Imagine the anticipation of a customer eagerly awaiting a response after inquiring about their dream truck. The clock ticks, the excitement builds, and finally, an email notification pings. But disappointment sets in almost immediately—not only is the response late, but it’s also laden with grammatical errors, spelling errors, punctuation errors, and glaring negligence.
**Customer Inquiry**
>From: Jane Doe
>Date: April 30, 2024
>Subject: 2024 Ford F-150
>
>Hi,
>I saw a 2024 Ford F-150 listed on your website. Stock Number 458. Can you confirm the price and whether it includes any additional dealership fees? Also, can you tell me about the financing options available?
>Thanks,
>Jane Doe
———–
**Dealership Response**
>From: Sales Rep at ABCMotors
>Date: May 3, 2024
>Subject: Re: 2024 Ford F-150
>Hi Jane,
>Thnaks for you’re email. We have the Ford F-150. Its a grate truck, lots of fetures. We would love too see you two discuss it more. Let us no what time you can make it down too the showroom.
>Best,
>Sales Rep
This hypothetical exchange highlights a lack of timely follow-up and a fundamental disregard for addressing the customer’s specific questions. Many dealerships’ follow-up on web inquiries has become atrocious; questions go unanswered, and customer engagement is minimal at best. When responses do come, they’re riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, which send a clear message of unprofessionalism.
Moreover, amidst today’s shifting auto market dynamics, the aggressive pricing strategies that tack on markups above the MSRP are becoming increasingly contentious. Can dealerships maintain such pricing policies realistically without providing exceptional customer service and clear communication? It seems audacious at best.
The narrative we’ve seen unfold in auto sales reveals a deeper industry malaise. Over the past four years, many dealers have neglected the crucial task of adequately training their staff. This oversight is now manifesting as a struggle to sell vehicles. Those who remain are often ill-equipped in the art of salesmanship, lacking the basic skills necessary to engage effectively and professionally with potential buyers.
As you reflect on the errors sprinkled throughout this article, consider them a deliberate illustration of the frustration and confusion faced by customers daily. The message is clear: in the competitive world of auto sales, professionalism—or the lack thereof—can significantly sway customer satisfaction and business success.
As the COO | Partner of Phone Ninjas, Chris delivers leadership, coaching, and mentorship to 55 team members providing software sales and phone skills coaching. He fosters powerful partnerships and collaborations with leaders across various business sectors, establishing expectations, communicating vision, and escalating performance to maximize productivity and effectiveness.
Chris is an innovation-driven business executive with over 25 years of experience delivering leadership to teams of up to 75 overseeing development, launch, and sale of website lead acquisition, reconditioning process software systems, and technology that support automotive dealerships across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
