As with any business, retaining existing customers is much easier- and more cost-effective- than attempting to gain new customers. This fact remains true for your automobile dealership. That’s why every customer interaction should be approached with the intention of retaining their business for the future. How pleasant a customer’s experience with your dealership is can mean the difference between one successful sale and multiple successful sales. These are three of the simplest ways to increase customer retention at your car dealership.

It’s all about first impressions- which is why you should always aim to create an unforgettable experience for your customer. Consider your dealership from the customer’s perspective, as they turn into your parking lot or approach a representative; how can you maximize every element for a personable, memorable experience? What is a potential customer learning about your dealership before they even walk in the door? One helpful tip is to consider all five senses- what do they hear upon entering? What do they smell? You should carefully consider all the elements of the customer experience and how they might be improved.

Congrats! You made a sale, and your potential customer is now your current customer. After a successful sale, it’s important to follow up with every customer. Be sure to check in occasionally on how they’re doing with their recent purchase, and while you speak with them, take the opportunity to remind them about your services and any current sales you have going on, as well. Thoughtfully checking in and making yourself available to answer any remaining questions or offer any additional services can mean the difference between a single-sale customer and a repeat customer. After all, they already purchased from your dealership; if they had a great experience, it’s likely they’ll be interest in more of your services going forward.

Perhaps your attempted sale didn’t go as planned- regretfully, you have an unsatisfied, disappointed customer, or simply an uninterested one. Unfortunately, sometimes there is nothing that can be done to change the outcome of an unsuccessful sale. However, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use it as a learning experience for your dealership. Consider all feedback on your customers’ experience- what is it that they liked? What is it that they didn’t like? Moving forward, you can implement improvements based on this feedback and work to increase your sales with every experience, good or bad.

Building and retaining a solid customer base can be a long and confusing process. However, with time and effort, you’ll have a profitable, reliable customer base for your dealership. At Vanguard Dealer Services, we can provide you with the resources you need to maximize your dealership’s customer retention. For more information, contact us today!