The semiconductor chip shortage caused serious disruption to automotive production resulting in new vehicle inventory shortages and soaring prices for over two years now and is expected to continue this year. As a result, Dealers are left with fewer cars to sell. COVID has also caused significant challenges for supply chains globally, and dealerships had to cut staff (mostly salespeople) while making a huge shift in their business strategy (online and personalized services).
The previous sales process was already taxing. Consumers were increasingly seeking new experiences, turning to digital solutions which have gone from revolutionary to necessity. So, to get new customers and to keep them loyal, dealerships must change the way they operate in this current economic climate with no further delay.
Although this is a huge statement, dealers don’t need to be a huge auto dealer conglomerate to get and keep customers. In this article, you will learn 3 important factors to create an effective way to operate in a digital, omnichannel environment.
Good Customer Service
In this new online business environment, where customers visit your website and social media page before entering your dealership, you must maximize and enhance your dealership’s customer service approach. You should be able to provide answers to their queries and give them a wholesome car buying experience online and offline. While it wasn’t all digital before, it is the new business environment now, and you will lose more sales opportunities if you neglect online customer service. Turn these challenges to your advantage. Make sure to excel in customer service as consumers shop online. Without your online presence, they may not feel comfortable or satisfied with your service. Remember, competition is out there, which means more options for prospective buyers, but online and offline customer service makes the difference.
Inventory
As much as good customer service is important, having a good inventory management system in place is on the same level. This helps dealerships increase profitability and decrease the chance of losing longtime customers due to a lack of choices. Dealership hopping is not the case anymore. By the time consumers get to your lot, they’ve already done their research for something specific. You can have hundreds of vehicles for sale, but you will still lose the sale if you don’t have “the one”.
Special Finance leads
In today’s business environment, subprime car buyers have become a trend as a result of the pandemic. Nearly 30% of consumers have a subprime credit score. This means that car dealerships that do not offer Special financing are not only turning away one in every three potential car buyers that walk into their dealership but also fail to recognize that it is the greatest shift every business must adopt in the new era. Certainly, looking for special finance customers is the “new thing” today.
Special finance/subprime buyers find themselves in this category often for no fault of their own. They are here because of unfavorable events (e.g. pandemic, job loss, divorce) that may have affected their ability to pay. Even so, they are more susceptible to getting denied by traditional lenders and finance companies. To every dealership’s advantage, this challenge has become key in increasing car sales amid the pandemic and its financial impact on consumers.
GUESS WHAT?! AppleConnect provides the most reliable Special Finance leads for your dealership. We have multiple lead-generating websites across the United States, and as an added benefit, we work with you throughout the entire process!
Our innovative VActive Live-Transfer service is proven to help dealerships overcome one of their greatest obstacles… getting an applicant on the phone and scheduling an appointment.
After a lead is generated, it is checked by the verification team. The verification process helps to identify and eliminate a bad lead before it reaches the dealership. This ensures that the dealership receives only qualified applicants and eliminates wasted time spent calling bad leads.
AppleConnect guarantees that every lead is a prospect looking for a vehicle or we will replace that lead with a new one.
If your dealership markets to subprime customers, call AppleConnect for the most dependable leads at (888) 64-APPLE or visit our website GOAPPLECONNECT.