I posted a topic in motor industry AM-Online’s forum about female friendly  car manufacturers and franchised dealerships marketing to women.

My personal opinion, based on everday anecdotal evidence, is that very few UK garages and main dealerships know what women drivers want or how to talk to us in workshop and car showroom situations.

The forum feedback remains 100% male to date and some are clearly supporting the status quo which is not good enough for men or women. Whilst I know that others in the trade were trying to be helpful they had not done their homework about my business or me before dashing into print – this is another characteristic difference between the genders – men dash in to sort it out and claim the glory/trophy whereas women take time to do their homework first and then to make the ‘informed’ purchase.

I am also used to the many so called ‘experts’ in the UK motor industry who know I am not a trade person and imply that their findings are the Holy Grail for me (gee thank you guys…) without realising that I might know something more useful for them to find out, to benefit their business.

No surprises there as this is exactly what the male oriented motor industry does – it patronises women drivers, thinks it knows best and carries on as before!!

Rather than waste discussion time with a ‘marketing expert’  (who knows less about marketing to women than me) I’d prefer to move on, to make a real difference to service levels for women who could have a great career in the motor industry and for female customers who often dread visiting garages, dealers and showrooms.

Yes the US is ahead of us in terms of recognising and attempting to address the power of the female purse but their business models aren’t the only way to go as the increasingly popular  FOXY Choice and FOXY Lady Drivers Club websites demonstrate.

FOXY Steph

“Why should women have to apply to the head of state for the right to drive a car? Their husbands or brothers should decide.”
Colonel Gaddafi – June 2009 (like so many in the UK motor industry , not quite at the cutting edge of feminism yet…)