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Women Customers are Changing How Cars are Sold
For most automotive businesses
women make up anywhere from 60 percent to 80 percent of their customers.
This indicates that a massive shift has taken place within the past ten
years.
Women have an incredible amount of purchasing power and are directing a
growing proportion of it into their vehicles. Proprietors of
motor industry businesses are coming to realize that the future success
of their enterprises will depend largely on how well they adjust to the
needs and expectations of female customers.
The statistics tell an interesting story. Women now purchase more than
50% of all new vehicles, purchase 48% of all used vehicles, and
influence 80% of all vehicle sales. Gone are the days when the little
lady sat back and let the “man of the house” choose her car. Now she’s
surfing the net for information and saying “yes” or “no” where it counts
- in the showroom and in the workshop.
Female customers have historically tended to be very loyal, scoring
quite high on the loyalty scale in consumer research studies. However,
today’s women are much more likely to "walk" if they aren't recognized
and respected as decision-makers.
The phenomenon is worldwide, as shown by these comments from Elsa Wols,
an Australian motorist. “If the salesman addresses you as ‘dear’ or
‘love’, go elsewhere. If he tells you to come back with your husband,
tell him you’d like to meet his wife too, then leave.”
Women are increasingly likely to shop around to find services, products
and respect. They are less likely than ever before to put up with
high-pressure sales or mediocre service. If they don't get the customer
service they expect from a business, they'll go elsewhere.
They are not only becoming more influential in deciding what car to buy,
they are also taking over the traditionally male-dominated
responsibility of maintenance and repair.
A study conducted by America’s National Institute for Automotive Service
Excellence (ASE) shed new light on the importance of catering for female
customers in all areas of the motor trades.
The ASE found that more than 65% of customers who take their vehicles to
a repair shop for service and repair are women. Some repair industry
experts estimate that the average may actually be closer to 80 percent.
Unfortunately, research also shows that 80% of these female customers
are not satisfied with the service and repairs they receive, and 89%
feel they are treated differently because of their gender. Without
doubt, things will have to change.
Among industry members there is a growing appreciation of female
customers. Technicians report that females ask more questions, inquire
about details, and are more willing to look under the bonnet or check
out parts. Repair businesses that respond to women's needs and
expectations by providing clean waiting rooms, timely delivery, and
repair orders that are easy to understand are making smart business
decisions.
"The Aftermarket Consumer: Do-it-Yourself or Do-it-for-Me" study
released by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA)
revealed that from 1994 to 2000 the percentage of total U.S. households
performing light, medium or heavy-duty maintenance has not changed, but
the percentage of DIY households with female DIYers has increased from
27 percent to 34 percent of the total. Males still comprise about 66
percent of the DIY segment but their percentage is on the decline.
Careers as automotive service professionals are no longer
gender-specific. Servicing and repairing today's vehicle requires more
brainpower than brawn, and that leaves big openings for women in the
automotive trade areas. Just as we see more women in the showroom and at
the service desk, we will see more women behind the service and parts
counter talking to customers, and under the hood diagnosing and
repairing automobiles.
Efforts to address the needs of female customers are evident in the
marketplace. From conducting women's car care clinics to hiring female
service writers and technicians, repair businesses are taking steps to
welcome female customers. Many women feel less intimated when
interacting with female service advisors and technicians. A greater
comfort level can turn the whole repair experience into a more positive
one.
On the selling side there is little doubt that the “typical” motor
vehicle retailer is still perceived as being male. It is a stereotype
based on a century of experience, where women were either not interested
in joining the industry, or not encouraged if any interest existed. But
times are changing and an increasing number of dealerships worldwide are
run by women.
However women have to be just as careful as males to avoid stereotyping
their customers. Says Alexis Woolloff of Sydney, Australia: “The first
thing the female sales rep showed me was the cup holder! I steered clear
of female reps after this as I wanted facts about the car and not its
cosmetics.”
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