App helps turn referrals into dollars
Anew app developed by Incentivefox could put some additional money in the hands of local car buyers. The app will streamline the process in which car buyers refer friends and family to auto dealerships while at the same time make it easier for dealerships to reimburse their customers who make successful referrals, said Kristen Tepper, company spokeswoman.
“It’s kind of like the explosive growth Uber and Lyft have experienced through referrals,” she said. They go hand-in-hand so we kind of did that for dealerships.”
The app allows a customer who is in a social situation, for instance, to refer someone as they’re talking.
“You type in the information and at that point, your friend gets an email update,” Tepper said.
Should the referral lead to a sale, the referrer receives a pre-loaded, dealerbranded debit card.
According to the Nielson Co., referred customers are four times more likely to purchase than any other leads, but much of the growing focus has been on digital marketing efforts, leaving the tried-andtrue method of referrals lagging, she said.
“Our focus is to generate quality leads by leveraging their already-loyal customer base,” said Rick Partyka, Incentivefox president. “Even the most loyal customers need an enticing reminder to refer.”
Not only is it a worthwhile tool for those who refer their friends and family, but it’s a boon to dealerships, he said.
“The big thing that we want dealers to know is that not only is this solution going to save them a lot of time and headaches, it’s going to foster more frequent, engaging and powerful interactions with their customer base, while simultaneously turning their customers into another revenue-generating sales channel,” Partyka said.
The app also allows customers to schedule service appointments and otherwise interact with the dealership.
Although there are currently no dealerships in New Mexico using the system, Partyka said the app would work well here and the company is hopeful of making inroads into this market soon.
“One of the other things that we’ve noticed, every dealership is getting referrals,” Partyka said. “There’s no question about that. The problem is are they tracking that? Do they know who their top referrers are? Do they know who is sending business their way? In most cases they don’t and they’re not even rewarding them. This takes down the barriers between customer and dealership.”