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So many high-tech tools available to shop for new car - April 04, 2009
The future is now – myriad options for consumers who need to contact a dealer
When I first entered the retail car business in the mid-1980s, the standard form of communication with customers and suppliers was the telephone.
I'm referring, of course, to the land line telephone, not the cellphone variety that is so commonly welded to people's ears today.
Back in the 1980s, when you wanted to talk to a salesperson or book a service appointment, customers picked up the telephone and made a call. The telephone was the only communication game in town.
Today, communication tools are far more advanced and varied than a generation ago, and customers have multiple ways of contacting a new car dealership.
Although land line telephones are still used at dealerships today, they seem somewhat archaic, compared to cellphone and Internet technologies that allow customers to communicate instantly from almost anywhere.
Contacting a dealership really boils down to personal preferences and how adept customers are at using current technologies.
When you call a new car dealership today, the person you want to speak to may be busy and you'll have to leave a voice message. That's standard business procedure everywhere, not just at dealerships.
But voice messages aren't for everyone. I've spoken to customers in their 70s and 80s, who are reluctant to leave voice messages. Perhaps they've worked most of their lives without needing to leave voice mails, and the prospect of using this technology makes them uncomfortable.
If you prefer not to leave a voice message (or you're unfamiliar with electronic forms of communication), then leave a message with the receptionist. A receptionist will pass along your message to the appropriate staff member.
Another way to communicate with a dealership is with email. You may already have an email address of a staff member.
If not, visit your dealership website; the department managers, service advisers and salespeople should all have email addresses listed.
If you're in the market for a new car, you'll probably want to visit some manufacturer websites. There is usually an option on the manufacturer's website site that allows users to locate a dealership with a given area.
Once you've found a dealership, you can contact it directly, or you can enter your vehicle preferences to the manufacturer's site and the manufacturer will contact the dealership on your behalf.
For techno-savvy car shoppers, there's a method of communicating with dealerships that will appeal to their inner geek: I'm referring to live chats, where customers talk to salespeople online "in real time."
Only a handful of dealerships are equipped with live chat capability, but it does offer car shoppers an engaging and gratifying dealership experience.
Text messaging and social networking websites are other tools that customers can use to communicate with dealership staff.
These options are especially popular with younger car buyers, but they require a certain level of competence among users for them to be effective.
If text messaging, live chats, cellphones, websites or standard telephones don't cut it, then you may want to consider visiting a dealership in person. In fact, I highly recommend it!
Finally, there's a form of communication that never seems to go out of fashion – the old-fashioned, handwritten letter.
Buying a car is an emotional experience, and many car buyers will take the time to write a letter to the dealership.
Dealerships receive hundreds (if not thousands) of letters from customers each year.
I very much enjoy reading these letters.
Even in this highly-connected and electronic age, it's encouraging to know that people still have strong emotional connections to their dealers and their vehicles.
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