Don’t Fear the Review – Embrace the Opportunity to Shine
Many Dealers have been negatively conditioned by loud customer critiques to fear the impact of customer reviews and view them mostly as just potential liability. The reality however is that the majority of reviews actually tend to be positive, and when properly leveraged can help win over consumers and initiate the dealer customer relationship on trusting footing which removes suspicion and reduces customer cynicism. Teh Edmunds Review Team conducted a one month study that produced somewhat astonishing results supporting that reality.
“The Edmunds Reviews Team analyzed a one-month period of dealership reviews posted on Edmunds.com, and found that over 90% of the reviews published were positive reviews for either the sales or service department, and the most common title for any review was “Great Experience.” Here are some of the findings from our analysis to illuminate what qualities and experiences motivate consumers to write a 5-star review.
Many consumers begin by stating that they did not anticipate enjoying the purchasing process, or were even dreading it, but go on to use these keywords and phrases repeatedly to describe their experience:
- No-pressure, didn’t feel rushed
- Trustworthy
- They listened to me
- Quick and painless — the dealership made the process easy
- Quick and clear communication (email or in-person)
- No games
- Final price was exactly as negotiated (no last-minute surprises)
- Professional and polite salesperson
- Attentive to customer’s needs
- Salesperson went above & beyond — locating a specific vehicle, delivering vehicle to customer, staying after hours, etc.”
Now, which dealer out there wouldn’t want reviews that shined like that?
The power of buyer reviews to persuade the consumer behavior of prospective buyers is undeniable. Dealers who learn to embrace that Power rather than fear it are enjoying success that their competitors are not. Taking the time to ask for a review and to keep it in mind when interacting with the customer pays tremendous dividends to the reputation of that dealer, and leverages the trust earned with one customer to better achieve trusting relationships with all customers.
BDC United’s proprietary proven process not only optimizes leads for appointments, it manages leads to plant the seeds for glowing reviews that will help build your dealership’s reputation.
Learn more about how BDC United can help your dealership embrace the opportunity to shine.