In February 2010, I wrote a blog titled “Pizza Wars: Why Auto Dealers Need to be Involved in Social Media.” I was reminded of this the other day when I saw that Domino’s Pizza earnings had surpassed Wall Street’s expectations.

My original blog spoke about how Domino’s was kicking the teeth in of their competition ever since they changed their marketing to a more transparent and social approach. In response to Domino’s marketing campaign, all their competition was doing was selling cheaper pizza. That in and of itself was an admission of a subpar product, but hey, it’s cheap!

Isn’t this the same as a dealership who C.A.R.E.S. (Customers Always Receive Exceptional Service) versus one that has a sales at all cost mindset?

“Consumer expectations are higher. Word of mouth travels faster. Consumers are empowered like never before and all of this puts increased importance on the customer experience.” – Jim Freeze, SVP at Aspect

Ask yourself, how focused are you on the customer’s experience? Ask your customers how you are doing and what areas you can improve. Their feedback will give you tremendous insight.

55% of customers would pay extra to guarantee a better service – Defaqto research

People will pay you more for a better car buying experience. I’m not saying they will pay you sticker, but what would $100 more per unit do to your bottom line?

By 2020, customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator. – Customers 2020 Report

Are you ready?

P.S. Keep an eye on McDonald’s new marketing campaign. They randomly have people on the streets asking questions about their products. I’m looking forward to part 2 of their campaign, where I am sure they will share the answers. Then we will be able to see if there are any product changes that follow.