Sales and service teams out of kilter

A new survey by Cooper Solutions highlights that during the typical service lifetime of a car, nearly 60% of owners are never contacted by the sales team of that mainstream servicing dealer.

Cooper Solutions is urging dealers to bring together their sales and servicing departments to work cohesively and proactively to nurture relationships and drive sales.

Barry Cooper, managing director of Cooper Solutions, said, ‘Franchised dealers have a clear weapon in their arsenal – face-to-face customer interaction. By understanding individual ownership cycles, sales and service teams are in the perfect position to tailor their approach to every customer. This enables them to engage appropriately and deliver a personal and relevant dialogue. An excellent experience for the customer builds loyalty and long-term retention.’

According to the Cooper Solutions survey, 28% of car owners feel no loyalty towards their servicing dealer and only 11% of people would feel any loyalty towards approaching the sales department first, when it comes to buying their next car.

Nearly a quarter of those surveyed said they would feel more loyal towards their servicing dealer if they were proactively approached by the sales department about their future car requirements, when they brought their car in to be serviced. And there clearly is opportunity as only six per cent of those visiting a service dealer actually spoke to a member of the sales team whilst they were there.

Barry added, ‘The sales and servicing departments of most dealerships are just metres apart, but they’re often a world away from each other when it comes to interacting with customers and maximising revenue opportunities. Now is the time for dealers to make fundamental changes to the way they operate. It is not enough for sales teams to wait for a customer to make an enquiry; it’s time to join-up the two departments to secure future sales.

‘With data readily at the dealer’s fingertips, including information such as where the customer bought their last car, when the finance agreement ends, or whether their preference is to buy new, customers can be contacted in a timely, appropriate way. In turn this creates significant potential to turn lost sales into new opportunities.’