Trust in technology, dealers told

2-shutterstock_463783796-650A new report found there’s a disconnect between consumers and dealers when it comes to the car buying process.

The findings are the result of DealerSocket’s annual Dealership Action Report (DAR), which surveyed more than 2,000 consumers, polled dealerships and dealer groups across the U.S. and Canada, and compiled other data. For the first time this year, the report also included perspectives from consumers, said the company.

Jennifer Lee, Vice-President of Product Strategy and Development and Nathan Usher, Director of Business Development, at DealerSocket, shared the results in a recent media roundtable.

When consumers were asked what they dislike most about the car buying process, the top reason (29 per cent) was that they don’t trust sales staff, according to the study. The next biggest reason was that the process is too time consuming (18.5 per cent), followed by worries about getting a fair price (12.6 per cent).

Dealers were also asked what they perceive to be the biggest pain points for consumers.

Almost 32 per cent of dealers said the process is too time consuming. They also felt that negotiation was the next biggest problem — which did not make the top three reasons for consumers. Their third biggest reason is that consumers don’t trust sales staff — the number one reason for consumers.

What dealerships can do is focus more on mobile technology, said Lee and Usher. “Trust enables technology,” they said.

The study found the use of mobile technology leads to higher customer satisfaction, yet only 20 per cent of dealers use these devices during the sales process.

“As the industry cools after a year of record sales, it’s critical that dealerships focus on high-impact, data-driven processes to improve their margins,” said Marylou Hastert, director of product marketing at DealerSocket.

But that’s not to say the majority of consumers are ready to complete the vehicle purchase online, even though dealers think they are.

The study found 67 per cent of customers don’t want to complete the purchase online, while 66 per cent of dealers think all consumers want to move the car buying process online.

You can receive a full copy of the DAR here.

Significant upgrades

DealerSocket also introduced its Blackbird technology platform at its recent User Summit in San Antonio, Tex.

“Blackbird is the result of DealerSocket’s vision, several years in the making, to create a streamlined automotive platform tailored to the future of automotive retail,” said Jonathan Ord, founder & CEO of DealerSocket, in his opening keynote.

In an interview with Canadian auto dealer, Sam Rizek, Director, Sales & Business Development, Canada for DealerSocket, said the new technology incorporates feedback from dealers looking for software that is intuitive and easy to use.

As a responsive technology, dealers can maintain full functionality of their CRM, whatever device they are using, Rizek added.

“This isn’t just an update to our CRM — this is a complete update to our core base,” said Rizek, who equated the upgrade with building a new foundation for a house.

The goal is to have the new technology feel like an experience on Amazon with software that is familiar, easy to use every day, and requires little training to get up and running, said Rizek. To further provide a seamless user experience for dealers, Blackbird has been designed to integrate with the company’s other tools, said Rizek.

Blackbird is currently being piloted in Canada and in the U.S.

“This is our future. This will help us be relevant for the next 10-15 years,” said Rizek.

Related Articles
Share via
Copy link