The Challenge
While satisfied customers came naturally to the team at Gary Crossley Ford, getting customer reviews did not. The dealership hadn’t quite figured out how to translate five-star customer experiences into five-star reviews.
Alex Moore, Digital Marketing Manager at Gary Crossley Ford, said, “You know, there wasn’t really a great way, outside of handing the customer a business card that said, ‘Hey, go here and give me a review.’ Once you leave the dealership, no matter how happy you are, life happens. The next thing you know, a day goes by, a week goes by, and there’s no review.”
The Solution
To get an edge on other dealerships, learn from customers, and spread the word about its great customer service, Gary Crossley Ford realized it was time to take control of its reputation. Moore says, “We have been pulling the digital part back ourselves, over the year. We can watch it better, and we can tune in and learn more about it. We’re more tech-savvy than most dealers.”
Podium was a natural fit for the tech-savvy dealership, which quickly implemented Reviews. Moore says, “I add a dashboard I work from, I can add users to that dashboard. I can put an app on a salesperson’s phone, and right when they’ve sold a car, they can just swipe that up to their customer they’re in front of right now, and the customer’s engaged. They’re happy, they do want to leave a review.”
The Result
Once Gary Crossley Ford introduced Reviews, testimonials flooded in. Moore says, “I think when we first started, I had about 300 Google reviews, and now I’m pushing 1,000.” Managing online reviews has also become easier for Moore and his employees. Moore says, “I have one place to work all my reputation stuff.” That allows the salesperson to focus on the customers and sell more vehicles.