Dealerships Improve in Internet Lead Responses

[JessicaRuth]

It seems like there are a lot of great studies out right now that offer a ton of insight for us.

Like this one!

A recent study by Pied Piper Management Co., a mystery shopping consultant, revealed that dealerships are getting better with Internet lead responses. And, real responses from real people are always better.

Take a look at this article and let us know what works best in your dealership? Emails or phone calls? CRM auto responders?

Anything you disagree with?

 

[ddavis]

Good article, Jessica.

I was in a meeting, today, where this was part of the conversation.

Stores are so concerned about stopping the clock that they fail to actually respond in a timely and effective way. They are more concerned with looking good more than actually being good. Given the opportunity, you always pick up the phone, first. I've sold plenty of cars without ever sending an email.

 

[Dave Erickson]

This is a great article. It looks like when reading it that this Pied Piper made inquiries on specific vehicles in stock with a valid number. These are obviously the best types of leads and it's sad to see that many dealers still don't appreciate these leads. It caused to think more about leads today. Specifically 3rd party ones. Perhaps these leads aren't exactly sucky because they're 3rd party leads, but rather because many of the 3rd party lead providers don't tie into specific in-stock vehicles (or have a valid number many times).

When an internet sales person has someone on a specific vehicle they don't need to issue an auto response type of email that attempts to dig this info out of the person who made the inquiry. When these people receive auto response template after auto response template from dealers trying to find out what they want perhaps it causes them to become the non-responsive 3rd party lead we love to hate?

Is it their fault for having a limited selection of cars to choose from for their quote request? Is it the fault of the 3rd party lead provider for not integrating more with dealer inventory or promising a quote without much work into helping the person on their site select the right vehicle to get a quote on? Perhaps the fault of the dealer that buys these leads and keeps under performing 3rd party lead sites in business?

Maybe we all need to step it up.

For sure though as this article talks about if a dealer receives a lead on a specific car, with a phone number and sends (if they even bother to do anything) just an auto response template then shame on that dealer for not training their internet people to handle these differently.

 

[JessicaRuth]

Dave - you raise a lot of great points. No warm and fuzzies coming from an auto responder. And, like Doug pointed out, we could all just pick up the phone.

Just think, if this is getting better - then what will a year from now look like?

 

[ddavis]

Dave - you raise a lot of great points. No warm and fuzzies coming from an auto responder. And, like Doug pointed out, we could all just pick up the phone.

Just think, if this is getting better - then what will a year from now look like?

While members of the DealerRefresh community might consider themselves "typical", they are far from it. The majority of Internet Directors are ASMs that were given the job because nobody else wanted it. He is the obvious choice, being very computer literate, as evidenced by achieving the 15th level on some video game. He answers to some genius that doesn't believe a phone call, on an AutoTrader listing, is an internet lead. If you think that I am painting an overly dismal picture, ask some vendors that call on these people. Every year, we get the same reports. Real response times are in the tank, internet people refuse to give a price or answer the customer's questions. Next year will be more of the same. The people that "get it" will continue to distance the competition.