Most car buying enquiries are back to being generated by walk-in customers visiting dealerships.
Research by JudgeService found 50% of customers making enquiries did so as a result of visiting a dealer, up from 44% in 2022, while online enquiries over the same period increased from 24% to 26%.
Phone enquiries dropped from 22% to 17% and leads generated by sales staff contacting customers fell from 9% to 7%.
The research analysed 1.7 million customer responses to JudgeService’s ProAct lost sales surveys from 2022 to 2026.
Neil Addley, managing director of JudgeService, said: “Our data tracks the post-Covid return of customers to dealerships and how viewing cars in person is the single biggest generator of sales leads, followed by online enquiries.
“This reinforces the need for dealers to have well-presented stock and well-prepared teams. While customers might find a car online, the research shows most will want to view it in the metal before making an enquiry.”
The research also analysed how customer welcomes had a direct impact on net promoter scores (NPS).
The highest scores were awarded by customers welcomed within a minute (42%) and a “couple of minutes” (32%), before falling sharply for those waiting five minutes (6%) and 10 minutes (7%).
Negative NPS scores were awarded for waits over 10 minutes (-27%) and for customers seeking assistance (-40%).
Addley said: “NPS scores have a direct correlation on the likelihood of a customer making a purchase and recommending a dealer to their family and friends.
“With most enquiries being generated by personal visits, the research highlights the importance of ensuring processes are in place to ensure dealership staff greet all customers in a timely manner.”
