Do You Have These Customer Amenities?

The automotive industry is constantly changing, and it can feel like customers’ expectations evolve all the time. Attracting and retaining customers is a challenge. Keeping your finger on the pulse of customer amenities dealerships need will help you compete with other dealerships.

To help, we’ve put together a quick quiz to help you assess the customer amenities your dealership offers. Answer the seven questions below to see if you offer the amenities many customers expect, and keep a note of your answers to see how you measure up against the competition.  

How do your customers discover how much they could trade their vehicle in for? 

A: They can get a trade-in value on our website, and customers can receive an instant offer for their car.    

B: They can fill in an online form with their vehicle details, and we then call them to make a trade-in offer.   

C: They must visit our dealership to get a trade-in offer. 

Did you know that adding Kelley Blue Book Trade-In Advisor to your website allows customers see how much their current car is worth, while also capturing leads for your dealership? By offering fair trade-in values online, you can keep your sales pipeline full of new customers and acquire more inventory. You can also incorporate Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer to allow customers to transition easily from a Kelley Blue Book trade-in value to receiving an instant cash offer for their vehicle. An impressive 33% of car buyers nationwide use Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer to dispose of their vehicle, making online trade-in values and Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer must-have customer amenities for your dealership. 

What’s your service waiting room like? 

A: Our waiting room is modern, with comfortable seating, WiFi, and complimentary refreshments. 

B: We offer seating, and customers can buy refreshments from our vending machines.   

C: Our waiting area has few facilities and could do with a facelift. 

The quality of your service waiting areas can significantly impact your customer experience. Twenty-four percent of service customers say that a modern, comfortable waiting environment is the most important, making this among the top customer amenities dealerships need to enhance their service experience.  

Ensuring your customers have a top-class experience when visiting your dealership for a service appointment is key to creating a positive experience and retaining your customers. Repeat service customers lead to increased service profits and access to the most accessible inventory and potential vehicle purchasers who are already familiar with your brand. With 50% of a dealership’s revenue coming from the service department, it pays to ensure you offer a top-quality service experience.  

How do customers schedule their service or repair appointment? 

A: Customers can schedule their service or repair appointment online and see real-time availability and pricing.  

B: Customers can fill in a form to inquire about booking their vehicle in for a service.  

C: Customers must phone or visit us to schedule vehicle servicing. 

Online service scheduling is loved by customers, with 67% saying it’s critical or essential to them, making it also one of the top customer amenities dealerships need. Services such as Xtime Spectrum let you easily incorporate service booking into your website or app, so customers see real-time availability and pricing and arrange their service within a few clicks. Online service scheduling also leads to increased revenue, with data from all Xtime dealers showing that Xtime has led to a 15% increase in retention and an impressive 60 additional repair orders a month.  

How do customers get their vehicles to you for service? 

A: Customers can drop their vehicle to us, or we’ll happily pick their vehicle up. 

B: Customers can drop their vehicle to us, and we’re looking at offering pick up and delivery in the future. 

C: Customers must bring their vehicle to us.  

The number 1 reason for customers not returning for services at the dealership they purchased their vehicle from is that the dealership isn’t in a convenient location. However, 89% of customers say they are more likely to choose one dealership over another if the dealership has pickup and delivery available, making service pickup and delivery one of the top customer amenities dealerships need.  

How do customers keep updated with the progress of their service?  

A: They can track their service in real-time online or through our app.  

B: We regularly phone customers to keep them updated on the progress.  

C: Customers have to phone us for an update.  

Offering real-time service tracking is a top customer amenity for your dealership that offers significant benefits for both your business and your customers. Customers gain real-time updates on their service in the palm of their hand through your website or app, eliminating the need for multiple phone calls to your service advisors. This means your staff can focus on meeting the needs of customers physically visiting your dealership, resulting in a significantly improved experience for all customers. 

How can customers purchase a car from you? 

A: They can visit our website complete with personalized recommendations, current promotions, and rebates. They can complete the purchase online without coming to our dealership.   

B: They can see all our inventory online and make an online inquiry, but they must come to the dealership to complete their purchase.   

C: They have to visit our dealership in person to view inventory and make a purchase.  

According to Cox Automotive, 64% of shoppers want to do more of the purchase process online the next time they buy a vehicle, making an online purchase capability a must-have customer amenity dealerships need.  

Your website can be configured to easily capture online inquiries and allow customers to schedule an appointment with your dealership. You can also quickly expand your markets and reach customers anywhere in the U.S. with services such as Autotrader Market Extension. If your dealership website hasn’t been updated in awhile, then why not upgrade your website with Dealer.com?  

Using their powerful tools and industry know-how, you can offer a fully-featured online browsing experience personalized to each customer, letting you showcase your inventory, offer remote communication tools, showcase finance offers, and offer customers the ability to reserve vehicles from your website or app.  

How do customers approve any work identified during a service visit? 

A: Customers can see videos and images of any issues and approve the repair online.    

B: We phone them to describe the issue and get authorization.    

C: We get authorization when customers return to the dealership.  

Picture and video-based service communications allow customers to see what is going on under the hoods of their cars. This means that customers who may have previously struggled to trust the recommendations of your service advisors can now see the problem, and your experts can clearly explain to a customer why a repair is needed.  

How do your customer amenities compare? 

If you’ve answered mostly A’s, then you are offering many of the in-demand customer amenities. 

If you’ve answered mostly B’s, you have some great customer amenities but have room to improve your offering. 

If you’ve answered mostly C’s, you could make significant changes and updates to the amenities you offer your customers. So why not check out some of the ways Cox Automotive can help? 

Customer needs, demands, and expectations are constantly evolving. Check out our dealer resources to stay up to date.