It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays. In retail, that typically means an upsurge in business, even with all the challenges associated with the Covid pandemic. In the automotive industry, the sales department typically finds consumers buying vehicles for their loved ones. And the service department sees an upsurge in repair orders in preparation for a road trips to visit family and friends over the holidays. In addition, Black Friday is looming, and those bottom funnel consumers are waiting to see where they can get the best deal and where they should spend their money. If you have a dealership loyalty program, creating dealership loyalty for the holidays can be your most productive time of the year… if done right.
The holidays are a perfect time to leverage your loyalty program to motivate and entice both new and existing members. During the holiday season, many dealerships like to leverage things such as price and discounted services. Consider leveraging your loyalty program instead. Promotions with points-based offers incentivize customers to use their loyalty membership for products and services that may carry a once in a year special offer. Think of all the other retailers that do precisely that. There is nothing like getting a free $10 Kohl’s certificate to motivate you to go into Kohl’s where you will likely spend much more than the $10 you received as a promotion. Consumers love it and they use them repeatedly and it is a great tool to get customers in the door, or virtually if you prefer. Another thing that works is to offer incentives such as double points or sell dealership gift vouchers at a discount as an idea for a gift for friends and family. For example, sell a $50 gift voucher and get a free tire rotation or detail. Or it can be as simple as providing a holiday recipes, something that can be shared and utilized year after year.
The holidays present dealerships with a condensed volume of opportunities – whether it’s from existing customers who are traveling for the holidays or buying vehicles as gifts; or even friends and family members seeking gift ideas. Find ways to utilize your loyalty programs in the manner for which they are intended – to build relationships!
Of course, any consumer that does not feel they are being rewarded and/or feels like the rewards are simply out of reach, probably will support you loyalty program for long. So, make sure your reward program is easy to use and understand, that rewards are not too hard to reach, and that you utilize offers to cultivate that relationship. Get your customers into the habit of using it. Once the customer knows that the loyalty program is beneficial to them, they will use it and choose you over a competitor. And that is the exact goal of a loyalty program – a customer relationship.
Just look at the graphics to see how these dealers are utilizing their loyalty program for creating dealership loyalty for the holidays. Take a peek at how LoyaltyTrac can help grow your business.