Pick Up Your Phone!
Posted by: Neil Murphy | Posted on: June 3rd, 2013 | 0 Comments
Last month, a McLaren F1 became the most expensive modern car ever sold, netting in excess of £3.5 million for the supercar dealership involved. But, says leading used car network Motors.co.uk, some dealers in the UK could be missing out on valuable sales because they don’t pick up the phone or respond to emails quickly enough for consumers.
In a recent analysis of over 500 customer telephone calls into dealerships, Motors.co.uk discovered that just 67 per cent of sales calls made during core business hours were answered. In addition, Motors.co.uk has also monitored call patterns for unanswered calls, with an incredible 61 per cent of unanswered calls never calling back.
In another recent study, Motors.co.uk reviewed the quality of handling in 100 phone calls to dealers, and found that only 34 per cent of sales executives were able to answer specific questions about the vehicle of interest. Fewer than half (45 per cent) recorded the name and contact details of the customer, leaving 55 per cent with no way to get back in touch with the customer once the call was completed.
Andy Coulthurst, managing director of Motors.co.uk and former group sales director at JCT600, comments: “The modern consumer is empowered. They know their rights and how to search around when customer service is not up to scratch and response times are not quick enough. With people increasingly sending enquiries out of hours and from mobile devices, it is important to build the channels with which to respond effectively. But, it isn’t enough to invest in modern communications technology; you have to know how to use it as well.”
In a third study, Motors.co.uk sent 100 emails to a random selection of dealers around the UK. The ‘secret shopper’ emails revealed that a quarter of dealers managed to reply within just four hours, with nine per cent setting a precedence for good customer service by responding to sales enquiries out of hours. However, less than half replied within 24 hours of the initial enquiry, allowing potential leads to go cold. A startling 53 per cent did not respond at all, stunting the extent to which dealers can capitalise on sales enquiries. As a result, the total value of missed potential sales from these 100 enquiries alone reached almost half a million pounds.
Google has also released research as part of its October Gearshift report highlighting that 64 per cent of UK car buyers have selected another dealer, model, or brand as a result of receiving an inadequate response to an online request. This reaffirms the importance of an instant or timely reply to any enquiry a dealer receives.
Coulthurst continues: “Many motor traders are already focused on customer service, delivering training to their customer-facing team, auditing their enquiry handling and introducing contact centres where appropriate. However, the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity for the motor industry over the coming months will be creating a culture which puts the customer at the heart of the process. This might mean operating out of hours, introducing new channels through which to communicate and investing in the latest technology. But, most importantly, it involves understanding that the customer enquiry is the most valuable asset a dealership can have; nurture it and you generate a sale, ignore it and you lose out.”
Source: motors.co.uk
