How Customer Insights Impact Your Online Reputation

As a dealer, understanding your consumers should be one of your top priorities.

Consumer/Customer Insights are customer data-driven insights that help your dealership draw conclusions about the needs, wants, and behavior of your consumers.

With these insights, you will be able to engage with your customers better.

Consumer insights let you accurately understand:

• How customers perceive your vehicles and services
• How they make purchase decisions
• How your dealership can transform itself into a customer-first business
• Issues that your dealership should prioritize

How Do You Collect Consumer Insights?

There are different ways to collect consumer insights.

1. Online Customer Reviews

Online reviews help in gaining a better understanding of your consumers and their expectations from your dealership. Reviews play a vital role in building and improving your online reputation.

Online reviews and star ratings also provide information on what changes can help in serving your customers better.

2. User-Generated Content

User-generated content is a type of feedback that provides you consumer insights accurately.

For instance, if customers are happy with their new ride, they may post vehicle snaps and comments on their social media profile. User-generated content like these and the ensuing conversations are of immense value to the auto dealership.

3. Social Media Listening & Comments

Social listening is a necessity for OEMs and dealers alike, in order to get an accurate sense of consumer sentiment and preferences. Today, social platforms like Facebook and twitter are central to generating consumer insights.

4. Customer Feedback

Customer feedback is a direct path to gaining consumer insights. Other things being equal, a "listening” dealership is likely to be far more successful than others in the niche.

5. Sales and Call Center Data

The data obtained from your sales and call center teams can help glean valuable consumer insights.

6. Customer Interviews & Surveys

Conducting customer surveys and interviews can help you gain precise consumer insights. This can be as simple as a single sheet of questions which your staff go over with customers either at the dealership, or telephonically, or online.