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March 11 by Jeff Kershner -

Cars.com Analyzes Dealer Reviews and Uncovers These Interesting Trends

Cars.com analyzes dealer reviews and uncovers common shopper pain points and several interesting trends.

This article was originally published on Cars.com’s DealerAdvantage blog. I don’t usually recycle from other publications, but it’s important information to be shared. Thanks Cars.com

Cumulative-dealer-reviews-on-Cars

Online reviews continue to grow in importance within the automotive industry, with seven of 10 car shoppers stating that reviews of dealerships are a ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important part of the research process.

To better understand this trend, Cars.com conducted a text analysis using the nearly one million consumer-submitted reviews on its site and uncovered several unique shopper behaviors, as well as opportunities for retailers and manufacturers.

“Online reviews are more than social proof; they’re equity for dealerships,” said Simon Tiffen, senior manager, advertiser insights at Cars.com. “Now that reading and writing online reviews is normal behavior for consumers, we’re able to aggregate and analyze real-life experiences to make tangible improvements to the shopping process – not to mention find out some fun stuff along the way.”

Over 50% of all dealer reviews on Cars.com are left between 10am and 4pm ET  @DealerADvantage

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Consumers Share Reviews During Office Hours

More than half (52%) of all dealer reviews on Cars.com are left between 10 am and 4 pm ET, with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday being the days shoppers most frequently write reviews. Only 7% of all reviews are left on Sunday, and virtually no reviews are left between 3am and 5am ET.

Best Time of Day for Reviews

“Since consumers are most likely to leave a review during mid-day, it makes sense for manufacturers and dealerships to capitalize on that behavior,” shared Tiffen. “If you’re asking customers to submit a review, time your communication for when they’re most open to sharing, which often means during typical working hours.”

which day of week for most reviews

Bad Experiences Lead to Longer, More Immediate Reviews

The analysis shows that the average length of a dealer review on Cars.com is 62 words; however, reviews that do not recommend a dealership are 142 percent longer than those that do, on average.

Though they account for just a small fraction (4%) of all reviews, negative reviews are 19 percent more likely to be written on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday, presumably after a poor weekend experience at the dealership.

“When a consumer has a bad experience, they want their voice heard,” added Tiffen. “Businesses mess up sometimes – that’s a given. But now retailers have an opportunity to resolve individual issues as well as identify larger problems connected to dealership process through direct customer feedback.”

Length of dealer review

Given the added strain on dealership staff during peak shopping periods, Tiffen also suggests retailers take notice of the consequences of providing a poor customer experience.

“Retailers need to pay extra attention during high-traffic hours to make sure their customer service doesn’t slip,” added Tiffen. “This includes monitoring online review and social media channels, where consumers are likely to vent after a negative experience.”

Dealerships Ignore Opportunity to Respond

Though simple tools are provided to dealerships to reply to both positive and negative reviews, less than one-third of all dealer reviews on Cars.com are answered. A missed opportunity, the analysis shows that dealer review response rate positively correlates to a higher average star rating.

On average Cars.com reviewers give dealerships a rating of 4.6 out of 5

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At a state level, this same trend holds true. Delaware, the highest rated state (4.7/5), has an average response rate of greater than 60 percent. Conversely, the state with the lowest average dealership rating, South Dakota (3.9/5), is home to dealerships with an average response rate of less than 10 percent.

Additional findings from the analysis include

  • On average Cars.com reviewers give dealerships a rating of 4.6 out of 5
  • Franchise dealerships account for 84% of all reviews
  • Of dealerships that have reviews on Cars.com, 80% have more than 20

Breakdown of dealer reviews by type

  • Used-car sales – 38%
  • New-car sales – 37%
  • Service – 24%
The analysis was conducted using a random sample of 10,000 Cars.com dealer reviews submitted between 1/1/2014 and 9/30/2014.

Categories: Reputation

About the Author

Jeff Kershner

Jeff Kershner

I’m the founder of DealerRefresh. I got my start in the dealer business when I was 18. From there I've worked throughout several departments within fixed to variable ops. Whether it’s managing the desk, perfecting sales process or studying online marketing and media trends, I absolutely love this business and the challenges it brings. On top of keeping up with DealerRefresh, I consult with dealerships and key industry businesses. My passion has been and continues to be helping dealers leverage new media to sell and improve customer service.

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Editors

  • Jeff Kershner

    Jeff Kershner

    I’m the founder of DealerRefresh. I got my start in the dealer business when I was 18. From there I've worked throughout several departments within fixed to variable ops. Whether it’s managing the desk, perfecting sales process or studying online marketing and media trends, I absolutely love this business and the challenges it brings. On top of keeping up with DealerRefresh, I consult with dealerships and key industry businesses. My passion has been and continues to be helping dealers leverage new media to sell and improve customer service.
  • Alex Snyder

    Alex Snyder

    Alex was born into the car business. His family owns a group of stores in Virginia where he held a multitude of positions since he first cut the grass there in 1989. DealerRefresh caught his attention in 2006 and he has been a part of the community ever since. In 2010 Alex joined Dealer.com to help put a dealer's spin on products; where he got a front row seat to converse with over 13,000 dealers and watch 2 acquisitions totaling over $5 Billion. Today, Alex lives in Vermont and works to make DealerRefresh amazing!

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