Car buyers want trained staff, aftersales services and other activities to be done online
Experience, social and environmental sustainability are the new influences on purchasing decisions. It is no longer enough just to offer the lowest price.
Verona, May 18th, 2022. The Automotive Customer Study 2022, Quintegia’s observatory on the Automotive consumer, highlighted that the choice of relying on a dealership to buy a car is strongly linked to the desire to be guided by specialised staff who ensure that service lives up to expectations and provides a rewarding sales experience.
The observatory, now in its 4th edition, involved a sample of over 3,000 new cars customers surveyed in the first quarter of 2022. The results in terms of needs and trends that guide customers’ behaviours and attitudes can be summarised in 5 themes: Responsibility, Experience, Service, Phygital and Personalisation.
“The period of great transformation that the automotive industry is experiencing makes it necessary more than ever to carefully and constantly listen to the customer, to understand his expectations and needs that are also very influenced by what he experiences in other sectors. The data from the Automotive Customer Study 2022 – explained Alberto Bet, manager of Quintegia – shows how the bar - in terms of buying experience - is quickly rising and the proactivity in anticipating needs, customer service, digitalisation, in addition to personalisation, become the fundamentals for guaranteeing an up-to-date customer experience in line with the times”
The propensity of brands to comply with criteria related to ESG (Environmental, Society, Governance) factors increasingly guides purchasing behavior and the consumers are more sensitive to the environmental and social issues of the community. 74% of respondents pay attention to the concrete actions of companies in terms of social sustainability and 85% in terms of environmental sustainability.
The experience in the dealership continues its positive trend and stands as a strategic asset in the sales process, in fact 90% of respondents consider the dealership as the ideal place where to experience the brand in its values and identity. Human capital is fundamental and becomes the first ambassador of the brand, whose empathy and preparation are a relevant element also to ensure a service that can generate a bond of trust. Indeed, 64% of the sample prefers to turn to a reseller able to offer a quality service and not simply to those who offer the lowest prices.
In experiential and support terms, digital tools are increasingly important to carry out some activities online.
63% of respondents say they value the ability to book a maintenance service online, check the availability of a car (52%) or manage administrative aspects (41%). Online purchasing is also increasingly popular. 38% of customers are interested in evaluating the purchase of their next car via the web, while maintaining the need to be able to see and touch the product. This data highlights the importance of integrating physical and digital in a phygital dimension.
Both in the physical and in the digital dimension, the importance of a tailor-made treatment emerges: for 90% of the sample, it is very or quite important that the dealer relates in a personalised way based on specific interests and needs.
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