So, you’ve closed the deal. The paperwork is signed. You walk back to your desk and look up at the leaderboard; you’ve just put another satisfied customer behind the wheel.
End of story. Everyone’s happy.
But are they actually?
While your mind is naturally shifting to your next lead, you’re about to hit a make-or-break point with the customer that just drove off your lot. The actions you take in the coming weeks, months and beyond will likely determine whether you ever see them again.
In a recent survey, we found that nearly one-third (31%) of Canadian car buyers aren’t satisfied with their dealer’s post-purchase experience. These buyers are more than twice as likely to not return to you the next time they’re in the market. And, if they’re not interested in buying from you again, you can be sure they won’t be telling their friends and family to see you for their next car.
Car buyers aren’t asking for much when it comes to their post-purchase experience. Buying a vehicle is a big investment and for some that can be pretty scary; some reassurance after parting with all that cash will go a long way.
Here are the top five things car buyers told us would be most effective in improving the post-purchase experience:
| Service and maintenance offers/discounts | 55% |
| Schedule my first maintenance visit | 32% |
| Contact me (on preferred channel) to make sure I’m happy with the purchase | 31% |
| Preventative maintenance plan for my vehicle | 24% |
| Updates or changes to the value of my vehicle over time | 21% |
After making the purchase, your customers have moved on to a new stage in the car buying cycle: ownership. They’ve likely spent some time before the purchase researching and finding the right car for them. Now, they’ll need to know what owning that vehicle looks like. That means not only checking in and making sure the vehicle is meeting their expectations, but also getting them to start thinking about future maintenance and even what trading-in might look like as the years and mileage add up.
You may worry that you’re bothering them unnecessarily, but 71% of car buyers told us they want to hear from you at least once every few months.
So, reach out to your customer on their preferred channel. Try to offer something of value like offers/discounts or maintenance planning advice. And when it’s time for something new, your customer will only have one call, email, or text to make.