Has the Traditional Part-Exchange Process Become Outdated?

Recent research into consumer attitudes conducted by Motors.co.uk reveals that people dislike the administration, negotiation and part-exchange processes involved in purchasing a car.

1,000 consumers participated in the survey, which aimed to find out their favourite and least favourite experiences in car dealerships.

67% of respondents reported that they enjoyed the experience of viewing cars at a dealership, 65% were happy with receiving delivery of their vehicle and 63% liked test driving cars.

However, dissatisfaction with other aspects of buying a car has also been brought to light. 47% of the individuals surveyed said that they disliked the way administration necessary for transferring vehicle ownership is handled, while 39% were unhappy with how trade-in value is agreed and 36% did not like the negotiation.

It is comforting to know that consumers are generally happy with the experience of choosing and receiving their vehicle, but it is equally important to respond to the pain points identified, considering how processes can be improved.

Improving Processes

Motors.co.uk’s sales director Marc Robinson commented: “The burden of completing change of ownership paperwork can be addressed simply by dealers giving customers a checklist ahead of them coming in to collect their vehicle. This would need to cover things like making sure they bring in their V5, both sets of car keys and remember to cancel insurance cover.”

In terms of part exchanges, he said, “It’s not surprising that customers do not like haggling over trade-in values, which is why online part-exchange valuation services are so important. Buyers can therefore arrive at a dealership with a realistic, rather than emotional, view of how much their car is worth.

Most car buyers today do not want to have to haggle, they want the easiest and most convenient part-exchange experience possible so that they can focus on their new car rather than their old one. Ideally, they would have accurate quote before arriving at a dealership, so that they know how much they can expect to be paid. In other words, dealers can make part exchanging more appealing and gain trust by being transparent.

Part Exchanges with ClickEngage™

We believe that ClickEngage™ offers the best solution to customer dissatisfaction with the part-exchange process. With our online retailing software, customers will be able to receive an instant but accurate valuation, simply by entering basic information including the registration number, mileage and condition of a vehicle.

Our system will request a valuation from Cap HPI, and before returning it to the consumer, it will be adjusted to adhere to any parameters a dealer sets beforehand, to give the most accurate quote.

The reason why this method is so popular with customers is that it puts them in control. They are given a value, without the hassle of negotiating and then they can continue building their own deal through ClickEngage™ straight away.

For more information about ClickEngage™ or to receive a free demo, email marketing@clickdealer.co.uk, call us on 01782 904 715 or alternatively, you can message us via our contact page.