Post-pandemic consumers are more conservative than they used to be. When they make large purchases, they want reassurances that they’re not only making the right decision for their immediate needs but that it’s going to be the right decision for the long term.

They look at vehicles not only as a means to get from Point A to Point B, but they consider the purchase as part and parcel of their long-term investment strategy. Because of that, consumers now view the dealership as more of a long-term advisor rather than a one-time actor, and the purchase as more than simply one transaction.

Consumers determine their overall trust of a car purchase today by their overall interaction with the dealer and dealership. They’re not only looking solely at the purchase, but they want to be comfortable with the rest of the dealership.

A one-time introduction to the service department is no longer enough: Consumers want to fully understand how to interact and communicate with the folks in the service department. This requires dealers to adopt an omnichannel approach to handling consumers at every stage of their vehicle’s lifecycle.

This omnichannel approach requires better communication between sales and service. Without it, consumers won’t feel comfortable coming back on their own for service appointments.

Over time, as the interactions continue throughout the vehicle’s lifetime ownership, the consumer’s trust of the dealership will strengthen. Dealers need to understand that they’ll be under a continual evaluation and their message needs to be constantly reinforced with consumers.

Little things, including communication that goes beyond the latest sale or holiday incentive, build dealership credibility and will lead to increased trust. The dealer needs to be aware of the number of sales-oriented communications it pushes to the consumer.

What’s the better approach? Using an informative communication style that allows the consumer to make informed decisions.

Dealerships must look at their current communication cadence and consider: how often are we sending out touchpoints to our consumers, and what do those pieces have to say? Offering free services to the consumer such as free inspections, car washes or even tire rotations will go a long way to open a more consistent, and positive, set of interactions with their consumers.

Because today’s consumers see dealerships as a long-term trusted advisor, dealers have a tremendous opportunity to not only grow, but also to stabilize their portfolio.

Robert Grill is vice president of strategic client services at CARFAX