Customer loyalty that leads to repeat visits to sales and service departments is the goal of every dealership. But loyalty doesn’t come easy. It’s earned by developing a reputation for exceptional service and finding creative ways to attract new and existing customers to the dealership.
1 – Driving Customer Retention to Your Dealership
CBT Automotive Network: Customer loyalty is different than customer satisfaction, and neither necessarily translates to repeat business for a dealership. In fact, 45 percent of respondents in a leading industry periodical study, who defined themselves as loyal to a particular dealership service center, go elsewhere for those services. But customers that frequent a dealership maintenance center are 86 times more likely to purchase their next vehicle from that dealership. By offering prepaid maintenance programs, dealerships can secure more repeat customers.
2 – A Recipe for Customer Retention at Your Dealership
Digital Dealer: Some dealerships focus so intently on finding new customers that they ignore the ones they already have. To attract new customers and retain existing ones, dealerships should develop open communication between departments, ensuring that each understands the role they play in supporting customer retention and loyalty efforts.
3 – 7 Simple Techniques to Build Customer Loyalty
Forbes: To gain customer loyalty, dealerships should: 1) make their ownership group visible and available to the public, 2) keep convenient open hours, 3) deliver on estimated service times, 4) pay attention to the little things that matter, 5) charge competitive prices for services and implement a customer loyalty program, 6) consistently exceed customer expectations, and 7) find a passion in serving customers and follow through on those intentions.
4 – 3 Ways Credit Union Partnerships Boost Customer Loyalty
Dealer Marketing: By forming relationships with local credit unions, dealerships can build trust with community members. A strong recommendation from a local credit union allows dealerships to share in the loyalty credit union members have with their financial institution. This loyalty is much stronger than the relationship most banks have with their customers. Because credit unions are local, community-owned, and exist solely to serve their members, they are considered more of a financial partner than a place to keep money. Dealerships can share in that goodwill by forming strategic financing relationships with local credit unions.
5 – How Dealers Can Build Customer Loyalty [On and Off the Lot]
Digital Dealer: Creating a positive customer relationship that leads to repeat customer business is the goal of every car dealer. But loyalty doesn’t just happen by accident. Dealerships must invest time and resources into maintaining existing customers with the same effort they seek to find new customers. To do this, dealers can offer exclusive benefits, such as loyalty programs or scheduled service appointments with car pick-up and drop-off service. When dealerships cater to customers’ needs and wants in both sales and service, they increase customer loyalty.
Check back next week for another Drive to Success.
