Blog

Make no mistake: customer retention is a full-time job. The process of cultivating and maintaining loyal customers should be emphasized as highly as the sales process itself. There are many opportunities, between introduction and post-sale, to build a lasting relationship with a customer. So many of those opportunities involve Vehicle Personalization. From building rapport as you start at the trade, or inviting customers to relax between F&I, as well as offering a tune-up service six months later—accessories are integrated in all of it. This makes personalization the key to customer retention. 

The year was 1997. Blockbuster looked down from its throne to scorn the new court jester. The jester danced with enthusiasm and grit, smiling warmly at the King of Video Rental. Blockbuster rolled its eyes and signed off on a late fee for Good Will Hunting. There are a few details to spare, but the King later died a tragic death. The jester took the throne, and quadrupled the kingdom. The jester is Netflix, and his legend is clear: don’t get too comfortable or the joke is on you.

The short answer is yes—in due time.

The need for more commonplace electric vehicles is growing. In some areas of the world, cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions is reaching critical importance. China and India are already visiting the need for electric buses, because air quality stays consistently in a dangerous range. Collectively, we're all concerned about global warming and increasingly so. Today, revamping the way the world drives isn't priority number one, and that’s not to say it isn’t in the back of everyone's mind. 

The pandemic rocketed the automotive industry forward one to three years in accepting digital retailing. Years before COVID, we knew Carvana and Vroom were changing the way consumers bought cars. The option to buy online affected dealerships some, however, we weren’t comparing apples to apples.

Consumers did, and still do like to sit in a car before they buy it. With the majority of customers buying cars traditionally, online retailing was a secondary focus. Just one year ago, merely having a web inventory and an active social media presence made your store competitive in the digital space.

Well, now, everything’s changed.

Why Does Automotive Digital Retailing Matter? 

Google published some astonishing statistics about online buyers. Their data showed that 84% of Americans are shopping for something in any 48-hour period. Additionally, 63% of all shopping began online. The research went further, examining trends when people buy specific products. Those in the market for a car took to Google to gather information. Said consumers ranged from 20 to 68 years old. Over time, these shoppers researched the best dealership, brand, and trade-in online. We can infer the end result. The consumer likely bought a car they chose from their research. The vehicle was likely purchased from a highly-rated dealership, also found online. 

No dealership has escaped the evolution of the automotive industry due to COVID-19. Since the onset of the pandemic, businesses around the globe have had to respond accordingly. As the world slowly re-opened in a new way, consumers were quick on the draw to review businesses' safety precautions, interactions, conveniences and more.

Those who rose to the occasion attracted clients. Those who made mistakes, no matter how small, suffered at the hands of the Internet. How you continue in your COVID-19 response will set you apart as the pandemic and coming months unfold.

Margin Compression? Missing gross profit? Want to pocket more cash?

Can you do it without selling any additional cars?

Regardless of the year-to-year ebb and flow of vehicle sales, Vehicle Personalization is a great way to increase revenue and deepen your profits...or pockets!

The magic of Christmas is in the air, glimmering off your perfectly waxed showroom vehicles. Everyone knows that the holiday season is a beautiful time to be in the car business. The potential to boost your bottom line this month is something even Walter Hobbs can smile about, and smiling is our favorite. Tell your sales staff to buckle up and make work their favorite, because Santa’s got a brand new bag this December (and it’s full of extra commission). 

[Updated 11/12/2020]

The stampede is coming, and they’re ready to break the internet. The Black Friday crowd has gone virtual. If 2020 has already set records in e-commerce, imagine the impact of the biggest shopping day of the year. With all the online activity, the day after Thanksgiving is basically just the warm up for Cyber Monday.

Yes, the opportunists are charging their laptops on Black Friday eve, ready to kick this thing off with new car smells. Make this car-shopping season spark joy with mega-profit potential, stellar CSI scores, and repeat business. I hope you upgraded your internet package.

In all the activity, don’t let Vehicle Personalization get lost. You cut your legs out from under yourself when you bypass accessories. This high volume day is the ideal environment for accessory sales, and can even be used to temper the flow online and in store.

Here’s three things Vehicle Personalization can do in the hustle and bustle.

The task of selecting an accessory champion for your dealership can be harrowing. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach and without a compass, dealers may find their accessory program suffering. To begin, management should examine both process and store volume to determine who to lean on as the personalization expert.