FRANCHISED dealers in the UK have become highly proficient at capturing customer contact information, according to new analysis by Marketing Delivery.
The company evaluated a sample of nearly 600,000 customer records created between 1 January and 31 August 2022 for dealers across the country and found that, on average, 92% of records included an email address – an all-time high.
The email capture rate in 2022 increased marginally on the first eight months of 2021 (90%). Jeremy Evans, Managing Director at Marketing Delivery, said: “This is a very significant achievement, because email remains customers’ most favoured means to interact with dealers for new and used car sales.
“We’ve observed a steady year-on-year rise in email capture rates, and today’s figure compares favourably with the still impressive 83% rate we reported five years ago. It is a product of dealers being more disciplined and consistent in their customer interaction processes, and more OEMs introducing targets that are focused on data quality and consents.”
Room for progress on mobile records and consents
Marketing Delivery reports that, by comparison with email, mobile numbers are present in fewer customer records, albeit still at a high level. Considering data captured during the first eight months of 2022, a mobile number was present in 84% of records.
This is a marked improvement on 2021; mobile capture rates dipped to 71% during in the first eight months of last year. Evans added: “We’re seeing mobile numbers in most customer records, but there is still room further improvement. This could be key given the growing proportion of online search that is now performed on mobile devices.”
Consents are lagging somewhat, peaking at an average of 78% for email and 75% for SMS during 2022. “These numbers are pretty high, but it still means that in many instances dealers have the contact data but can’t always use it, ” said Evans
“If a dealer gets a bounce-back on an incorrect email address, an automated SMS can be sent to the customer or prospect to capture the correct information or fill gaps. It means sales staff can skip the admin and concentrate on selling.
“All of this will become more important if – as is very possible – leads become harder to find as the cost-of-living squeeze intensifies. Accurate data is absolutely crucial, providing the foundations for productive sales and aftersales interactions.”
Marketing Delivery’s VoiceBox software helps to overcome common challenges the sector is facing. The digital marketing software allows dealers to manage sales, aftersales and social communications in one intuitive platform. The multifaceted tools also incorporate a lead management system, full in-depth reporting functionality and the ability to integrate with other providers – including Dealerweb, EnquiryMax and Keyloop.
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