Start here

So you have just purchased the car of your dream after a successful negotiation with an online site? Perhaps it has been delivered to you even. You might be expecting this done deal to be the end of your interactions with the salesperson you did business with. But no! It definitely doesn't work that way in the online car dealership world. What to do as a car dealership when you sell a car online in Nigeria? Keep reading!

You bought the car, but that could be just the beginning

Provided that the customer has not been offered a bad deal, chances are there will be a relationship after-sales.  Every good car dealership will offer a post-sale follow-up service after a customer might have purchased a vehicle from them.

This is an effective move adopted for long term customer loyalty. This benefits both the dealership as well as the car buyer. So, it is expected that a salesperson will try to reach out to you on more than one occasion after you might have patronized him.

How are post-sale follow-ups essential to car dealings?

It's a given that building and maintaining a good relationship with your customers is the key to achieving more sales in the future. It improves the dealership's chances of making re-sales as well as earning recommendations.

A good online car dealer is not one to just make a sale and then forget about it. He knows that besides carrying out repeating business deals with customers, it's also likely that his dealership will get referred to their family and friends.

You and the dealership need to have a mutually beneficial future relationship

How does an online car dealer go about offering post-sale follow-up services?

On an online car dealership website, you'll most likely be required to supply your email address and phone number. A customer's contact information is entered into the car dealership database once a vehicle has been successfully sold and delivered.

What follows after that is a consistent marketer-customer interaction which is maintained as frequently as once every 90 days at least. Sticking to this process is a priority since it is common for most customers to forget the name of the salesperson who they previously did business with. This must be kept fresh before they are in need and ready to purchase another car.

Staying in contact with these customers is, therefore, key to increasing your odds of referral and repeat business. Let's look at some of the methods of post-sale follow-up services to be expected from an online car site:

1. Survey

One thing that is vital to a car dealer is a survey. It is a kind of review by a customer who has just finished doing business with you after a short while. After you make a purchase, you will probably receive a thanking email for the sale before the mention of a survey, which will be based on your experience that far.

Waiting for just 3 days or less before contacting a customer for the purpose of the survey is not much time, in my opinion, to ask about the operations of the car. This is considering the probability that the customer has not had enough time to drive and get a good feel of the vehicle in question. A bit more time should be given.

Surveys help dealerships to track customer likes

2. Promotional emails and newsletters

Sending promotional emails and newsletters are important strategies that influence repeat business. When it comes to sending these types of emails, car dealerships strive to deliver useful content that will make a customer feel special.

Nothing builds a customer's trust more than when you provide exclusive and vital information they need or did not even know they needed.

Newsletters keep the dealership squarely on the customer's radar

3. Replacement inquiry

Usually, after a long period of time, a salesperson from the online site will take the initiative to contact you, wanting to be sure the car you bought previously is still in tip-top shape. They could ask also if the car is living up to your expectations and requirements. And if not, maybe you might be interested in a better replacement.

For example, perhaps if you bought a 2-seater convertible two or three years ago as a single woman. It's expected that you might be married and could be in need of something more convenient and comfortable for your expanding family, like a car for young mothers, for instance.

Based on this example, a practical hatchback might be among recommendations given to you for replacement purposes by the online car site.

A new car will be needed again soon enough

4. Request for contacts of other interested parties

Car dealerships most of the time will go out of their way to request the phone numbers or emails of your friends and family members who might be interested in purchasing a car soon or at a later date.

This is to be expected since these marketers know the value of referrals. Referrals can boost their chances of attracting more customers to their car listings, thereby increasing car sales.

5. Courtesy emails

A good car dealership will most likely send emails wishing you a happy birthday, Merry Christmas, or even send anniversary purchase card letters. These are regarded as kind gestures and will show that you are on their minds.

Yes, this might be a tactical move, but it is sure to be effective and puts the car dealership on the front row and centre of consideration by the customer thinking of a return visit.

6. Additional service offers

It is expected that a service guy from the online car site will contact you shortly after you might have purchased a car to offer maintenance services to you via email. A list of services will be laid bare, which may include:

• Checking the fluids
• Performing oil changes
• Cleaning the vehicle
• Replacing wipers
• Providing additional accessories

Car service guys can be relentless in this situation as there is always something they'll offer to sell you. In some instances, they will also try to offer you some service work even when you purchase from another dealership.

After-sales services may also include maintenance

Look at this video about car buying in Lagos:

BUYING A CAR IN LAGOS NIGERIA - MUST WATCH!

Conclusion

Completing a car deal is one thing, but being able to follow up is a determining factor in attracting more leads to a dealer's car listing through referrals, influencing repeat purchases from customers and actualizing more sales.

As a customer who has just purchased a vehicle from an online site, you should not think you've seen or heard the last from them as follow-ups are a priority for a car dealership. This is some of What to do as a car dealership when you sell a car online in Nigeria.