Consumers have become more willing during the ongoing inventory shortage to place an order for a vehicle, put down a deposit and wait for their car or truck to be built and delivered.
But a study suggests that dealerships could be better at keeping consumers informed about the delivery process and timeline.
Dealership marketing technology company Digital Air Strike on Friday released its ninth study of automotive customer experience trends. The findings stem from a survey of 4,830 consumers ages 25 to 54 in 2021 who had bought or serviced a vehicle from a franchised dealership within the previous year.
Among the takeaways:
- Thirty-two percent didn’t get their first vehicle choice.
- Twenty percent didn’t get updates from the dealership about their order status.
- Sixty percent want text and online communication from dealerships, an increase from 47 percent in the previous survey.
- Fifty-seven percent said they heard from a dealership within an hour of their first interaction, an increase from 52 percent.
Digital Air Strike says dealerships that include text and online chat methods can reach more customers and that keeping up with consumers’ inquiries can keep them from defecting to competitors.