Millennial Car Buyers Want a Luxury Experience

Younger generations are dominating the market of car buyers. Millennials and Gen-Z grew up with technology, making them more comfortable shopping online, utilizing tech accessories, and embracing the new age of electric vehicles.

The mainstream belief is that Gen Z and Millenials do everything online. Yet 87% of Gen Z and 82% of millennials still prefer an in-person car shopping experience.

And the younger generation is accustomed to things happening fast. Like, Hey Siri fast. Ok Google fast. 

Between sales pitches, test drives, financing, waiting (so much waiting), and paperwork, it can be tough to make buying a car a quick stop. We know that all of this is part of the car buying process, so what can be done to improve the experience before we all resort to vending machines for our next new car purchase?

There’s no way to condense a vehicle purchase into less than five minutes, yet there are reachable improvements. Younger generations are tapped into the future of automotive, and dealerships have to find ways to reach them. 

3 Tips to Cater to Millenials 

1. Comfort is key

Create a sit-down and stay-a-while atmosphere. You should definitely have good coffee. Is it too much to ask to splurge on the K-cup variety pack? What about food? We've all seen the Snickers commercials. How can your customer make a financial decision of this magnitude after several hours of decision-making if their stomach is growling? That's right—hanger is a real thing! And while you’re making your customers comfortable, caffeinated, and full, don’t miss the opportunity sitting right in front of you—a captive audience who made the choice to walk into your dealership. During the wait time for F&I, your customer is excited about the idea of their new hunk of metal. Use the waiting period to capitalize on this focused and excited mind already in the buying mode; the mind that chose its vehicle based on lifestyle and personality. Now’s the time to let your customer sit comfortably, relax, and personalize their vehicle.

2. Environment matters

Waiting rooms aren't exciting. (Does anyone else's doctor's office have old magazines and Oprah re-runs?) The reality is, waiting is part of purchasing and maintaining a car. Whether your customer is waiting on F&I or an oil change, your goal is to create a relaxed and welcoming environment. Your chairs should be extremely comfortable. Can you have some that aren't as low to the ground for your older customers who have trouble getting out of a couch with deep seats? Moms always appreciate a waiting area with toys and toddler seats. What about a small bookshelf with options ranging from Dr. Seuss to The Catcher In The Rye? Can your customers look online at the accessories while they wait? Can they comfortably sit outside (with their coffee) on a nice day? How far can you go to ease the dread that is a waiting area? Think outside the box and try to cater to customers from all walks of life.

3. Invest in your staff (it shows) 

Have a process in place that's easy for your sales staff to follow, and make it easy for them to give the customer what they want. Make every effort to ensure your sales staff is adequately trained and confident. Give them the authority to make decisions on the deal. Can we just nix the "let me talk to the manager" thing? Seriously. Everyone hates that, and it reduces your salesperson from a professional to the middleman between your customer and the Wizard of Oz.

The point is, no customer is looking to spend the day at the dealership, and no salesperson wants to spend all their time on one transaction—all the while still doesn't change the marathon process that is car buying. How can you go the extra mile? Until we can whittle this down to 45 minutes, focus on making your customers comfortable, maintaining a positive environment with professional staff, and capitalizing on Vehicle Personalization. You'll be glad you did.

Insignia Group Can Help

Insignia Group is the leading provider of digital accessory-selling solutions nationwide. Our proven best practice tips enable dealers to cater to all customer’s personalization needs, increase CSI scores, and increase front-end gross. 

Contact us today to demo our system and see how selling accessories in-store and online can work for you.