Dealers wary of online info
A new survey shows most dealers don’t trust the information consumers share with them through digital retailing tools and buyers are having to repeat a number of steps in the vehicle-buying process in-store.
The finding comes as digital technology is increasingly common at dealerships to save time and offer a more personalised customer service, according to a Cox Automotive study.
About 76 per cent of dealers found digital retailing systems improved their customer relationships and made sales easier to finish, the study says.
Tracy Noonan Fred, senior vice-president of dealer solutions at Cox Automotive, adds nearly four in every 10 dealerships offer customers the ability to complete a vehicle purchase online, up from three in 10 a year ago.
Despite the growing use of digital retail tools, the study also reveals 97 per cent of dealerships reported customers are completing steps online and having to do them again in-store, reports Automotive News.
The repeated steps include trade-in offers, deal breakouts, finalising the purchase price, selecting add-ons and loan applications.
Cox Automotive notes only eight per cent of dealerships said they trusted the information shoppers shared with them online. It says the survey’s results suggest a hybrid digital approach in-store could help reduce any duplication of steps for online consumers.
Backing up this idea was 81 per cent of dealers who said they either use or are interested in salespeople using digital tools that help connect with online consumers and enable them to continue the vehicle-buying process at the dealership.
The 2023 Digitisation of Car Buying Study is based on answers from 1,650 shoppers, 2,963 buyers and 393 franchised dealerships in the United States and was conducted from July 5 to 31.
It suggests consumers are broadly happy with digital tools being used as 74 per cent said they were willing to share income and credit scores, more than 50 per cent would share vehicle data, and almost 30 per cent their online and social media details.
