Motor retailers are missing a key opportunity to generate aftersales revenue by not offering direct access to a comprehensive online booking service to car owners, according to new CitNOW Group research.

• New CitNOW Group research finds 44% of consumers want the option to make a specific service booking online
• Only a quarter of dealer websites allow customers to book a specific date and time online for their vehicle service
• Research highlights importance of maximising aftersales opportunities as motorists delay servicing due to the rising cost of living

When analysing the functionality on the desktop websites of 100 leading dealers it was found that just over a quarter (27%) of retailers gave customers the option to book a vehicle service online and choose their preferred date and time.

This percentage is even lower on mobile websites, with less than one in five (18%) of dealers allowing consumers to make a date-and-time specific service booking on this platform. Data from a recent CitNOW Group survey of 1,000 car owners highlights that this is a key priority for a large number of motorists, with 44% of respondents saying they want to be able to book a specific time and date for their vehicle service online.

The survey also found that the added convenience of booking a specific time and date for vehicle maintenance was most important to younger drivers, with almost three quarters (74%) of under 25-year-olds stating that they expect dealers to offer this service – the highest of any age bracket surveyed. A further two fifths (42%) of car buyers stated that they expect the aftersales booking system to be easy to access and use.

Carol Fairchild, Chief Customer Officer, CitNOW Group said: “There are simple steps that retailers can take to encourage the continuation of the customer journey from sales to aftersales, for example almost a third of retailers (30%) do not introduce their aftersales team to customers on the handover of their vehicle. However, our consumer survey shows that technology is the most important component for retaining customers in aftersales.”

Alistair Jeff, Commercial Director for REALtime Communications commented: “Industry reports show that a growing number of consumers are putting off vehicle servicing in response to the cost of living crisis, making it more crucial than ever for workshops to offer tools like Online Service Booking, providing consumers the functionality they want, and helping retailers to maximise all aftersales opportunities.”

Using technology to increase revenue in aftersales

CitNOW Group’s research also reveals that video remains a key role in customers approving repair work required: two out of five (41%) of car owners stated they would more likely approve repair work on their car online if a video of the vehicle clearly showing the work required was sent beforehand. By utilising technology available to them, retailers can maximise the revenue potential of each customer booking, while reducing the time each vehicle spends in the workshop, helping to increase the flow of work.

To assist with this process, REALtime Communications (RTC), part of the CitNOW Group, offers streamlined aftersales operations for automotive retailers, including a dynamic online service booking platform that connects directly to the workshop diary. RTC helps retailers simplify workflows in aftersales by enabling staff to manage the entire customer journey in one place, using simple, user-friendly platforms and actionable insight reporting.

To access further insights from CitNOW’s recent industry research and consumer survey, download CitNOW Group’s new report, Uniting Customers and Retailers Through Technology.

CitNOW Group: technology to maximise your sales and aftersales processes

In a digitally-led world, customers are more informed than ever before. Across all areas of retail, they frequently research prospective purchases inside and out before even visiting a retailer in-person. Another consideration, and perhaps the most important, is the evolution of what a customer wants. The recent Salesforce report ‘State of the Connected Customer’ found that 88% of customers feel the experience a company provides is just as important as its product and services – and almost half of the same group say they’ve stopped buying from a company because its competitors provided a better experience.

With this in mind, it’s clear that the automotive industry must continue to transform their operations so that customers receive the sales and aftersales experiences they want and expect – whether that’s online, in person, or more than likely, a combination of the two.

In this article, we’ll explore how retailers can transform their sales and aftersales processes with the CitNOW Group’s solutions, and the associated benefits for both customer and retailer alike.

Common challenges

Delivering on customer expectations, while maintaining a smooth, agile and dynamic sales and aftersales operation, requires the overcoming of a number of challenges.

A strong sales funnel is imperative in today’s digital world, with retailers focusing on maximising every sales and aftersales opportunity that comes their way – both online and offline. This requires many different elements to come together, including the maintenance of good customer communication, building strong and trusted relationships over time, and specific targeting with the right contact and offers at the right time. Automating follow-ups and reminders is a key part of enabling this process.

With developing a strong customer experience comes the need to better streamline internal processes. The implementation of technology has to be planned carefully: adopting a well thought out family of solutions that complement each other, will be essential to ensure real-time data consistency and internal efficiency. This applies to customers too, as they want a seamless multi-channel experience without having to double-key or continually repeat their details.

How our solutions can help

When you deploy a range of solutions from the CitNOW Group, you can empower your customers, but you can also get so much more. Your business and workforce will benefit from customers leading the experiences they want, translating to stronger sales and profitability in the long-term.

These solutions encompass customer-facing areas which help with engagement, and internal systems that help with processes and efficiency:

• • Sales: the ability to fine-tune the nature, quality and timing of contact at every stage of the customer experience can improve your conversion rates. CitNOW Group solutions make this viable as an end-to-end process, for automotive sales enablement. This includes:
    • High-quality advertising assets with Auto Imaging
    • Multi-platform customer response with Web1on1
    • Personalised showroom videos delivered with CitNOW Sales
    • Fair and accurate part exchange appraisals with Tootle
    • Lead capture, response and customer management through Dealerweb
  • Aftersales: there is still a major opportunity for further profitability after a customer has purchased a vehicle, whether it’s for repairs, regular servicing, or MOTs. Our solutions make this an easy process for customers and aftersales teams alike, every step of the way, through:
    • Identification and follow-up of outstanding service work, plus booking and check-in of customers for repair work directly against your live workshop diary, managed through REALtime Communications (RTC)
    • Creation of personalised videos to detail the work required on a vehicle or give it a visual clean bill of health with CitNOW Workshop
    • Creation of detailed eVHCs, Online Customer Authorisations and utilisation of digital jobs cards through REALtime Communications (RTC)
  • Insights: data can help dealerships understand where improvements can be made to processes and communication – connecting with customers and maximising productivity to drive success. CitNOW Group’s data-rich solutions include:
    • Management and tracking of showroom activity with real-time productivity and profit figures, plus stock management information, in Dealerweb
    • Analytical tools and embedded customer feedback prompts to measure video success in CitNOW Sales and Workshop
    • Reporting capabilities and actionable insights in a single place, across your business processes, through REALinsights from REALtime Communications
    • Powerful dashboards for sales, aftersales, call centres, stock management and finance to display performance against targets and key KPIs, through REALtime Communications

In summary

In just about every area of your dealership, there is potential for technology to help you do things faster, easier, more cost-effectively and in ways that serve your customers better. The real opportunity lies in being able to integrate the right technology into the right part of your processes, supplied from a provider that helps you join the dots with ease and maximise every opportunity to boost your bottom line.

CitNOW Group has the technology stack to unite automotive professionals across the customer experience. We can help you transform the car buying and owning journey through engaging communication, whilst also gathering insights to optimise and drive your growth. Learn more about all of our solutions here.