The industry of selling used
vehicles is a rewarding one to get into, but as with selling anything that
isn't brand new, customers are always going to have their doubts until they
warm up to your company – especially in smalltown areas. That's why
used car dealers in NJ need to pay
attention to their brand's reputation more than many other types of industries
– it should be clean as a whistle from the get-go to eliminate any potential
doubts in the customers' minds.
The obvious place to start with
reputation management is to have sound work ethic. The better your customer
service, the less there will be to complain about.
However, the occasional disgruntled
customer is inevitable for any company. Hence, the second most important thing
is to maintain interaction with customers. Show that your customer service
department is available to address both compliments and complaints and to take
suggestions. It helps to have social media profiles and your phone number readily
available on your page. This way, it shows that you care about what the
customer has to say and have nothing to hide.
One trick is to always keep track
of competitor dealerships and their compliments and/or complaints. Read their
online reviews and see what seems to be working for them, versus what they have
done to aggravate a customer. Albeit not in direct response to said review, use
this to advertise for your own company. Did someone complain about the cost of
a service? Advertise your cheap prices. This gives you a better relative
reputation.
And, the bottom line is to give
memorably exceptional service. Be especially polite, offer something free (like
a top off of wiper fluid with an oil change, for example) to make the customers
come back, or make a personal connection with a customer by sending them a
thank-you card. Whatever you do, if it's positive and memorable, it gives you a
better reputation and keeps the customers coming back.