A handshake at handover and then silence
The handover went well. The salesperson promised to call in a week to see how they are getting on. Then the month end arrived, then a busy weekend, and the call never happened. The customer had a question about pairing their phone and the parking sensors. They found the answer on a forum.
The next time they hear from you is the service reminder, from a department they have never met. When the time comes to change car, they have no particular reason to come back.
Follow-up depends on each salesperson
Most dealerships intend to follow up after a sale. Very few have a routine that happens whether or not the salesperson remembers.
- Follow-up calls are promised but not scheduled.
- Salespeople who leave take their customer relationships with them.
- Questions after sale go to whoever answers the phone.
- Manufacturer surveys arrive with no warm-up from the dealership.
What silence costs
Small problems after the sale become complaints if nobody asks about them. Customers who feel ignored are more likely to rate you poorly in manufacturer surveys or online reviews.
The bigger cost is the next car. Customers who had a good relationship with the dealership are the easiest sale you will ever make, but only if the relationship exists.
Aftersales loses out as well. A buyer who never met the service team, and never had a reason to, is more likely to take the car to an independent once any warranty ends. The first service booking is often decided in the months after the sale, not the week before it is due.
And when a salesperson leaves, their customers are simply orphaned. Nobody knows who they were promised calls by, or what they talked about at handover.
How we build the after-sale plan
- When a sale completes in your DMS, a contact plan is created for that customer and car, based on the type of sale.
- The plan includes points you choose: a call within the first days, a message after the first month, a check before the first service.
- Each contact is assigned to the salesperson, with a fallback to the sales manager if they are away or have left.
- Tasks appear in the salesperson's day list in your CRM or a simple screen, with the customer, the car and notes from handover.
- Automated messages, where you use them, are written by you and sent at the planned time.
- Outcomes are recorded: happy, question answered, problem raised. Problems go to the right department.
| Contact point | Who | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| First days after handover | Salesperson | Questions, first impressions |
| After the first month | Automated or salesperson | Check-in, useful tips |
| Before first service | Service team introduction | Book in, meet the advisor |
| Anniversary | Salesperson | Keep in touch |
Contact follows the consent and preferences your customer has given. We apply the rules you set; we do not decide them.
Customers who remember you
Every buyer gets the follow-up that was promised, regardless of how busy the month was. Salespeople see their follow-ups alongside their prospects. When a salesperson leaves, their customers are handed over, not lost. Problems are caught early and dealt with by the right department.
Does this sound familiar?
- Follow-up calls after sale are promised and missed.
- Customers go quiet after handover.
- Post-sale questions go to whoever picks up.
- Customers leave with the salesperson.