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Regional company helps auto dealers change the face of car buying

Car buying is changing!


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2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Automotive Dealers Association, and many area dealerships may be participating in the NADA Convention and Expo in New Orleans from January 26 through January 29. As the industry gathers to discuss the past, present and future of the automotive retailing industry, local firm CDK Global plays a key role in shaping the dealership of the future.

Kristin Carrico, vice president, North America customer experience at CDK Global notes that shopping for automobiles has seen a transformation in recent years.

“Today car shoppers visit around 18 different auto-related websites in researching what they want to buy before they ever visit an individual dealership. Shopping is also increasingly a mobile exercise as people live on their smart phones more and more.”

As much as people can inform their decisions by online research, the test drive remains a highly important part of the car-buying process. As people become empowered with the information available online, having their work pick up in the store where they left off online makes a huge difference.

“There is nothing more frustrating than entering a bunch of information on a website to generate a quote, and then having the numbers be dramatically different when you arrive at the store or being asked for the same information over and over again,” said Carrico.

CDK Global works closely with dealers to provide technology solutions to allow shoppers to build the fundamental elements of a deal on the dealership’s website and have that information flow seamlessly to the sales staff to save time and increase satisfaction at the store.

Dealerships are also investing in mobile tools to create a more interactive shopping experience, allowing sales and service staff to eliminate the desk that has traditionally separated them from their customers. Assessing a potential trade-in on a mobile device side by side with the customer allows for ongoing dialog and takes a lot of the mystery out of the process. The same is true for service technicians explaining work that needs to be done to their customers. Customer also expect to be communicated with via text message, like when their car is ready to be picked up from being serviced.

Why Greater Cincinnati

“CDK Global is evolving the automotive retail experience, and our Cincinnati location is proud to support our dealer customers in their pursuit of excellence. It is exciting to be a part of such an important industry as it enters its second century,” said Carrico.

CDK Global opened its Customer Experience Center in Norwood in July 2016, which features best-in-class technology and service models that help dealers navigate issues with speed and efficiency. 

“We chose to locate in Cincinnati because of the well-educated, diverse labor market and strong business climate,” said Carrico. “We’re looking forward to giving back to the local community and being the employer of choice in the region.”

For more information about the automotive retail industry and the technology used, visit www.cdkglobal.com