Member Article

Keeping automotive customers enagaged

For many consumers, buying a car is one of the most significant purchases that they will make, so the decision requires a good deal of thought. This means that customer’s buying behaviour will be impacted and they will act somewhat differently compared to if they were just purchasing an item of clothing or some groceries. Instead, a big-ticket item requires careful consideration – and this makes the automotive purchasing journey unique in many respects. To better understand automotive shopper behaviour and how they interact with brands throughout the buying journey, we conducted a survey with 1,000 UK adults.

**Channel appropriate ** We found that online research is a key part for the customer journey, even though the clear majority of deals are finalised in a showroom. Our research found that almost a third of users (32%) research online before purchasing in a dealership, while almost a quarter (23%) research both online and in the showroom before buying from a physical location. This means that a unified and coherent approach to customer service is essential, as buyers prefer to research across several channels before finalising their decisions. In fact, only 17% admitted to conducting their research purely in a showroom. But many automotive brands are still failing to fully capitalise on the opportunity to embrace digital interactions. Almost half (44%) of customers said that they want physical dealerships to get better at recognising their online value, while 42% wish that vehicle websites would recognise them as a regular showroom visitor. If the customer is viewing the experience holistically, the brand or dealer they are buying from should do, too. This will help to create a unified brand experience, across channels, making the customer feel valued.

**The human touch ** Unlike in other sectors, automotive customers particularly value input from a salesperson. We found that, in fact, a quarter of car buyers like to ask lots of questions before committing to a purchase and a fifth like to have an in-depth conversation with a salesperson. Almost 1 in 5 customers (18%) said that they appreciate a personal demonstration and even among those who prefer to be their own guide, 12% like a quick chat to make sure they’ve made the right choice. With salesperson interaction, such an important part of the buying cycle, automotive companies need to ensure that they are equipping staff with the technology needed to help assist with any queries that arise to maximise deal closes. By connecting employees to operational information such as a model’s specifications and capabilities technology can be used to show potential buyers how their vehicle can be customised, to demonstrate features in the showroom, and to validate their decision with third party reviews and customer feedback.

**Getting personal ** Bringing greater digital functionality into the physical purchasing experience not only enables salespeople to make the experience more engaging; it allows them to make the service more personal for the customer. Currently, our research showed that too many customers (16%) are being turned off by receiving irrelevant emails, demonstrating the importance of personalisation and targeted marketing to keep current and potential customers engaged at every step. Companies, therefore, need to optimise customer data available to them through newsletter sign ups or application downloads, for example. Collecting and utilising this data not only allows the sales process to be more tailored to the buyer but it can also play an effective role in aftersales marketing. For example, teaser videos can be shared post-purchase to maintain a buyer’s excitement ahead of delivery, or servicing and upgrade opportunities based on when, where and what model of vehicle they purchased can be shared, leveraging digital capabilities can create a personalised service that begins before the buyer enters the showroom, and lasts a lifetime. Increasing engagement

Currently, just 8% of customers think automotive companies offer a better customer experience than other sectors. With high value purchases come exceptional expectations, and there is still more that the automotive industry can be considering and implementing to engage and excite potential and existing purchasers. As our research shows, a compelling customer journey brings together the best elements of digital and physical, through leading-edge technology. Automotive brands must take a step back and look at what their current user experience looks like – and better implement IT to cash in on the rewards truly engaged customers bring.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Josie Byrne .