Positive salespeople are tops when it comes to customer satisfaction and shifting cars.
That’s the finding from JudgeService in a survey of 350,000 customers who bought a used car last year.
It said showroom processes have the biggest impacts on the customer promoter scores achieved by dealers.
While the attitude of salespeople retained its lead position year-on-year, the research found changes among the top eight drivers of customer satisfaction.
Choice of vehicle rose from fifth to second place, nudging the attitude of dealer staff at handover into third position.
The presentation and cleanliness of sites is now the fourth most important consideration, with the explanation of paperwork, now in fifth place.
Other key deciders included the mechanical standard of vehicles and cleanliness of vehicles.
However, despite the intense regulatory focus on how dealers conduct finance sales, the explanation of available finance packages was rated by buyers as the least important consideration of the eight.
The research also found that dealers who increased their net promoter score for salesperson attitude by 5% saw a 3.3-day improvement on stock turn.
“Our research once again identifies how the positive attitude of salespeople can significantly improve customer satisfaction and stock turn, proving the point that people buy into people, not just cars,” said Neil Addley, managing director of JudgeService.
“All eight drivers of customer satisfaction are important. This year’s rising prominence for vehicle choice and site presentation shows customers are becoming more selective and more informed as they decide where to spend their hard-earned money.
“The results highlight the importance of recruitment and training to equip salespeople with the best possible people skills, as well as the use of tech solutions to stock the right cars at the right price. And the need for regular site inspections, because no-one wants to see poorly presented cars or grubby looking premises when they are looking to spend thousands of pounds,” said Addley.”
JudgeService Top 8 Customer Satisfaction Drivers
- Attitude of salesperson
- Choice of vehicle
- Attitude of staff at handover
- Presentation/cleanliness of site
- Explanation of paperwork
- Mechanical standard of vehicle
- Cleanliness of vehicle
- Explanation of available finance packages
Source: JudgeService