Single post hero image
THE DEALERON BLOG

The Importance of a Good Reputation

By April 1, 2014Best Practices

Level Set

Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Charlie Sheen, Celebrities, Politicians, Musicians and… BUSINESSES.  If this is the first time you’ve heard that your business reputation is important you should consider early retirement.  Okay, maybe that’s a bit harsh, but the truth still suggests 99.999% of those reading this understand the critical importance of a good business reputation.


Why Is Reputation So Important Today?  

We live in a world of instant gratification and the internet has only helped increase what we expect from technology, people and… businesses.  This is a selfish group known as… EVERYONE and we have zero patience.  Why should we when we have access to almost anything we want no matter what time of day?

Consider that the smart phone in your pocket makes waiting for news of any kind unnecessary.  Checking the weather includes the option of viewing Doppler radar.  I bet you haven’t bought or used a map in years.  You use your smart phone for EVERYTHING…including shopping and purchasing decisions.

How is this all affecting your business reputation?  When we don’t want to wait for anything and we don’t have to wait for anything, businesses are forced to adjust their processes to support speed and quality of service.  This is no longer an option for businesses hoping to survive long term.  I think you get the point.  Our expectations are higher than ever.  So, how is your dealership handling this today and how is your dealership going to handle the next generation of entitled, selfish brats?

 

There’s A Big Difference

It’s critical to understand the difference between product reviews and business reviews. Your dealership must have a process that includes every department.  Every employee must be focused on providing your customers excellence in all areas of your business.  Think Disney.  There’s a reason why they have one of the best business reputations in the history of EVER.  Your dealership isn’t reviewed the way someone writes a review about an iPhone case they bought on Amazon.  Your business has the dynamic quality of people and this makes or breaks dealerships.  Hold your team accountable to high customer service standards and the word on the street regarding your dealership will be music to your ears.  Don’t forget your reputation is a reflection of how you treat people in person, so why not be great?

 

You’ll Need A Plan

I talk to dealers almost every day about a wide variety of topics.  When the subject of reviews, reputation and social media come up I always talk about planning.  Success with increasing, improving and responding to reviews comes much easier to dealers that have the tools to see what’s going on.  A dealership must have complete visibility to effectively manage their online reputation.  DealerOn offers Reputation Intelligence tools that not only make monitoring all reviews in one place super simple, the tools also show dealers social signals, online mentions and increase their number of reviews.

 

May you find the determination and conviction to work hard on the reputation of your business.  You won’t regret making your customers happy and they’ll be glad to tell everyone they know about their experience.

Author Shaun Raines

VP of Marketing Email Shaun Shaun is a true internet car guy and the Vice President of Marketing at DealerOn. His automotive internet career began in 1998 with the Reynolds and Reynolds team that launched Microsoft’s CarPoint.com, CarsDirect Connect, Yahoo Autos, Automark Websites and Reynolds Web Solutions. Shaun’s Marketing prowess coupled with expertise in Social Media allows him to effectively market DealerOn’s capabilities, extend its reach and build the right reputation. His unique blend of humor and automotive experience has made Raines a sought after speaker at industry events including NADA, NCM, Digital Dealer, DrivingSales Executive Summit and 20 Groups Shaun lives in Frisco, Texas with his wife, children and dogs.

More posts by Shaun Raines

Leave a Reply

Call support
(877) 543-4200
Call Sales
(877) 543-6321