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Top tips for putting customers at the heart of your business
Customers are central to any car retailer and the benefits to ensuring your business operates with their best interests in mind are obvious. Happy customers create additional sales opportunities and customer recommendations bring in new buyers. The internet has given individuals the power to publish their thoughts and opinions about your business instantly and to a huge audience, so putting customers first is not just about making a sale – it’s about building and protecting your dealership’s reputation.
Of course, changes to financial industry regulations and consumer rights legislation has also put customers squarely in the driving seat. Any business not catering to a customer’s best interests is leaving themselves exposed to a wide range of penalties. The FCA has bolstered guidelines and regulations around the provision of product information and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 has strengthened laws surrounding faulty goods or services provided without reasonable care and skill.
With this in mind, here are our …
Top 5 tips for putting customers first
Offer products of value
Financial aftercare products are an important element of any new or used car sale. They are a great way to boost retention, raise satisfaction ratings and protect buyers. However, care should be taken when assessing each individual customer’s requirements because throwing everything at every car buyer is only likely to confuse and frustrate. Treat each customer as an individual, with unique requirements, and help them to make a wise decision to protect their investment based on their particular circumstances.
Build trust through high quality
Only offering the highest quality products will help boost the confidence of both your customers and sales staff. Following FCA regulation changes, car retailers must now provide a wide range of information with financial add-on products. If a customer thinks the product you are selling is hardly worth the paper it’s printed on, it has the potential to damage the business’ reputation. Make sure your staff are promoting and selling a product they would use themselves.
Keep in touch with customers
Ongoing communication with customers shows your long-term interest in protecting their car. By keeping in touch throughout the sales process and beyond, you demonstrate a long-term commitment to keeping them safe from unwanted and unexpected costs. But your communications should be about more than just selling products. Make sure any contact is clear, relevant and is appropriate to their motoring needs – put your customers at the heart of your business and it will pay dividends.
We will look at communications in greater detail in an upcoming blog – keep visiting or sign up to our newsletter to stay up-to-date.
Lose the hard sell
Baffling customers with an array of products, terrifying with potentially costly scenarios, distracting with complicated graphs and tables or handing over reams of small print are all tactics of the hard sell – and it all turns customers off. It is much better to build rapport, understand your customer’s requirements and offer products that protect their investment and interests. Speak plainly, honestly and show how you’re helping their interests and not yours. FCA guidelines stipulate staff incentives should be less about hitting monetary targets and more about customer satisfaction ratings.
Treat every customer equally
Whether your customer is buying a new or used vehicle, they deserve the same level of service, including understanding their ongoing requirements and how financial aftercare products can protect them. Every customer who drives a vehicle off your forecourt is buying into your brand, so make them feel that they’re the most important person you’ll speak to today. A used car sale now is a potential new car sale in three years – and vice versa. Both new and used car buyers are increasingly likely to return to your dealership for a service and MOT if they receive first-rate treatment, such as when assessing their extended warranty requirements.
For more information on putting your customers at the heat of your business, download our FREE eBook.