Survey of Canadian car buyers reveals facility plays a big role, but your people matter too
Working with one of Canada’s leading research firms, Canadian auto dealer is asking your customers for answers to questions dealers most need to know, but can’t easily quantify. We will be publishing the results and analysis in each issue.
Harris/Decima recently conducted a national survey of just under 500 Canadians who had purchased a new vehicle from a dealership in the past two years, or are intending to purchase one in the next two years.
We asked what role the dealership facility plays in: “helping you decide where to buy the new vehicle.” Just over three quarters indicated it plays a role and 42 per cent said it played a “very big” or “fairly big” role.
But what do customers mean by this? When asked to elaborate, it is clear that the facility, the people and the product are all part of the mix in the mind of the customer, as is product and price. People come first — as it was mentioned by almost twice as many as price.
The facility is also the “face” of both the dealership and the manufacturer, with customers looking for a place to buy that is “trustworthy,” “honest” and has a good reputation, as well as representing a manufacturer known for quality and reliable vehicles.
The overall message is that customers read a lot into the dealership facility. It seems that the facility in itself is not the only key – the important thing is what it says about your business. Everyone, both customers and staff want to conduct business in clean, comfortable surroundings.
These days, that means more than just the basics and extends into all aspects of the facility, including your technology, your ability to engage the customer and whether or not you’re sending the desired message about your business to the customer.
It’s difficult to get the right balance between over-the–top opulence and a facility that pegs you as being behind the times. It comes down to understanding your customers and your market and ensuring that your facility meets their spoken and unspoken needs.
If you haven’t already done so, stroll into an Apple retail outlet and see how they’ve captured the essence of the brand — not necessarily any more opulent than their competitors, but the buzz and the dynamism is there, speaking volumes about who they are and what they stand for. We could do with more of that in our industry.
