F&I Management & Training

This week there was a damning, but sadly unsurprising, piece of research published by a leading assistance company. Through a programme of mystery shopping exercises at dealers (the scourge of any showroom lizard), they only managed to stir any interest out of a measly 10% of those contacted.

Following a brochure request 90% of dealers didn't even follow the enquiry up. If the requested glossies did land on the doormat, they were often in unbranded envelopes with handwritten addresses (occasionally even spelled wrongly). This means that the new car retailing environment has changed little since the early 1980s when electronic follow-up systems and CRM programmes were first introduced to many franchised dealers.

In such a highly competitive environment this sort of sloppy practice can surely have no future. Even if the enquiry comes to nothing it has to be followed through to the end. Car manufacturers spend millions of pounds to get customers to come through the door, pick up the phone or just to register on a website. Dealers themselves spend significant amounts in advertising that obviously still goes to waste due to the apathy of some sales executives.

Of course, playing devil's advocate, the customer may have a part to play. This apathy, though inexcusable, may be born of years of punters just looking to screw sales people down to the last penny. We all know that it is all about price, but what about a little loyalty to the dealer if they have had that - albeit rare - element of good customer service?

DATED: 04.11.09

FEED: AW

# posted by Profit Training Ltd : 9:58 am