2020 Vision: More Dealerships Joining the Likes of Amazon & Other Consumer Behavior-Driven Companies

As a dealership, your customer base will never be the same as Amazon’s, but that doesn’t mean your customers and Amazon’s customers don’t have a lot in common.

In fact, all of your customers very likely are Amazon customers. And what Amazon has taught them is that retailers can make their shopping experience much more intuitive and thus easier than ever before, with the help of data science.

Ever watch makeover shows like “What Not to Wear” or “Extreme Makeover,” where a personal shopper intervenes and finds the perfect clothing, shoes, accessories, etc., that the participant never would have thought of him/herself? Home makeover shows like “Love It or List It” and “Fixer Upper” do the same, just with furniture, décor, paint colors, etc.

This is what Amazon has mastered with its “Amazon’s Choice products related to items in your cart,” “Customers who shopped for [blank] also shopped for,” and other behavior/product analytics-based features. To consumers, it can feel like the online shopping giant has taken a page out of Oprah’s generosity playbook: “You get a personal shopper, and you get a personal shopper … everybody gets a personal shopper!”

Dealerships are also turning to this kind of service for their customers in order to create exceptional car-shopping experiences.

Your dealership is the only one that can provide the most intuitive options for your customers, because only you have the best data on them.

In a May 2019 special report by The Wall Street Journal called “C-Suite Strategies: View From the Top,” CEOs, CFOs, and others in the C-suites of major companies shared their thoughts on pressing business issues. An entire section of the report was titled “Consumer Companies Get Personal.”

“It’s getting away from dealing with the masses to how do we deal with you as an individual,” Daniel Henry, global chief information officer for McDonald’s, told The WSJ.

“My wish for you one day is to feel that you have your very own personal store curated for you on our app experiences.”

Heidi O’Neill

President, Nike Direct

The president of Nike Direct, Heidi O’Neill, said, “What’s important from a Nike shopping experience is that with machine learning and AI, we’re able to have every digital experience at Nike be unique and personal. My wish for you one day is to feel that you have your very own personal store curated for you on our app experiences.”

We’ve already looked at why not just personal but predictive marketing is something customers want. Turns out they want options they wouldn’t have thought of themselves – as long as they’re relevant options.

This is why advanced data analytics that allows you to create new and appealing options for customers is so important, as well as being able to deliver them at the right time. Being personal and relevant go hand-in-hand; like giving your mom a homemade gift for her birthday.

OK, maybe consumers don’t need that level of personalization. But give them the closest thing to it and you’ll see a positive response! Like more sales, more positive reviews, and stronger loyalty.

AutoAlert’s CXM (Customer Experience Management) platform is the only one providing this solution for dealerships today, with more than 3,000 dealers seeing success with their customers already. Another important aspect of this tool’s intelligence is its ability to continuously learn about individual customers, further personalizing each experience. For example, customers who like more communication will receive more communication, and those who don’t, won’t. Learn more about it!