How to retain customers in the car dealership industry

Post date: Apr 15, 2019 5:12:5 PM

Given that car dealerships don’t get a lot of foot traffic on a daily basis, it’s important for them to have customers who do buy cars to keep coming back for other services. Most car dealerships offer other services besides sales. They can offer car rentals, tune-ups, repairs, and parts replacement.

Because auto dealerships invest in these services, customers should be then expect quality. According to Lupient Automotive Group president Jeff Lupient, the aftersales service should always be part of the car sales pitch. Here are some ways to help retain customers in the car dealership industry.

The challenge of retaining customers begins at the very first interaction. Your sales people should leave the impression of utmost honesty and graciousness, like their job is to see to the best customer service and customer experience. Customers who trust the sales pitch are more likely to trust the after sales service as well.

The best way to ensure that your customers return to your dealership is to cross-sell your other services during the initial sales pitch. You can offer them services like free tune-ups for a certain period of time and big discounts on the same service after the time has lapsed. This way, you don’t lose a lot of money since new cars often require very little servicing during their first year. It also guarantees that your customer returns to avail of the services even after the free period has lapsed.

According to Jeff Lupient, return customers in the industry account for most of their sales. Dealerships should strive to keep customers coming back for after sales service or better yet, with a friend who’s interested in replacing their car.

Jeff Lupient was a previous executive manager of Jim Lupient Infiniti. He made his mark in the Midwest Infiniti dealerships by being the first awardee of the Infiniti Award of Excellence for three years in a row. For more insightful reads on car dealership management, visit this blog.