Phygital CX: Key to Auto Dealership Success

You don't buy a car without test-driving it first, right? That's common sense.

These days, though, almost a third of vehicle buyers don't even get to the test-drive stage without researching online first. What's more, a quarter of buyers finalize the sale online, as well. That's one out of every four customers, and since that figure has gone up 7% in under three years—from 18% in 2021—we can expect it to just keep increasing moving forward.

What that tells us is that, for auto dealerships, the customer experience (CX) is becoming more and more phygital – that's physical + digital, meaning that the customer journey is now a combination of onsite and online interactions.

That, in turn, means that companies unable to integrate these interactions as a convenient, consistent, and customized CX continuum are likely to fall behind the competition.

So, how do you ensure great phygital CX? Let's look at some critical steps in the customer journey:

Pre-sale

 Most of today's customers will start looking into a new vehicle via online research, through websites, reviews, social media, and more. As early as this, then, your brand must be available to them. You need a strong online presence, so that your brand is not only top-of-mind, but also close to the top of search results pages. That search should then lead to a mobile-friendly, easy-to-navigate website, which can entice and engage consumers with:

·       visualization and updated inventory information

·       price and feature comparisons

·       live chat

·       test-drive and appointment booking

·       financing options

Purchase point

When a customer shows up at the dealership, that's when things can really get phygital. If the customer booked a test-drive online, then the car should be ready for them as soon as they arrive, and the salesperson should already be equipped with all the information gleaned from that online interaction, such as which models they looked at or what features they seemed most interested in. Dealerships can really personalize the interaction with:

·       test vehicles prepared with their specific preferences, from colors to cup holders

·       tablets or kiosks that empower model comparisons, customization, and more

·       facilities for on-the-spot financing and warranty processing, continuing any processes started digitally, without the need to reenter information

Post-sale

The goal of CX is to not just attain sales, but retain customers, and it's after-sale care that makes buyers feel valued and cared for, building long-term loyalty. Since most consumers don't usually spend a lot of time hanging around their auto dealership, this has historically been a challenge in the field, but now phygital CX makes it much easier to stay connected with customers. Via email, SMS, apps, and more, companies can provide support like:

·       maintenance reminders and appointment booking

·       warranty updates

·       ongoing vehicle histories, tracking everything from purchase to servicing

·       guides and tips on making the most of their vehicle's features

·       upgrade offers and other campaign and promotional material

As consumers switch back and forth from physical to digital in the customer journey, auto dealerships need to keep pace with phygital CX – shifting gears to rev up their business.