How Truck Dealers Can Meet Rising Customer Expectations

Today’s customers expect a wealth of data-backed insights, including vehicle history, performance metrics and maintenance records. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for dealers.

Customers have always had high expectations of their truck dealers. Today, those expectations are even higher. Buyers now expect faster service and a more personalized approach to their relationship with the dealership. In addition, real-time access to information and transparency rank high on their list of must-haves.

The Role of Dealership Technology

Technology has significantly changed customer expectations by making information instantly accessible. Today’s truck buyers know more than ever, thanks to the wealth of information they can access before even setting foot in a dealership. They can use dealer or OEM websites to investigate truck features, service offerings and more. Perhaps even more importantly, they can use social media to read reviews from other fleets, both about the trucks and the dealership experience itself. 

Dealers must ensure their websites provide a wealth of information for prospective customers. As the saying goes, "He who holds the pen writes the story." In practical terms, that means if you're not telling your own story — about your capabilities, services and product offerings — someone else will. And that "someone" will likely be your competitor, who may not be inclined to cast you in a favorable light.

Trucking runs 24/7 and many fleets — especially those servicing their own vehicles — want round-the-clock access to parts information and, in some cases, the ability to purchase parts online. Dealers should consider giving customers access to their parts inventory and enabling online transactions through their website. According to McKinsey’s Global B2B Pulse Survey, business-to-business customers increasingly want to make high-dollar volume purchases online. 

Make Interactions Positive

Today’s customers also show less patience for bad experiences. In fact, 32% of respondents to the McKinsey survey said they’d stop doing business with a brand after just one bad interaction. That puts pressure on dealership personnel to ensure every customer interaction goes smoothly, especially since many truck dealers aim to gain a fleet's parts and service business as well. 

This can be especially difficult if a customer feels frustrated by an unscheduled service event. One way to help is to keep them informed throughout the repair process. A host of technology solutions can either speed up the repair process or give the fleet real-time updates on repair status.

Make It Personal

Each customer is unique, and customers increasingly expect greater personalization during their interactions with the dealership. Staff should learn to collect and use customer preferences to tailor the experience, whether in Sales, Service or follow-up communications. This can show up in simple ways, like determining if they prefer phone calls, emails or text messages for service updates or maintenance reminders. 

Make It Seamless

Ultimately, customers want a consistent, effortless experience, regardless of how they interact with the dealership — by phone, text, online or in person. A frictionless experience means dealerships must share data among all departments. Sales, Service and Finance should all have access to customer information through integrated management and CRM systems. That way, every employee a customer encounters has the same information. 

When dealers deliver a seamless and positive experience that meets customers’ expectations, they're more likely to retain those customers, expand their relationship into other dealership services, and build a stronger reputation in the truck-buying community.