Although 54% of women purchase a vehicle after visiting only one dealership, the remaining 46% continue on to visit an average of 3.2 dealerships. That’s double the national average! Even more surprising is that of the 54% that visit only one dealership, 60% do not purchase from their local dealership.

Numbers often leave us only to search for a deeper meaning so let’s speculate for a moment:

We do know that women report sensing a bias when they go to the dealership. Of course this does not apply to all women, but far more than have this experience than men. This could and likely does lead to more women seeking out and using car buying services and or linking up with friends or acquaintances that work at a dealership. If you are using a service or only going to a dealership where you know someone you will be far more likely to have only visited and/or contacted one dealership by the time you complete a purchase. It is equally plausible that with convenience riding shotgun (Yeah that’s a pun) to experience, the odds that the dealership you happen to end up at is also the closest to home are going to be lower. Considering these factors I believe it easy to see why a majority of women visit fewer dealerships and why the dealership chosen is usually farther from home. (Franchises should be working on trying to figure out the distance effect on fixed ops and service profits)

As for the remaining 46% of women that visit 3.2 dealerships on average, that is a bit more tricky on it’s surface. The top reasons for leaving a dealership are: Presented with a bad price/deal, not treated well, vehicle not in stock, poor trade in value, location not convenient. That last one is a bit off to me because if distance was an issue why would you go in the first place? But I guess it could be that lack of success elsewhere inspires a trip to a less than ideal location where any negatives at all result in a faster than usual exit. As for this list, what stands out to me is the “Not treated well”. This is pure speculation but my theory about these 46% is that they simply have little to no leeway for mistreatment or what they perceive as a lack of respect. So I guess the next question is: Well does that mean men tolerate mistreatment? That answer, like most topics between men and women, really isn't cut and dry. I’m sure there are more men out there that see an aggressive salesperson and welcome a challenge but, I am equally as sure that some salespeople's outward aggressiveness differs between their male and female customers. So sorry for the lame conclusion here but I’m sure the answer lies between expectation and reality. I know, I know, very helpful! But if I got more descriptive I wouldn't leave any room your you to comment and I would certainly open myself up to ridicule!!

Conclusion: The automotive industry has yet to be welcoming to and understanding of women. There are sites dedicated to just this topic:

Women-Drivers.com: Write & read car dealer, dealership, reviews and locate the top automobile dealer rating

Women, probably more so than men, are prepared buyers that are looking for someone to help them buy what they already know they want. A dealer or salesperson who starts into the typical sales process can and will come off as not having any respect for that. There is a fine line that exists between offering assistance and being perceived as pushy or suggestive, and you will have to figure out where that line is because it will be different for each female car buyer. But let’s be clear here: This isn’t the women's fault. Years of bad experiences have caused the red flags to be raised long before they ever pull into the lot. For the most part women expect some sort of bias or mistreatment somewhere in the car buying process, so treading lightly isn’t meeting some sort of unreasonable demand, it’s the industry understanding we spent years getting it wrong but that we are willing to do what it takes to make the necessary changes.

I look forward to your comments and even personal stories as we develop our product….