There may be lessons for motorcycles dealers in a new survey which has found that the aftersales experience has a direct impact on the proportion of customers who return to the same manufacturer brand. A survey of 1300 motorists last month, carried out by Motoring.co.uk, found that if franchised dealers win in the service business, they are much more likely to win the loyalty of the customer.
According to the research, over half of consumers would purchase aftersales products from the dealer who sold them their car, while 32 per cent of respondents would opt for an independent dealer. It is evident that the majority of consumers opt for the relative safety of the franchised dealer and the research shows that the likelihood of the customer buying from the same brand again is lessened if they don’t have their car serviced at the franchised dealer, further validating the theory that the dealer is important in the customer’s car buying process.
Motoring.co.uk also researched its consumer’s buying habits to understand the value of a dealer having their own brand. The research found that of those that bought a new car previously, a third stated that the dealer was moderately important to them, whereas 70% of consumers felt the manufacturer brand was important, or very important.
Of the consumers who had bought a used car previously, the dealer becomes increasingly more important in their buying decisions. The research found an additional 4% of consumers considered the dealer an important factor when buying a used car compared to a new car.