You have a customer to come in and pick up their brand new car today.
You are excited because you have a scheduled delivery.
You brag about it and come in on your off day.
The car is shined and ready to go.
The customer shows up on time.
And then it starts to rain.
Another car parks in front of them, delaying their exit.

And now their lasting impression isn't 100% positive.

As a good sales person you are going to write them a note, send them an email and put them in your follow-up queue. But what is their first impression when getting off your lot? Frustration? Anxiety? Maybe having to clean their new car that just got rained in when the door opened?

The new car delivery area is an easy final send-off that is as important to the process as offering quality coffee in the lounge area and the benefits can be long-term. If you can keep the customer from having a negative experience as the last memory of the buying experience, then the feedback they give you online and to friends is going to be positive.

While factory resets and larger dealerships have bays specifically for delivery, older and smaller dealerships can designate a service lane or utilize a small tented area that is easily accessible. Fresh paint, extra clean and bright lighting help to highlight the cars shine and allow you to provide a valid walk-around - which is as important as the original tour of the vehicle.

New technology developments in Digital Signs allow the customization of screens in the new car delivery area to provide messages such as "Congratulations Patty Sue on your new Ford F-150" inclusive of a picture of the vehicle and dealership logos. Advanced systems provide customized news feeds that can display text such as "If you have any issues, please make sure to call us at 555-5555" or "Please visit dealerrater.com and give us 5 stars". Some configurations allow for marketing messages through images to - highlighting service reminders, scheduled maintenance and a thank you from the Owner.

Every point of contact with the dealership is a place to win a long-term relationship with the customer. And any time you can win, you may also lose. Providing a new car delivery area doesn't have to be an elaborate or expensive project, but will reap long-term benefits in good will and that all forgotten ROI.

Todd Katcher
Digital Dealership System
todd@ddsmail.co
c: 615.669.5244
twitter: @digitaldealers
web: www.digitaldealershipsystem.com
blog: www.fouronthefloorblog.com