Auto dealerships can’t afford to ignore reputation management. It’s a full-time job that needs to be done effectively and efficiently. Customers—even dissatisfied—want to feel that you care about their feedback and are listening. Responding to reviews promptly significantly negatively conveys this message and will increase customer satisfaction.

Keep it Clean

A car is one of the most significant purchases that adults make. It’s also a major decision that requires a lot of research to be made. That’s why auto dealer reputation management, online reviews, and ratings are critical for car dealerships. 3 out of 4 consumers will trust a company more with positive customer reviews. Getting reviews is essential for car dealerships, but keeping their reputation clean and free from negative feedback can be challenging. There are a few ways dealerships can do this, though. For example, they can make it easy for their happy customers to leave a review by using services that allow them to send a review invitation through text. This is a great way to increase the number of reviews and make it more convenient for customers to give feedback. Another way to keep a dealership’s reputation clean is by responding to every review, good or bad. This shows that the business cares about its customers and wants to address any issues. It also gives the customer confidence that the dealership will take any problems seriously and resolve them.

Respond to Reviews

The reality is that everyone gets a bad review every once in a while, whether it’s due to buyer’s remorse or genuinely constructive criticism. Responding to these reviews promptly and thoughtfully is critical, particularly for car dealerships. It’s essential that a senior member of the team, if not the business owner, is responsible for addressing negative reviews. This shows the reviewer that you care about their opinion and are willing to make changes to improve customer satisfaction. You can also take a proactive approach to getting more positive reviews by encouraging or incentivizing customers with a good experience with your business to leave their feedback online. This can be done by incorporating review generation requests in the digital forms of text messages and emails sent after a transaction or through calls to action on your website. Remember that even a bad review can devastate your dealership because 88% of consumers rely on online reviews when purchasing. This is why you need to put a system in place that allows for monitoring all comments so that you can address issues quickly and effectively. A quality reputation management service can help you do just that.

Monitor Social Media

In addition to Google and Facebook, several automotive-specific review sites are critical for auto dealerships. Customer reviews are essential to dealerships because they are trustworthy and provide valuable insight into their culture. Customers look at dealership reviews before purchasing, and search engines consider them when ranking businesses. A tarnished reputation can drift customers to your competitors, so reputation management should be considered a non-negotiable aspect of auto sales and service. Managing your dealership’s reputation is not only about driving customers to your lot and ensuring that those cars are selling. It’s also about maintaining a safe work environment. Cyberattacks are a significant concern for many dealerships, and dealers must value cybersecurity to mitigate the risks of data breaches and other threats. A bolstered online reputation can mean more car sales, but collecting genuine customer reviews takes time and effort. Luckily, some tools can automate and streamline the process for you.

Make it Easy to Leave a Review

In the car business, customers often rely on online reviews to determine their experience with dealerships and service centers. When they find positive reviews, they’re 90% more likely to visit the dealer website and 5.3 times more likely to convert into a lead. This makes positive customer feedback a vital component of automotive reputation management. It’s essential to monitor various review sites because not all of them are equal in how they affect your reputation. For example, some sites, such as Google and Facebook, are more prominent and influential than others. It’s also a good idea to make it easy for satisfied customers to leave a review. One way to do this is using a platform that allows you to send review invites via text message. 98% of texts are opened, so it’s an effective way to reach customers and ask for a review. It would be best if you also clarified that you’ll be responding to negative or neutral reviews. Many people don’t like when businesses only respond to the good reviews and avoid addressing the bad ones, and it can give them the impression that you’re brushing them under the rug. A quick, professional response can help to smooth over tensions and show your commitment to transparency.