Time kills deals. We’ve all heard this, but what does it mean for your dealership? With consumers wanting more information faster than ever, I’m here to OfferUp some tried and true strategies from our best-performing dealers on the platform to help you win more business.
First, let’s understand a little bit more about the modern OfferUp buyer. With 80% of our consumer base falling into the millennial age group, the expectation is quick and trusted answers to questions about purchases big and small - particularly when it comes to buying a used vehicle. The majority of this demographic prefers to chat online first as opposed to a phone call or in-person meeting.
To deliver the best customer experience possible through OfferUp, users expect you to respond quickly. How quickly? 15 minutes or less to be exact. Why? The average time spent on the platform in one sitting is 20 minutes. Following up on inquiries sent via chat within this timeframe not only builds confidence and trust but most importantly, catches the potential buyer with their phone still in their hand.
Much like when you physically walk into a store and expect to be greeted within a minute or so, a timely and knowledgeable conversation online can be the difference between making the sale or losing it to a competitor.
So, how do you keep your response times fast? Here’s some advice from dealers like you:
“I always keep my phone off silent mode, especially during working hours. Of course, you have to chat through the app.”
“We have two-to-three people logged in at all times to handle initial messages for speedy responses.”
“My main goal is to bring customers to the lot for a test drive. I’ve seen a great improvement in setting appointments once I made my response times faster.”
Using the app gives you the power to respond to incoming chats (and calls) almost instantly, creating a better buying experience for your customer. What kind of information can you provide on the spot to improve your chances of closing the deal? What questions can you ask to generate more excitement and curiosity from your buyer?
Showcasing your dealership as well-versed, understanding, and friendly by responding to messages quickly proves time and time again that you can be trusted; building that trust both online and in-person is extremely important to creating a happy customer and fostering a positive reputation in the community.
The bottom line: faster response times make a happier, more knowledgeable customer, which means a better opportunity to close the sale, giving you more business and money back into your pocket.
Of course, if you find yourself overwhelmed with chat engagements and/or unable to bring your response times down, OfferUp will help you by managing live chat with our dedicated team of agents to qualify leads and respond to all inquiries within minutes.
OfferUp's managed chat agents are specially trained professionals you can partner with to ensure quick responses, as well as qualify user inquiries via chat, ensuring that your dealership gets the best leads from the OfferUp Community. Your Concierge will also help represent your brand, and monitor and update issues with your listings, profiles, and more to help establish trust and represent your dealership on OfferUp.
To learn more, contact our Autos team by email, or visiting our Verified Dealer website.