Trust has always been a hallmark of successful customer relationships. If people are going to part with their hard-earned cash for a big-ticket item, they want to know it will work and they want to know the seller will back up their product with any needed support.
Unfortunately, in many ways, trust is eroding throughout the world. According to the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, trust in government fell to 52 percent from 65 percent in just two years from 2020 to 2022. Trust in media fell to 50 percent from 56 percent.
There is good news for the auto industry, however. Nearly 66 percent of respondents trust the auto industry. This is up by 4 percentage points from 2021.
Trust has never been more important to a dealer than it is today. The global chip shortage has made new-vehicle inventory harder to come by, forcing more dealers to sell more older model used vehicles. Customers want to know that these suddenly more expensive used vehicles are going to provide value.
How can dealers build trust with customers when so much of the vehicle shopping process has moved online? Many technology companies are stepping up to help dealers meet this challenge. Two Rapid Recon industry allies, AutoAp Inc. and Authenticom, as well as Rapid Recon and our competitors, have all developed technologies that help build trust, stronger customer relationships and long-term sales.
Authenticom, for example, is helping dealership customers choose how their personal data is used — or is not used. ContactVia is a software solution that allows automotive retailers to give their customers a choice in how they hear from the dealership and gives consumers complete visibility into how their information is shared with other service providers. This is an important step in helping dealers work with customers to securely manage their personal information. Ultimately, it helps build a stronger customer relationship by building trust.