In the automotive landscape, the buying and ownership experience – less accessible than in the recent past – intersects more than ever with brand values and product content.
Falling registrations and an average increase in list prices of more than 18% between 2019 and 2023 (DataForce) make it necessary to value the customer much more, as both the starting point and the goal of all activities along the entire value chain.
From this perspective, the dealership must become a point of reference for the many topics linked to mobility, but only an approach with services and processes designed around the individual, based on proactivity and anticipating needs, can fully legitimise the players in the sector.
Manufacturers must therefore explore the whole Customer Journey, comparing expectations with the real experience and focusing on interactions with head office and dealers.
(Photo by Fabio Bracht on Unsplash)
Customer expectations and proactivity
In an increasingly “smart”, fast and connected world, a lack of transparency and authority from the manufacturer is unacceptable: it is called not only to convey the values and information on products and services, but also to follow closely the operations carried out locally by dealers. Mystery shopping helps show the gaps with the processes defined by manufacturers, highlighting obstacles that dealerships often have to face, with results that are not always convincing.
Disappointed expectations can only make the customer experience even more off-putting, and only by speeding up and streamlining activities can inefficient processes and bureaucratic delays be overcome.
The chart shows some levers to work on to maximise the quality delivered and perceived. To do this consistently, a solid, continuous connection at every level is essential, from the brand’s Customer Relations Centre to the dealer network and the brand’s head office. Beyond slogans, this is about processes, human capital, concrete local presence and the links between key people.
The organisation: from the official website to the first human contact
The customer experience starts on the official website of the dealership and the brand, where a simple, attractive interface is the basis for directing the customer to the contact form and, later, to the showroom. The meeting at the dealership – for brands that still rely on it – is the second key moment, where welcome and rapport with staff open the door to the Customer Journey. However, waiting times, missed appointments and ineffective communication can damage the image of professionalism: satisfaction keeps falling, from 78% in 2015 to 65% in 2024 (2024 Mid-Year Review, Cox Automotive).
Deep integration between manufacturers and dealers can close the gap between expectations and reality, as shown – for example – by Toyota’s field experience with the “Toshiko” tool, designed for 360-degree customer management by handling every stage of the process and bringing the functions of several software systems together on a single platform.
Efficient use of leads and information provides essential elements to make the most of each prospect’s individuality and helps design loyalty paths. The goal is to encourage human contact at the dealership, which is still the main factor influencing purchase or service decisions (82%, Deloitte, Global Automotive Consumer Study 2023).
Processes, the common thread of Customer Care
Customer Care can be proactive or reactive, with the latter traditionally prevailing, following corrective logic to solve problems and complaints. In a digital scenario, however, it is essential to offer multichannel contact and interaction, from first contact to service bookings (for example, 84% of drivers would prefer to book online – Quintegia, Customer Service Study 2023).
Since it does not depend on product quality alone, Customer Retention must include processes designed around their real impact on the customer. To be effective, the organisation must think like the buyer and put itself in their shoes to design itself. In this sense, full visibility of the brand’s touchpoints makes it possible – also through satisfaction surveys – to trigger corrective mechanisms and go beyond the mere “customer at the centre” philosophy. Failing to plan for these dynamics, and misusing surveys, inevitably drives customers away and opens the door to competitors.
The research we are carrying out among industry players shows how the lack of continuous interaction between manufacturers and dealers can compromise processes, adding complications and steps that make the very idea of Customer Care ineffective.
Speed, simplicity and decisiveness
Reliability and consistency in delivering services (e.g. courtesy cars, Pick-Up & Delivery, Fast Service) have a positive effect on customer perception, as shown by the steady growth in interest in additional services. In this sense, manufacturers’ commitment to making product and services complementary must be valued and become the real competitive advantage. For this reason, Customer Activation becomes even more important, acting as the glue between customer and network.
Not just targeted events or promotions, but above all continuity in the relationship and the use of feedback increase customer engagement; without “genuine” elements, customers are less inclined to bond with a brand or a dealer, as McKinsey reveals in “The new key to automotive success” (60% of “digital” buyers under 45 prefer a contactless relationship).
Promoting change in the people of networks and manufacturers therefore becomes an urgent need, with the aim of building professionalism and processes truly designed for drivers. The shift must also include adapting how current roles work and making the most of experience. Interaction between brands and networks, constant commitment and the selection of topics and people are key to continuously adapting to the context and anticipating it, keeping product, service, expectations and values consistent.
Experience shows that none of this is easy: acquiring new skills is a journey that demands effort at every level, and results are not guaranteed. Not all participants in training programmes turn out to be suited to the roles they are assigned to. For this reason, mechanisms are needed to allow further work, to ensure that customers receive attention at least at the level of their expectations.
In a significant sample of profiles that completed programmes set up by a manufacturer, 20% were not ready to take on the role, but a subsequent effort aimed at closing the gaps led to a remarkable recovery, with a 24% increase in learning (JET-Myco Observatory, 2024).
Building real Customer Care requires redesigning the entire value chain – and thinking about it from the customer’s point of view – to better understand real needs and read the signals of a dynamic market. For manufacturers struggling to move beyond the logic that has historically produced so much profit, it is necessary to abandon generic, ethereal concepts and find consistency in how services are delivered, in the approach to the person, and in process design and the anticipation of future effects.
Doing so requires investment and means rethinking models and behaviours, but defending the status quo leads to a dead end that will soon be very hard to get out of.
