MARCHEX STUDY: Intro to the Auto Industry
January 26 2017 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
The Marchex Institute, the data and insights center of mobile
advertising analytics company, Marchex (NASDAQ: MCHX), today
released new research, titled “Intro into the Auto Industry,” to
shed light on how auto dealers, OEMs, and independent repair shops
can capitalize on inbound calls to their business. The data, which
comes from more than one million aggregated and anonymized inbound
phone calls placed by consumers to auto providers in the United
States last year, revealed that the auto industry is missing
significant opportunities to improve sales by improving current
call-handling practices.
The data highlights the need for dealerships and standalone
service shops to better optimize call processes in order to convert
sales. Specifically, managing inbound calls is a weakness for many
auto providers, as dealerships place callers on hold or transfer
them 68 percent of the time, and standalone shops place callers on
hold or transfer them 20 percent of the time. As a result, of these
callers, 12 percent abandon the call before a sales rep returns to
the phone, leading to significant missed sales opportunities, as
ten percent of all callers show intent to purchase.
“While many consumers have an idea of the type of car they’d
like to purchase, the experience with the auto dealer over the
phone can play a critical role in the buying process. If a
salesperson delivers a poor customer experience during the early
stages of the path to purchase, they hurt not only the specific
provider, but the entire brand,” said Marchex Senior Vice President
Matt Muilenburg. “With call volumes increasing, dealerships need to
focus on better engagement with each phone lead in order to drive a
profound impact on customer experience, conversions and overall ROI
for their business and brand.”
Additional findings from the research include:
- Consumers’ likelihood to purchase rises
19 percent when the dealer knows whether or not they have a car in
stock versus having to check and get back to the caller at a later
time.
- Consumers’ likelihood to purchase
increases 22 percent when the dealership offers alternative
relevant options to the caller when the requested car is not
available.
- When a caller attempts to set up a
service appointment with a dealership over the phone, 23 percent of
the time an appointment does not get scheduled. Standalone shops
are even worse at 30 percent.
The study clearly shows the importance of properly handling
sales calls. The good news for auto providers is that when they
invest in better customer experiences it can lead to considerably
higher revenues. Tips for salespeople in the auto industry based on
the findings from the report include:
- Find ways to decrease the need for
transferring the call or putting the caller on hold.
- Train your sales reps to attempt to
schedule the appointment for the caller.
- When a caller is seeking a set time to
bring their car in for service or repair, ensure it is
scheduled.
About Marchex
Marchex is a mobile advertising analytics company that connects
online behavior to real-world, offline actions. By linking critical
touchpoints in the customer journey, Marchex’s products enable a
360-degree view of marketing effectiveness. Brands and agencies
utilize Marchex’s products to transform business performance.
Please
visit www.marchex.com, marchex.com/blog or @marchex on
Twitter (Twitter.com/Marchex), where Marchex discloses
material information from time to time about the company, its
financial information, and its business.
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Marchex, Inc.Investor Relations:Trevor Caldwell,
206-331-3600ir(at)marchex.comorMedia Inquiries:March
Communications617-960-8896Marchex@marchcomms.com
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