Survey: Customers Will Pay More to Purchase Car in 60 Minutes

A recent survey suggests that consumers still dislike certain dealership interactions. CarLingo, a recently launched customer experience automotive website, released research related to the retail automotive customer experience. CarLingo, using research tools from Qualtrics, surveyed 266 car shoppers. What they discovered was that many car shoppers feel dissatisfied with their retail automotive experience.

Specifically, it was the interaction that customers had with dealership employees they seemed to simply dislike. In a press release, CarLingo released the results of their research and 74 percent of those car shoppers polled felt that they would be “pressured” by the dealer at some point in the sales process. Forty-eight percent of those surveyed felt the dealer has the upper hand in the sale of the vehicle. A surprising stat is that 63 percent of consumers said they would pay extra for the chance to close the deal in less than 60 minutes at the dealership. How much would they pay?

On average, consumers would pay $568 per car to complete their deal in less than 60 minutes.

Steve Greenfield, the CEO of CarLingo said this research points to issues with the car buying experience. Greenfield said in a statement, “The car shopping and buying experience is complex and multi-faceted, but consumers don’t face this same painful negotiation process across any other vertical. The automotive industry is unique, and the consumer is craving a better way to buy that reduces or eliminates negotiation entirely. As a result, there is plenty of opportunity for dealers to differentiate by focusing on improving the consumer experience.”

Customer experience is always king, however, how much has it changed in recent years? The advent of online customer reviews and car shopping websites has transformed the car buying process. Customers who show up at your store can easily comparison shop from their phone while still on your lot. Competition is fierce. What are you doing to compete? How are you working to stay ahead of your competitors? How are you improving the experience that your customers receive at your store?