We’ve all been there. You walk into a retail store, and before you even get both feet in the door, a salesperson approaches you asking if you need any help. You politely tell them that you are just going to be looking around but will let them know if any questions come up. Several minutes into your shopping experience, a different salesperson walks up and asks you the same question, and on and on it goes. While we as consumers appreciate the customer service, often times we would be just as happy to not be bothered at all. Why can’t we just get access to as much upfront product info as possible so we can make our own decisions?
This is even more important in the auto world. A recent Gallup poll said that car salespeople were the second least trusted profession after politicians. While it’s an unfair assessment, this is a barrier that we have to overcome within our industry. Surveys have shown that today’s car buyer would like to walk into a dealership and interact much less with the salesperson, only engaging with them if there is a direct question that they have about the vehicle. Knowing this, it is more important than ever before to provide exceptional content both online and in-store to allow the customer to shop at their own pace/leisure. This will increase the confidence that our buyers have in us, and ultimately increase our bottom line as well.
In today’s internet society, there is more information out there than ever before, and if we don’t provide it to our customers, they will find someone else who will. By putting the power of information into the hands of our shoppers, we can change the dynamic that has plagued the car business for far too long. Let’s be more transparent within our industry and truly give the customer what they want.
