Women are good at buying cars, so why do they hate it so much?
Stereotypes remain even as auto industry quickly evolves, says Lorraine Sommerfeld.
“Buying a car sucks,” J.P. Ostiguy says with a laugh. He’s the manager of training and sales for the Alta Automotive Group, and he’s had his hand on the pulse of the rapid changes in the car-selling business for years.
I like J.P. because he’s honest, but he also has answers.
And he acknowledges that while buying may be overwhelming or intense for many buyers, buying while female has its own subset of factors.
A poll last year by CDK Global, pulled from the results of 64,000 online reviews, found that “43 per cent of women do not trust the auto industry.”
We’ve known for years now that women buy their own cars and influence around 85 per cent of all vehicle purchases.
So why are they using words like “stressed,” “overwhelmed,” “taken advantage of ” and “panic” when relating their experiences?
And perhaps more importantly, how does the industry change it? How do we all change it? The way we buy cars is evolving, and for women especially, that’s great news. We can do almost all of our research online, where gender is irrelevant.
Ostiguy cites a Google report that shows the time people spend researching a vehicle has gone from 62 days to 71, and a purchase window that was once 25 to 30 days is now just 10. We’re using our keyboards instead of our feet.
Ostiguy has worked with many brands, but sees some constants.
“Women may fear the process, but they are well armed and well researched. They’ve scouted cost reports, checked prices on places like Unhaggle and CarCostCanada, and have usually spent more time doing that research.”
Just a few years ago, I was reporting on a trend of consumers emailing dealers fishing for lowest prices. It’s not a great way to buy a car, and dealers and customers alike soon met up with the downsides. Dealers had to spend time with people on fishing expeditions, and customers realized there is more to buying a car than simply the price.
A personalized experience
— a good one — will develop a relationship that will benefit both. Dealers want to keep you coming in for service, and buyers need a partner on their side when dealing with manufacturers.
Any salesperson who ridicules a prospective buyer for not knowing much about cars deserves to lose the sale. While consumers are responsible to educate themselves as much as possible, a salesperson’s job is to provide answers and direction to the person asking the question. The No. 1 beef of every woman I know is asking a question about her prospective purchase, only to have a salesperson repeatedly address only the man she may have brought with her. I may bring someone with me — in fact, I recommend that for all buyers — but if it’s my money, I had better be the star of the show.
Here’s another thing female consumers should keep in mind: If you’re in a showroom and starting to feel any of the negative things the survey found — overwhelmed, panicked — you can do one of two things: Leave the dealership (there are dozens more), or request a different salesperson.
Sometimes, we just don’t click with someone, but it’s your money and the dealership would rather keep your sale than lose you. You can always speak to a manager and tell them to match you up with someone you’ll be more comfortable with. Of course, if they refuse, out you go. But I bet they won’t.