There’s a lot that goes into buying a vehicle, especially when you’re doing it for the first time. For Gen Z customers, purchasing a car can provide more independence, more opportunities, and a sense of accomplishment. But, in many cases, it’s also a financial commitment they’re still trying to wrap their head around.
In this three-part series, we’ll dive deep into Gen Z’s car-buying hesitations and the best strategies to help young customers move from feeling anxious to confident in their next vehicle purchase.
Does ownership even matter to Gen Z?
According to research by Capital One,
67 percent of Gen Z respondents believe owning a car is more important to their generation than to their parents’ and grandparents’ generations. But
34 percent of Gen Z buyers felt overwhelmed during the buying experience, and 29 percent felt stressed.
Ownership matters to these buyers, and helping them feel confident about it could be what earns your dealership their business.
Your dealership might already be doing a lot to help:
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You probably offer more information than ever on your website.
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You might emphasize the importance of quickly following up with answers to their questions.
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Maybe you’re connecting them with your most experienced and effective salespeople.
Yet, some customers still seem hesitant. They keep researching, visiting other dealerships, or they leave without making a decision. A desire to own a vehicle doesn’t mean every customer feels ready to buy. A connected experience can help your team address questions and build confidence.
Gen Z expects every conversation to build on the last.
Every touchpoint is an opportunity for your dealership to learn more about your customer, but it’s also an opportunity for your customers to notice when information gets lost or a process restarts.
Think about what that experience feels like. A customer takes time to explain their needs online, only to answer the same questions when they arrive. Then, another employee joins the conversation and asks them to start again. When information isn’t carried from each step to the next, your Gen Z customer’s confidence is left behind too.
You could make those interactions seamless by:
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Having a full
360-degree view of your customer before they even walk in the door.
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Connected systems help make that continuity possible. When information moves with the customer, your employees can spend more time helping them move forward.
Help customers feel ready for what comes next.
Every question answered, preference remembered, and conversation carried forward gives your team an opportunity to make the purchase feel more manageable. When young customers feel like the process flows naturally, and that the information they share matters, it becomes easier to picture taking that next step with your dealership.
There’s a lot that goes into buying a vehicle for the first time, but when your systems connect, the experience becomes seamless, and even the most anxious customer can feel confident about their purchase long after they drive home.
In part two, we’ll explore another way to build that confidence: helping Gen Z understand price and the costs of ownership.
