The female friendly business case is a simple one in the masculine motor industry. We expect higher standards than those that men seem resigned to and we want them NOW…
This matters because the number of women drivers will soon overtake men on UK roads and busy females are increasingly looking for service levels that recognise their needs and exceed their expectations. Sadly this is not happening in many cases today.
For the time being, female perceptions seem at an all time low when it comes to car shopping, as confirmed in a recent (2014) survey of c2600 women drivers carried out by Good Housekeeping. This revealed that:
+ The majority of women think car dealerships can be more female friendly
+ 70 per cent of women had experienced car salesmen ignoring them in favour of a male companion
+ the final car buying decision about a family is usually a joint gender decision for 53 per cent
+ 43 per cent of women made the car buying decision alone
+ 49 per cent find car sales staff patronising
+ 36 per cent felt vulnerable and lacked confidence visiting car dealerships
+ Some 25% felt that the tone used by car salesmen was disrespectful
+ Only 18 per cent of women felt that the car sales staff communicated all the details they required in language they understood
Clearly the only way is up for this industry which is why the genuinely female friendly car dealers need to join forces via us to get the message out that there is a female choice of used and new car dealers where this doesn’t happen.
Genuinely female friendly dealers that meet our standards can apply to become FOXY Lady Approved and together we will help restore female trust levels. But if any dealer joins us thinking we’ll simply turn on a tap of foxy ladies they’ll be mistaken because the business needs to meet our compliance standards ie demonstrate their female friendly dealer credentials before we can reassure local women about them.
Luckily for the good guys (yes they are usually male) we are a unique and highly professional marketing service, used to marketing to women (so that’s a good start) and together we can drive up standards by sharing feedback among the willing to learn (shameless sales plug over…).
HOW FEMALES SEE DEALERS WHEN CAR SHOPPING
It’s time the industry had a good look at itself, warts and all, as female customers see them. Here are a few clues…
+ We don’t want to haggle.
+ We don’t want to read about innocent car buyers being overcharged because they walk into a new car dealership at the wrong time of the month/year and pay a higher price than they might do otherwise.
+ We don’t want to be sold extras we don’t need.
+ We don’t want to read about cheap cars being sold without service histories or handbooks (when surprise, surprise they go wrong).
+ We’re fed up with ‘holier than thou’ promises re car warranties that offer less protection than the Sale of Goods Act.
And we want competitive financial products too…
____________________________________________
What an industry! Let’s get some licensing safeguards in here as soon as possible.
Time for MotorCodes to look at the New Car Code of Practice; to make licensing compulsory for car sales staff as per the IMI’s Professional Register; to up the minimum used car sales/warranty standards to meet fussy female needs (and delight fed up beleaguered male motorists in the process).
Getting service levels right for women means upping standards for all in this industry. The time is right for doing this and I want to be involved in creating the more female friendly motor industry that women clearly want and deserve.
Rant over for now…
FOXY