It’s no secret that online reviews are essential for businesses, which goes double for auto dealerships. With so much competition, it’s crucial to have a solid online presence, which means having good reviews. So how can you get them? Here are a few tips.
Why online reviews matter for car dealerships and businesses
Most customers research you and your vehicles online, so your dealership must pay attention to online reviews. People trust each other’s opinions when shopping for car purchases, customer service, repair services, and parts departments.
With a few clicks of their mouse, shoppers can search for car dealership online reviews and get valuable insight into whether a business is worth exploring. On top of the comfort factor, online reviews give the shopper an accurate sense of the customer experience at that car dealership.
After a short time online, they know exactly what to expect before setting foot in the door or handing over any money. Smart car dealerships should always take responsibility for their online presence by actively inviting customer feedback from any platform used.
Taking control of your digital reputation shows potential customers that you provide them with the best car-buying experience possible.
How to get more online reviews for your dealership
Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get more online reviews for your dealership. Ask each satisfied customer to take a few seconds to leave an honest and positive review on one or more automotive review websites. Although genuine comments are necessary, some dealerships even offer incentives to customers for leaving honest reviews, such as discounts and free detailing packages. Still, the best dealership reviews come from people who had a genuinely positive experience with the dealership.
So, once your customer interacts with you, it’s essential to follow up with them after their transactions are complete to ensure they were pleased with their experience. This provides another chance to encourage them to leave a review.
Of course, the better reviews you have, the better your dealership will look to potential customers—so it pays to make every effort.
Make it easy for customers to leave a review on your dealership
Most auto dealerships understand the importance of customer reviews on Yelp, Facebook, and other online sources. It can be a powerful tool to attract new customers and provide valuable feedback to make improvements.
That’s why it’s great news that some auto dealerships are making it easy for their customers to leave a review. By introducing a simple process such as going through a customer survey on their website or following up with an email after a service, auto dealerships are taking steps towards making the auto dealership review process much more efficient.
Best of all, it lets those experts—potential customers—know they’re being heard and appreciated.
Respond to every review
Since you shop at businesses and buy products from online retailers like Amazon, you know how vital dealership reviews can be for potential customers. People look to your customers’ experiences on Yelp, or your Facebook and Instagram page, for example, to determine if a dealership deserves their business. But current and potential customers are also looking for how you interact with people who’ve left positive and negative reviews. Your response, or lack of response, shows how focused you are on customer service.
Improve your dealership based on online reviews
You can refurbish the exterior and interior of your dealership, but reading your online reviews is one of the best ways to improve your dealership experience.
By carefully listening to customer feedback and addressing customer concerns, you can increase your sales and customer satisfaction by leaps and bounds. In addition, please pay attention to the language customers use in their reviews, as this can be a great indicator of what they were expecting and their overall experience (positive or negative).
Customers appreciate when they feel heard and seen, so reach out directly to those who have left less than stellar reviews – even something as simple as thanking them for their input can go a long way.
And don’t forget to show some appreciation for those leaving rave reviews, too—everyone loves a bit of acknowledgment. With the right attitude, customer reviews can become essential tools that will help you improve your dealership’s operations.
It’s important to remember that online reviews aren’t going anywhere. On the contrary, they’re only going to become more prevalent as time goes on.
So how do you ensure that your dealership gets the most out of these reviews?
- First, make sure you’re asking customers to leave them.
- Second, make it easy for customers by providing clear instructions and links.
- Finally, take the time to read and analyze your good and bad reviews and use that information to improve your dealership.
By taking care of the reviews, you’ll see stellar customer service ratings from your willingness to learn from both positive and negative feedback.
