Dealers who fail to respond to customer enquiries on the same day run the risk of losing them to competitors, according to MOTORS’ latest Consumer Insight Panel.
The research, which polled the views of 2,000 car buying decision makers, found two in three car buyers (67%) expect dealers to respond to their email, SMS or WhatsApp enquiries within six hours.
Furthermore, over a third (35%) said they will contact other showrooms or search online if dealers failed to answer their phone calls or were slow to respond to messages.
Lucy Tugby, Marketing Director of MOTORS, said: “Our Consumer Insight Panel research highlights the need to respond to customers promptly and at the very least on the day they make an enquiry. When it comes to converting leads into sales, those first hours are critical with over half (55%) of buyers expecting a response within three hours, otherwise they will go elsewhere.
“The top performing dealers realise this and have systems in place to ensure all leads are responded to swiftly; those who don’t will lose out to their competitors.”
Customers choosing to return to the dealership they bought their current vehicle from is driven by their positive experiences with staff having a direct influence on 87% of buyers.
Tugby added: “Showroom staff play a pivotal role in creating customer loyalty. The research shows how buyers are ultimately looking for an experience based on trust and excellent service as well as choice. A car is a big ticket purchase, so customers will factor in their last buying experience and consider returning if it was positive.”
When it comes to selling their current cars, a third of buyers (34%) expect to part-exchange at a dealership. Owners are evenly split between selling to dealers without trading in (21%) or selling privately (21%). While specialist buying services appeal to just over one in 10 owners (12%).
The research also found some buyers have become more comfortable with the idea of purchasing their next car online, up from 14 in 2022 to 18%, although the majority (70%) still expect to view and buy at a dealership.