From automobile manufacturers to dealers and even service providers, trust is sorely lacking across the automobile industry. Fortunately, the rise of social media has helped consumers realize that they deserve transparency when it comes to the products and services they buy. These days, seeing truly is believing, and video is the way forward for brands interested in building trust within the auto industry. That’s exactly why TruVideo was developed; to provide a simple, effective way for dealerships to communicate with their clients and customers.
Big-Ticket Purchases
For most consumers, cars are the second biggest purchases they will ever make. Only their homes are bigger investments. This makes an automobile a big-ticket item, and when it comes to spending this much money, consumers expect value. In fact, most consumers spend a total of 14 hours on research before they decide to buy a car, and much of that time – about 75% of it – is spent looking for a dealership they can trust, comparing prices, and visiting individual dealers’ websites. By ensuring your dealership is as transparent and trustworthy as possible by using TruVideo, you are sure to stand out.
Why the Lack of Trust in the Auto Industry?
Consumers across the United States have a tough time finding dealerships they can trust. With the numerous recalls and distrust in recent years surrounding fuel economy and emissions, consumers are incredibly skeptical – and rightly so. Some companies even issue misleading statements via the press, but others increase consumer skepticism by simply saying very little – if anything at all – about potential issues. Toyota is the perfect example; in 2010, it was discovered that the company hid data showing they were aware of unintended acceleration due to faulty cruise control, which ultimately killed five people. Though no one company or brand is responsible for the distrust, they have all been affected.
How to Get that Trust Back from Consumers
Trust is a difficult thing to get back once it’s been broken, but thanks to new technologies and brands’ dedication to transparency, many key players in the auto industry are finding their footing once again. Mobile communication is the simplest, best, and most effective way to reach consumers, and more and more dealerships are employing solutions designed to make the most of mobile devices – especially solutions related to video.
How Video is the Key
Video can improve trust and companies’ reputations by ensuring transparency. For example, when a customer’s car won’t start and that car comes into the dealership, skepticism may prevent that customer from agreeing to the proper repair. Video technology that allows the technician to make a recording of the issue and show the customer the exact issue is ideal because the consumer feels as if his or her thoughts matter, and this is exactly why the TruVideo platform is so very important. When consumers feel validated in such a way, they also feel empowered to make the right decisions for themselves, and over time, this is the key to rebuilding trust as an industry.
If you want to build trust with your customer base, there are several things you must do. Above all else, you must deliver consistent quality in terms of both the products and the services you offer, you must gain customer insights (and take them seriously), and you must establish an identity for your brand. Ideally, that identity should be based on transparency and quality – things that consumers find most appealing in any brand.
