Publicity is everything – especially when you’re trying to sell something that costs thousands of dollars. A few negative comments put in the right place can cause your business a world of damage.

As dealerships, how can we protect our reputation and make sure clients are getting the best experience possible?

Print and Online

These days, businesses must be careful to protect their reputations both on and offline. Ensuring that customers only have good things to say about your business can’t happen all the time, but encouraging customers to communicate feedback can save you some negative press.

Yelp

Social media sites have taken over content. How people share views about your dealership can dramatically change the way people look at your trustworthiness as a business. If you haven’t taken a look at Google or Yelp reviews for your business, now is a good time. You should know what customers are saying about you and use that data to influence future advertising campaigns.

For example, say you receive a number of positive testimonials on Yelp.com. It’s advantageous to publish these testimonials on your automotive direct mail pieces. It’s smart to publish print promotions using the good things customers say about you if you have their permission.

Rectifying Issues

Monitoring what your customers are saying about you is also important in terms of resolving situations that lead to negative press. This is where surveys come in handy. If your customers aren’t responding to email surveys, automotive direct mail pieces that customers can send in for a % off their next service bill may be the trick. While emails are likely to get deleted, mailers that include coupons can engage your customers in the way you’re looking for.

You can also ensure that if you’re using social media, your automotive direct mail pieces with coupons are set up as images that go out on Twitter and Facebook.

Don’t Take “I Don’t Know” For an Answer

Consumers will walk out of your dealership with a concrete idea about whether or not they’ve had a good, bad or mediocre experience. Ask them. You have to make sure that your customers are getting the experience they deserve when they’re in your dealership, and there’s no better way to do that than to get their opinions after an experience. Even if they don’t buy, getting a quick email or physical address can help you gauge whether or not the customer had a good experience, can stop bad press, and can possibly lead to a future sale.