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Dealers
can boost their aftersales customer retention if they promote service plans more proactively online, according to new research commissioned by GForces.
Of the 2,000 UK motorists that participated in the independent survey, 20% of those that don’t currently have a service plan said that they are interested in purchasing one. Promoting details of available service plans on a dealer’s website is now crucial, said GForces with 43% of all respondents said that they expect to find such information, together with pricing, on vehicle retailer websites.
The survey suggests that franchised dealers also have a significant opportunity to promote the sale of parts and accessories to motorists online.
A third (32%) of respondents to the survey said they would prefer to buy through a franchised dealer’s website than via any other online retailer.
GForces said just 36% of the top 200 franchised vehicle retail groups in the UK currently have parts stores on their websites, according to GForces own analysis.
“The scale of the service plan opportunity is significant, and growing,” said Tim Smith, group strategy director at GForces.
“These findings highlight how all franchised retailers should adapt their digital marketing strategies and aftersales offerings to exploit changing expectations and patterns of online demand.”