Automobile shoppers say retailers’ transparency is a critical part of building and maintaining trust in the sales and service process, according to a recent survey commissioned by AutoAp Inc. and Rapid Recon.
“Consumer Transparency Expectations" found that consumers still trust automobile dealerships -- new car dealers scored 80% when consumers were asked to rate trust, while transparency rated 92%, with 100% being extremely important.
However, the survey also found that dealerships who do not disclose vehicles with open safety recalls will lose customer trust, future sales and potential referrals. When asked if they would purchase a vehicle from a dealership that failed to disclose an open recall, consumers’ average response was 7.5%, with “Not at All Likely” equating to 0% and “Extremely Likely” at 100%.
The survey included responses from 1,000 people across the country who will be in the market for a new or used vehicle within in the next three years and plan to buy at a franchised or independent dealership. The survey sought to measure several key attributes including how highly consumers value transparency, how much they trust auto dealers, and how vehicle safety recalls can impact the vehicle sales process.