With the rapid evolution of the automotive industry, data has emerged as the key to enhancing the customer experience. Now more than ever, automotive companies that use the data available entirely see a remarkable return on investment. But how exactly can data integration pave the way for better customer service? In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how data is shaping the customer’s experience.
Before Integration: A Slow and Tedious Process
Before the advent of automotive data integration, the customer experience looked much different. Physical interactions and less personalized communication were the norm. Customer relationships were managed through direct sales and service at the dealership. If customer feedback was collected, it was by way of surveys.
Dealerships’ and manufacturers’ ability to understand customer preferences was limited at best. Often, companies had to rely on generalized market research with some details filled in by sales and customer service representatives.
Even the customer journey was fragmented. There was little continuity between the purchase process, vehicle ownership, and after-sales support. Each department within a dealership operated in a silo, and little customer information was exchanged. If personalization existed, it was rudimentary. Such personalization was limited to broad segments of the general public.
For example, in the early 2000s, if customers wanted to personalize their driving experience, their options were highly constrained. The concept of a car adapting to a user’s preferences, like temperature, destinations, and driving style, sounded futuristic. If a vehicle was used by multiple drivers, seat preferences and mirror adjustments had to be made manually each time. Cars were unable to learn and adapt to individual preferences.
How Data is Weaving the Future of Driving
The future of driving is rich with innovation, efficiency, and seamless customer experiences. Today, every vehicle can become a hub of information. This interconnectedness has transformed how customers interact with their vehicles and their surroundings. Data that was once underused and siloed can now be leveraged to the fullest, creating a level of personalization and convenience that was previously unimaginable.
Now more than ever, vehicles are becoming integral to customers’ digital lives. Real-time data analytics create personalized experiences. Predictive algorithms can improve vehicle maintenance, notifying drivers of potential issues before they become major problems. Navigation systems go beyond the basics with real-time traffic updates and route optimization. Even safety is enhanced with advanced driver assistance systems to prevent accidents and reduce fatigue.
By integrating automotive data, dealerships and companies can take the customer experience beyond the vehicle itself. Data isn’t just changing how people drive; it’s redefining the relationship between people and their vehicles.
The Challenge of Data Silos in Improving the Customer Experience
When data is segmented and siloed, it impacts the ability of companies to enrich the customer experience, including:
Presenting fragmented customer insights — Data silos prevent a more unified view of the customer journey. Companies struggle to meet their expectations effectively without seeing how customers interact across all touchpoints.
Creating more significant inefficiency and redundancy — When data is siloed, companies run the risk of duplicating their efforts and resources. Different departments collecting the same data simultaneously creates waste and slows decision processes.
Stagnant innovation — Innovation thrives with the free and open exchange of information. Fragmented data holds back the development of new services and improvements in customer service. As a result, automotive companies can find themselves lagging behind competitors that better leverage their data.
Disjointed customer experiences — If customer service representatives don’t have access to relevant data, they may be unable to provide accurate assistance. The lack of integration can frustrate customers and erode brand loyalty.
Today’s automotive companies must embrace a digital transformation to overcome these challenges. Such a transformation begins by dismantling silos and prioritizing data integration. Companies can unlock their full potential by adopting technologies and strategies that promote sharing and collaboration. The right data can have a ripple effect on operational efficiencies, improved innovation, and superior customer experiences.
Transforming Raw Data into Customer Gold
Transforming raw data into customer gold is no longer a potential advantage; it’s a strategic decision with considerable benefits. Although the data can seem overwhelming, the quality is unparalleled. MarketCheck’s automotive data includes over eight years of comprehensive, high-quality, and relevant information, including:
- Active Inventories — new and used cars sourced from over 74k websites
- Recent Inventories — past 90 days activity for any combination of region, make, model, trim, or dealership
- Days-on-Market (DOM) — see how long any car is on the market prior to selling
- Trim Level Breakdowns — includes: engine type, transmission, displacement, fuel, interior color, exterior color, body style and body subtype
- VIN Histories — listing histories from the last ten years, depicting every change recorded in car location, price, odometer, dealership, and seller comments
- Auction Data — approx 500k listings gathered daily from 16 auction websites
- Private Seller Listings — P2P inventories with personally identifiable information removed
- Incentives Data — all leasing, finance, and applicable rebates tied to qualifying cars at the zip code and VIN level
- Build Data — complete car equipment breakdowns by VIN, for more granular level comparisons
- Popular Cars API — see which cars do the best in which areas with a simple API call
- Lite VIN Decoder API — call our API to decode any 17-digit VIN
- Market-Days-Supply (MDS) — gauge required selling periods with current market conditions
- Recall Service Leads — locate vehicles with open recalls; contact information provided
- CRM Cleansing — automatically remove cars that have already been sold or traded in
- Competitive Intelligence — view market performance across selected dealerships at the local or national level
- Pricing Intelligence — price with confidence using the most extensive database of car comparables available anywhere online
Learn more about our comprehensive automotive data integration and how it can solidify the customer experience into an efficient relationship-building tool. Contact MarketCheck today!
