WALTHAM, Mass. –

DealerRater announced recently that it has updated its Salesperson Connect offering to now feature Employee Profile Pages on Cars.com where shoppers can directly connect with dealer personnel.

Along with making it easier to connect with dealership personnel, shoppers on Cars.com can read the 25 most recent reviews and background information on employees and select who they look forward to working with before they visit a store.

"We know car shoppers crave more information about salespeople and want to form a connection with them before heading to the dealership," DealerRater general manager Jamie Oldershaw said in a news release. "This connection is what makes tools like Salesperson Connect so valuable for these businesses as the information available at a shopper's fingertips can help establish an early bond and build trust."

The company said shoppers who use Salesperson Connect to choose a salesperson based on their reviews have an 89 percent higher closing rate, and their time to close improves by 15 percent, according to DealerRater data.

Additionally, a new DealerRater study, "What Makes a Five-Star Dealership Review?" concluded that the personal performance of all a dealership's employees is vital to a dealer earning a 5-star review from customers.

"A great customer review does more than improve a dealer's reputation — positive reviews improve a dealer's bottom line," said Oldershaw. "Our research also shows that consumers notice when a dealer's staff takes care of a customer from initial contact online, through the purchase process and well into the service relationship."