Steve Southin

Company: PAVE

May 5, 2020

When the Easy Button is Broken, Sales Can Be Lost

As we see digital retailing becoming more desirable to consumers, it has never been more important for dealers to ensure that their processes and technologies deliver on the promise for consumers. There is nothing more frustrating to a consumer than attempting to transact online with any company just to encounter obstacles and frustration. It only adds to that frustration when there is no integration between software offering customers information that turns out to either provide erroneous information or forces customers to repeat the same action repeatedly.

Imagine if you went to Amazon to buy something and everything said “Call for Price.” Or what if you see a price and add it to your cart only to find that the price is more expensive at checkout. That would probably cause Amazon to lose business despite their speedy delivery. Amazon’s whole brand promise is that they not only sell everything but will make it convenient. Quick fact: Did you know that the arrow under their logo isn’t a “smile” but rather an arrow pointing from the “A” to the “Z” to say that they sell everything from A to Z?

Why would any company that promises an easy online experience, invest in technology to make that happen then fail to deliver on their brand promise? That seems a little counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? Yet this is exactly what many car dealerships do despite these offerings.

Let’s take trade-ins for example. A customer goes onto a dealer’s website which typically have a “Value My Trade” call-to-action. A customer clicks on it, enters their vehicle information and eventually winds up with a range of values. Let’s say $10,000 - $14,000. Which number does the customer see? Of course, they see $14,000. Worst case, they know a range for their vehicle’s value. They come into the dealership, look at the vehicle, test drive it and are ushered into a salesperson’s desk. The salesperson leaves and comes back with a trade-value of $8,000. How do you think the customer will take that? They’d probably be upset. It was after all the dealership’s own website that gave them the trade-in value range.

Why would any dealership want to start a transaction in an adversarial position? Everything could have been going spectacular in their customer experience to that point. Now, that experience just went from excellent to poor. Will they still buy a car? Maybe. Will they like the dealership or salesperson after they leave? Probably not. Would they recommend the dealership to their friends and family? Doubtful.

How a dealership designs their website and the technologies they choose to offer for customers need to fulfill on their promises. If a widget is being used simply as a lead generation tool and not offering accurate information, then the dealership might as well not have it at all. Customers will absolutely hold the dealership accountable for any misinformation or failed process regardless of whether it was the dealership’s fault or a faulty third-party vendor.

Make sure that the dealership is delivering on its brand promise of a great customer experience and easy access to information that is accurate and transactions and sales will come easier as will brand loyalty, service revenue as well as repeat and referral business. There is nothing less expensive to earn but, at the same time, it’s also the most expensive to lose.

Steve Southin

PAVE

Co-Ceo

Steve and his 25+ years of automotive retail and wholesale experience deliver in-depth domain knowledge that was essential in his focus as PAVE's creator and product architect.

317

No Comments

Recommended Posts

Best Auto Sales

Visit Best Auto Sales to find your next ride from our selection of used cars in Auburn, AL. We’re a reliable used car dealer offering certified pre-owned vehicles and auto financing solutions. Discover flexible financing options to fit your…

Best Auto Sales

Best Auto Sales

5
Yesterday

Hulsizer Chevrolet

Hulsizer Chevrolet is your go-to Montgomery Chevy dealer for excellent sales and service. Finding your next ride? Choose from a wide selection of new Chevrolets for sale, used Chevrolets for sale, or certified pre-owned Chevrolets for sale. As a Chev…

Hulsizer Chevrolet

Hulsizer Chevrolet

8
Yesterday

FL Auto Sales Group

Florida Auto Sales Group specializes in custom Broncos for sale. We offer nationwide sales and modifications, with many buyers from out-of-state locations like NY, CA, TX, and VA. Whether you're searching for a new Ford Bronco for sale or want to…

FLAuto SalesGroup

FL Auto Sales Group

16
3 days ago

FL Auto Sales Group

Florida Auto Sales Group specializes in custom Broncos for sale. We offer nationwide sales and modifications, with many buyers from out-of-state locations like NY, CA, TX, and VA. Whether you're searching for a new Ford Bronco for sale or want to…

FLAuto SalesGroup

FL Auto Sales Group

16
3 days ago

Bakersfield Hyundai

Bakersfield Hyundai is a premier Hyundai dealer in Bakersfield, CA, dedicated to providing the best customer experience when shopping for a new Hyundai car or a used Hyundai car. Our friendly and knowledgeable team at Bakersfield Hyundai will guide y…

Bakersfield Hyundai

163
Last Week