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.

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.

Women account for about two-thirds of all dealership service visits, and many of these women have spoken. Women-Drivers.com captures reviews about their dealership experiences – and the company has just announced the 2011 top car brands as rated by women.

On the site, dealerships’ scores range from 1.0 (the lowest rating) to 5.0 (the highest). Dealers with a Women Satisfaction Index or WSI® scores between 3.8 – 5.0 are recognized and marketed as Certified Women‐Drivers Friendly^TM.

The 15 Brands with the highest SERVICING WSI® scores at new car dealerships:

Mercedes- Benz dealers received the highest WSI® rating from women with a 4.71 WSI® score. The average for all brands was 4.04.

1. 1. Mercedes-Benz: 4.71
2. Acura: 4.67
3. Honda: 4.62
4. BMW: 4.57
5. Lexus: 4.42
6. Buick: 4.23
7. Toyota: 4.18
8. GMC: 4.16
9. Jeep: 4.12
10. Subaru: 4.03
11. Chrysler: 3.97
12. Dodge and Nissan: 3.93
13. Hyundai: 3.91
14. Volkswagen: 3.87
15. Chevrolet: 3.85

Trends

The 2011 WSI SERVICING score was higher than the last 2010 report, up from a 3.91 score for all brands. The two brands that had the biggest increase were Toyota up from 3.76, Chevrolet up from 3.58. The brands Jeep, Hyundai and Dodge have jumped considerably as they were not listed in the 2010 report. Chrysler is down from their 2010 score of 4.47.

Criteria

These top brand consistently scores well with women on:

• Ease of scheduling service appointment
• Receiving an estimate prior to work being completed
• Being kept informed of the progress or any changes – and the financial implications of those changes
• Being treated respectfully
• Work being completed to satisfaction
• Car being cleaned
• Plans to have service work done there in the future

Opportunities

“The average customer buys a new car every 40 months, according to NADA. However, during the same time duration, those customers make an estimated ten visits to a dealer's service lane. These interactions are crucial to a dealership for several reasons,” stated Anne Fleming, President and Car Buying Advocate. “There is a higher rate of net income that is derived from the service department, for starters, and – if a she has a good experience, there is a much higher probability she will be returning to this dealership to buy – especially if she is staying with that brand.”

“Brands that maintain very strong WSI SERVICING scores are continuously meeting women’s expectations,” maintains Fleming. “It's all about trust and treatment”.

WSI impacts CSI

The company notes a positive correlation between the WSI® and CSI. Higher ranking WSI scores at many dealers have impacted those same stores’ CSI scores.

Women account for about two-thirds of all dealership service visits, and many of these women have spoken. Women-Drivers.com captures reviews about their dealership experiences – and the company has just announced the 2011 top car brands as rated by women.

On the site, dealerships’ scores range from 1.0 (the lowest rating) to 5.0 (the highest). Dealers with a Women Satisfaction Index or WSI® scores between 3.8 – 5.0 are recognized and marketed as Certified Women‐Drivers Friendly^TM.

The 15 Brands with the highest SERVICING WSI® scores at new car dealerships:

Mercedes- Benz dealers received the highest WSI® rating from women with a 4.71 WSI® score. The average for all brands was 4.04.

1. 1. Mercedes-Benz: 4.71
2. Acura: 4.67
3. Honda: 4.62
4. BMW: 4.57
5. Lexus: 4.42
6. Buick: 4.23
7. Toyota: 4.18
8. GMC: 4.16
9. Jeep: 4.12
10. Subaru: 4.03
11. Chrysler: 3.97
12. Dodge and Nissan: 3.93
13. Hyundai: 3.91
14. Volkswagen: 3.87
15. Chevrolet: 3.85

Trends

The 2011 WSI SERVICING score was higher than the last 2010 report, up from a 3.91 score for all brands. The two brands that had the biggest increase were Toyota up from 3.76, Chevrolet up from 3.58. The brands Jeep, Hyundai and Dodge have jumped considerably as they were not listed in the 2010 report. Chrysler is down from their 2010 score of 4.47.

Criteria

These top brand consistently scores well with women on:

• Ease of scheduling service appointment
• Receiving an estimate prior to work being completed
• Being kept informed of the progress or any changes – and the financial implications of those changes
• Being treated respectfully
• Work being completed to satisfaction
• Car being cleaned
• Plans to have service work done there in the future

Opportunities

“The average customer buys a new car every 40 months, according to NADA. However, during the same time duration, those customers make an estimated ten visits to a dealer's service lane. These interactions are crucial to a dealership for several reasons,” stated Anne Fleming, President and Car Buying Advocate. “There is a higher rate of net income that is derived from the service department, for starters, and – if a she has a good experience, there is a much higher probability she will be returning to this dealership to buy – especially if she is staying with that brand.”

“Brands that maintain very strong WSI SERVICING scores are continuously meeting women’s expectations,” maintains Fleming. “It's all about trust and treatment”.

WSI impacts CSI

The company notes a positive correlation between the WSI® and CSI. Higher ranking WSI scores at many dealers have impacted those same stores’ CSI scores.