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Blog Bling
Mar
21
Customer Service and Technology Transform the Used Car Business
March 21, 2007 | Anita Campbell
With declining margins in the new car business, many dealers are turning to used car sales for an increasingly significant portion of their sales and profits.
And the nature of the car dealer business is changing. That old stereotype of the confrontational salesman ambushing customers for a quick one-time sale, is going away. Today, the smartest dealers are placing much more attention on establishing customer relationships that last through the next car purchase and the next after that.
Capgemini has issued an extensive multi-country report on the used car business. What struck me most from the report is how much technology fits into the mix, including financial analysis software, CRM and the Internet.
Although the size of dealerships keeps growing and some dealerships are large or midsize businesses these days, many (especially independent used car dealerships) are still smaller family-run enterprises.
Download: The Anatomy and Physiology of the Used Car Business (requires free registration).
PS: as a consumer, remember the next time you are trading in a vehicle not to approach it with the mentality that the dealer is doing you a big favor by taking something unwanted off your hands. Chances are the dealer will make more profit from the resale of your trade-in than from selling you a new car.
Comments
1 Comment so far
Agree Anita, that customer relationships are a great focus, but an even greater deal on my car is even better. The customer relationships are proven when having to take the car in for any problems that may come up without any grief. Good deal,great service, that always brings you back.