A customer’s perception of a used car dealership is important when making a sale, according to analysis of what drives buyers when they are looking for a vehicle.
The research, drawn from a number of sources by AMOnline, found that price was the biggest factor for 33 per cent of used car buyers, while 14 per cent said they went to a specific dealership because they had already had a positive experience with the business in the past. Indeed, nine per cent said trust was an important factor in their decision-making process.
Building up good relationships with customers is a key part of the sales process. Vital to this is the right level of motor trade insurance and road risks insurance to ensure both the dealership and the customer are properly protected in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
Peter Watts from Motors.co.uk said: “Often, consumers will have conducted extensive research before they set foot in a dealership and, as a result, the role of the dealer is to validate the decision they have already made.
“In some cases, however, a rigid adherence to fixed sales processes can actually put the consumer off and potentially lead to a lost sale.”
The analysis found that two-thirds of online searches for used cars were for diesel models, while the vehicle that found overall favour was a white automatic estate car with five doors.
The majority of used car buyers do not want a vehicle that has done more than 30,000 miles. The most common deposit was £1,000 and most could afford monthly repayments of around £200.