15 Pandemic Do’s & Don’ts for Car Dealers

As we all deal with the current pandemic, your daily operations have probably been impacted. Your physical showroom may even be closed. But your virtual showroom probably has never been busier. Digital retailing means you are open 24/7. Are you making the car buying process easier or harder for your customers? Below are 15 pandemic do’s & don’ts for car dealers to create a frictionless experience for your customers:

15 Pandemic Do’s & Don’ts for Car Dealers

1. DO communicate changes about your daily operations on your website Home and Contact Us pages.
2. DO let your visitors know the best and fastest way to communicate with your dealership.
3. DO use live inventory ads and include your latest pricing.
4. DO explore extending your ‘virtual’ hours or utilizing a 24-hour BDC.
5. DO respond, in-person, within 15 minutes to every inbound inquiry.
6. DO use Live Chat and/or Facebook Messenger and make sure they are being managed.
7. DO have dynamic ‘click to call’ phone numbers throughout your website.
8. DO promote your digital retailing customer conveniences on your website.
9. DO make sure your digital retail buttons stand out. Remove any conflicting calls-to-action. 
10. DO allow customers to save vehicles into a shopping cart and continue browsing.
11. DO use a credit application that offers instant credit decisions.
12. DO have the option for a customer to ‘Build Your Deal.” And save their deals.
13. DO offer test-drive deliveries.
14. DO offer remote Trade-in valuations: Including the option to upload videos/photos.
15. DO NOT have a ‘We Are Closed’ message on your website home page. Your physical showroom might be closed but your virtual showroom is probably open for business.

We are not suggesting these are the only things to consider but it is a good place to start. As an industry – like always – we will come back strong in a post-pandemic world! Give your customers what they want now and your new business pipeline will be full when you come out on the ‘other side’.