Dealerships should manage their reviews to ensure they have the best chance at acquiring potential new clients to their lots. Likewise, this can help them build a reputation and build themselves brick-by-brick. It allows them to get bigger and gain a stronger foothold on the market.
Why Dealerships Should Manage Their Reviews
Of course, many used auto dealers could choose from prospective buyers. And as unfortunate as it might be, sales personnel in the automotive industry aren’t what most people would consider trustworthy. But dealerships should manage their reviews by executing a sale. Consequently, car dealers may have their work cut out when trying to close a sale.
The Basics of Review Management
One way for used auto dealers to sway the odds in their favor is by managing their reviews. Customers today are savvier than ever, and most will do plenty of research before shelling out the cash for a new vehicle.
Part of that research involves reading reviews of used auto dealers online. And if a particular dealer has plenty of bad reviews, few customers would be willing to give them their business.
What is a car dealer to do in this particular scenario? How can a dealer with a less-than-perfect reputation attract would-be customers to their lot? The answer lies in review management.
Now “review management” doesn’t necessarily mean having a company employee delete all negative business reviews. Even if that were possible (which isn’t, in the case of third-party review sites), that wouldn’t sit too well with customers. And news of this type of “review management” will get around.
How to Handle Review Management
The preferable approach to review management involves highlighting the company’s good reviews. There should also be an attempt to address negative reviews to befit a reputable and conscientious firm.
How does a dealership do that? The first step is to encourage customers to leave a positive review of the transaction, especially if they are satisfied with the deal.
Now, this might not be as easy as one would expect. Satisfied customers aren’t as likely to leave reviews as disgruntled customers. People who feel they have gotten the short end of a deal are more likely to air their grievances online. Therefore, car dealers should exert extra effort in encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews of their positive experiences.
Positive reviews will, of course, convince more prospective customers to patronize that particular car dealership. When would-be buyers see that the company has a good track record of favorable transactions, they are more likely to turn to that dealership when in the market for a new car.
Dealing with Negative Reviews
Negative reviews can also affect a potential customer’s buying decision but in the opposite way. When they see that the company has several negative reviews from unsatisfied customers, they will have second thoughts about taking their business there. Car dealership owners should address negative reviews instead of focusing solely on the positive.
How should car dealerships deal with negative reviews? In most cases, the best method is to address the issue head-on. Dealer representatives should reply to the customer calmly in a professional tone and attempt to deescalate the situation. It should be done respectfully, without dismissing or being annoyed by the customer’s concerns.
The above approach should communicate to the public the company’s focus on satisfying its customers. But dealers should always address the customer’s concerns behind the scenes.
Conclusion
Remember: displaying a desire to please the client online will help improve the dealership’s reputation in the short term. But addressing the customer’s concerns makes for happy customers, which will have long-term benefits.
“The customer is always right” is an old adage that may not necessarily hold true in all cases today. Even so, it behooves a car dealership to ensure that their customers walk away satisfied with their transactions. And by managing their reviews, used auto dealers will hopefully have more customers coming in their doors.
About K2 Insurance Services
Your used auto dealership clients will benefit considerably from the risk protection that K2 Specialty Dealership provides. Apart from the full range of insurance coverages, K2 Specialty Dealership also offers an ACH payment system that bills your clients directly. Call us today at (866) 429-1638 to find out how you can partner with the leading name in auto dealership insurance.
