Survey: Auto Dealers Disconnected about Solving Digital Retailing Disconnects

Foothill Ranch, Calif., March 9, 2022 – A new survey of auto dealerships from automotive fintech innovator eLEND Solutions, confirms that dealerships are experiencing a significant disconnect between the online and instore process, one that they agree must be solved to shorten transaction times and improve the customer experience. But, while the majority indicate that digital retailing (DR) offers a solution by speeding up steps in the traditional sales process, the survey results reveal that dealers remain reluctant to fully embrace DR.

The snapshot survey was fielded by eLEND Solutions among auto dealers in February 2022 to find out why time spent by customers with the auto dealership has only decreased by five minutes in the past five years (as reported by Cox Automotive), even as adoption of digital retailing buying experiences has increased as a result of the pandemic.

The snapshot survey was fielded by eLEND Solutions among auto dealers in February 2022 to find out why time spent by customers with the auto dealership has only decreased by five minutes in the past five years (as reported by Cox Automotive), even as adoption of digital retailing buying experiences has increased as a result of the pandemic.

MacInnis noted that, in the survey, the vast majority of dealers agreed that unrealistic initial finance terms presented online can slow the process down, but that if more realistic payment terms were initially presented online, 60 minutes-plus could be knocked off the transaction time. This is significant given that 53% of dealers think that less than 20% of the sales process should be devoted to negotiations and final terms of finance.

However, when it comes to a capability that could help solve the issue of unrealistic terms - i.e. customer information such as driver license verification, credit application data, credit data and supporting documents being submitted online – over half think that 80% of that information should only be submitted in-store. Similarly, one in two dealers think that 80% of traditional in-store processes should remain exclusively in-store versus online. Less than 1 in 3 think that 40% or more of traditional in-store processes should be enabled online via digital retailing.

“Car buyers who engage digitally are more satisfied with the overall purchase experience and the time spent transacting, yet dealers remain ‘disconnected’ about digital retailing disconnects,” said MacInnis. “Until auto dealers have access to, and the will to fully embrace, tools and processes that are able to solve information disconnects from online to instore, it is unlikely that the time spent in the dealership is going to improve any time soon.”