Top Dealership Trends of 2021

The past year can be described as a lot of things, but above all, 2021 was a year of accelerated change. The pandemic forced consumer shopping behaviors to shift dramatically—and we can see now that they’re not shifting back. Automotive dealerships that have historically relied on foot traffic in their showrooms have been forced to find new avenues for connecting with their customers…where they are.

As a leader in digital marketing program optimization, we’ve seen this shift towards a more customer-centric business model coming for years—but we pegged it as something that would take years to achieve. When the pandemic hit, all anticipated timelines for change were upended. First up on the priority list for dealers? Digitizing their sales processes and increasing their focus on aftersales and service. 

Digitization of the Sales Process

To connect with their customers more effectively, dealerships are working quickly to change internal processes and build out their digital storefronts. They’re educating and re-training dealership staff on how the customer buying journey has changed, looking at the car-purchasing process from the consumers’ point of view and tailoring their car-selling process to match.

On one end of the spectrum, dealerships are hustling to implement the tools and technologies they need to compete in a digital retail environment. Meanwhile, they’re finding unique ways to make the short period  they do get face-to-face with customers more memorable.

To bridge the gap between a customer’s online and in-person experience, for example, they’re reimagining the way showrooms are structured, moving sales representatives from behind computers to working together with customers on a shared tablet. Others are pushing the boundaries of what the vehicle delivery experience looks like.

As we move into the new year, we only expect this transition to digital retailing to continue to accelerate.

Increased Focus on Aftersales & Service

This trend of taking a customer-first approach extends beyond the vehicle sale, particularly when we take into consideration the inventory challenges that are sweeping dealerships nationwide. With slim pickings of vehicles on the lot, the service center has become the primary profit center for many dealers.

But to create an aftersales experience that keeps their customers coming back, many dealers need to make some changes. In particular, we’re seeing a huge influx of technology being implemented across the entire service center.

For example, many dealerships are implementing service scheduling capabilities on their websites. They’re utilizing cutting-edge technologies like license plate scanners and multi-point inspection tools in the bays to expedite service. Tablets are being loaded with all kinds of tools that enable service techs to send real-time updates to customers, take payment quickly and virtually, and manage loaner vehicle inventory.

For dealerships to succeed in 2022 and beyond, aftersales can no longer be an afterthought.

The Year of Change

The key takeaway we learned in 2021 is that some things don’t change. Dealerships still need to establish trust with their customers. They still need to make the purchasing processes easier and the service more convenient than the competition. What has changed, however—and quickly—is how to do what they’ve always done in our increasingly digital and service-oriented world.

To learn more about how Shift Digital can help your dealership stay a step ahead of your customers and your competition, and for support implementing your own customized plan, contact your dedicated Shift Digital representative today.