, Day Ford Owner, Peter Flaherty, Day Ford GM

Day Chevrolet

Dave Steward, Day Chevrolet GM, Anne Fleming, President Women-Drivers.com, Debbie Flaherty, Dave Chevrolet Owner

Baierl Chevrolet

General Sales Manager, Mike Paolucci

Haasz Auto Mall, Chrysler

Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers are leading the trend towards higher consumer satisfaction via the rising purchasing power of women; these particular dealers are getting more sales, leads and referrals.

What Are the Criteria for Being a Certified Dealership?
A dealership must have a minimum of ten reviews to qualify. For each review written, a rating is posted with scores ranging from a 5.0 (Excellent) to a 1.0 (Marginal). Each review falls under one of three categories: Browsing, Purchasing or Servicing. A Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ rating of 3.8 or higher indicates that a dealership has earned the trust and reputation of being service‐oriented towards women. To retain this status and receive its Benefits, dealers must get reviews continuously.

About Women-Drivers.com
Women-Drivers.com provides car dealers with distinct, web-based marketing solutions that build trust and transparency, resulting in greater sales and servicing from women. Women-Drivers connects women to Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealers and publishes a platform of services to qualifying dealerships to distinguish and market themselves. The innovative Facebook Integration of women+family content results in dealerships building larger social communities, longer time spent on the dealerships site, and more sales conversions. For more information contact info@women-drivers.com.

Beyond increased purchasing power; the time for women to be visibly employed in a variety of positions has arrived, and could well be the next steps to success in competitive dealerships.

As a forward-thinking dealership that is already Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™, how many women do you have on your staff – especially in visible roles?  Opportunities for women at the dealership are on the rise, and create win-win solutions for everyone. Not only does employing women show further evidence of commitment to equality and diversity, female staff naturally create a warmer and personable environment; prime for selling vehicles.

The books “Women Make the Best Salesmen” and “The Female Advantage” hi-light the common female characteristics of connection, inclusion, heightened awareness of family needs, responsibility and listening skills – all of which are required for building trust and relationships. Whether it’s as a salesperson, Internet Sales Manager, Service Manager, F & I Manager or General Manager; having competent women on staff can boost your dealership in many ways, resulting in repeat customers and a top-rated reputation.

1. Women naturally make other women more comfortable and less intimidated; creating more appeal for women buyers choosing between dealerships.
2. Enhanced status as a women-friendly dealer, and an image of being progressive and culturally diverse better serves a wide customer base.
3. Increased customers, with female staff drawing in their network of friends and family.
4. More relationship-based customer interaction, rather than pushy sales hype.
5. Women staff appeals to men – especially, once they realize she knows what she’s talking about, leading to newfound respect.
6. The ability to make a customer feel good about their purchase decision.  Beyond price and other hard facts, how a customer feels is a proven influential component in purchasing or not.
7. Women in general are better listeners, and listening is a key factor in successful business and sales.
8. Female salespeople easily build a level of trust with customers, and combined with their knowledge and approachability will create sustained client relationships.

So why not join the trend and build your sales force up and staff with more women?  The results will show in your bottom line.

Beyond increased purchasing power; the time for women to be visibly employed in a variety of positions has arrived, and could well be the next steps to success in competitive dealerships.

As a forward-thinking dealership that is already Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™, how many women do you have on your staff – especially in visible roles?  Opportunities for women at the dealership are on the rise, and create win-win solutions for everyone. Not only does employing women show further evidence of commitment to equality and diversity, female staff naturally create a warmer and personable environment; prime for selling vehicles.

The books “Women Make the Best Salesmen” and “The Female Advantage” hi-light the common female characteristics of connection, inclusion, heightened awareness of family needs, responsibility and listening skills – all of which are required for building trust and relationships. Whether it’s as a salesperson, Internet Sales Manager, Service Manager, F & I Manager or General Manager; having competent women on staff can boost your dealership in many ways, resulting in repeat customers and a top-rated reputation.

1. Women naturally make other women more comfortable and less intimidated; creating more appeal for women buyers choosing between dealerships.
2. Enhanced status as a women-friendly dealer, and an image of being progressive and culturally diverse better serves a wide customer base.
3. Increased customers, with female staff drawing in their network of friends and family.
4. More relationship-based customer interaction, rather than pushy sales hype.
5. Women staff appeals to men – especially, once they realize she knows what she’s talking about, leading to newfound respect.
6. The ability to make a customer feel good about their purchase decision.  Beyond price and other hard facts, how a customer feels is a proven influential component in purchasing or not.
7. Women in general are better listeners, and listening is a key factor in successful business and sales.
8. Female salespeople easily build a level of trust with customers, and combined with their knowledge and approachability will create sustained client relationships.

So why not join the trend and build your sales force up and staff with more women?  The results will show in your bottom line.

Never before has it been so vital to keep up with the changing social tides in order to stay competitive. Now, it’s also never been so easy to promote yourself as a distinguished Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealer.  With the “Facebook share” producing the best search engine rankings, it’s wise for dealers to pay attention to how they’re utilizing Facebook to their advantage. Think your dealership doesn’t need a Facebook Fan Page or really need to build your fan base? The fact is many of your potential customers are researching online before stepping on your lot. The latest statistics reveal that 42% of Americans are on Facebook, with a majority of them being women. And, these women influence up to 80% of car purchases and buy 54% of all new cars. So, it’s time to get active on Facebook to meet them where they’re at.  Here is why:

1. Tips and helpful information - Engage your viewers and draw them to your website. The more time they spend on your site, the greater your chances of a visit and sale.
2. Reputation Management - Share and post consumer reviews, and, ask for them! Consumers love transparency, and you’ll love the SEO.
3. Search Engine Optimization - Increase the number of visitors who are actively searching for your brand.
4. Expand Your Market  - develop new customers and expand your message beyond the ‘old-school’ geographic limitations. Consumers will drive a farther distance now.

Building a Strong Network Presence
How can you tie your dealership, Facebook and Women-Drivers.com together for increased exposure? Make the most of your standings and status as a Certified Women-Friendly  Dealer, and share these reviews on your Facebook page to attract new prospects. With one resource linking to the other, this collaboration results in a respected presence reaching into thousands of homes. If you are not a Certified Women-Drivers Friendly Dealer, click here to find out how to become one.

Never before has it been so vital to keep up with the changing social tides in order to stay competitive. Now, it’s also never been so easy to promote yourself as a distinguished Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™ Dealer.  With the “Facebook share” producing the best search engine rankings, it’s wise for dealers to pay attention to how they’re utilizing Facebook to their advantage. Think your dealership doesn’t need a Facebook Fan Page or really need to build your fan base? The fact is many of your potential customers are researching online before stepping on your lot. The latest statistics reveal that 42% of Americans are on Facebook, with a majority of them being women. And, these women influence up to 80% of car purchases and buy 54% of all new cars. So, it’s time to get active on Facebook to meet them where they’re at.  Here is why:

1. Tips and helpful information - Engage your viewers and draw them to your website. The more time they spend on your site, the greater your chances of a visit and sale.
2. Reputation Management - Share and post consumer reviews, and, ask for them! Consumers love transparency, and you’ll love the SEO.
3. Search Engine Optimization - Increase the number of visitors who are actively searching for your brand.
4. Expand Your Market  - develop new customers and expand your message beyond the ‘old-school’ geographic limitations. Consumers will drive a farther distance now.

Building a Strong Network Presence
How can you tie your dealership, Facebook and Women-Drivers.com together for increased exposure? Make the most of your standings and status as a Certified Women-Friendly  Dealer, and share these reviews on your Facebook page to attract new prospects. With one resource linking to the other, this collaboration results in a respected presence reaching into thousands of homes. If you are not a Certified Women-Drivers Friendly Dealer, click here to find out how to become one.