FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AutoNation, Inc.
(NYSE: AN), America's largest automotive retailer is providing a silver lining
in a dreary auto market. WomenCertified and AutoNationDirect today announced
the launch of Car Buying Her Way, a collaborative online car buying experience
created especially for women.
Backed by customer research specific to women in the auto market, Car
Buying Her Way (CBHW) unites the turnkey online sales platform of
AutoNationDirect with WomenCertified's women-friendly customer service
approach.
"Eight in ten women feel undue pressure when browsing a dealership
showroom, and an equal number won't visit a dealership without a male
companion," said WomenCertified's founder Delia Passi, CEO of Medelia Inc. and
author of Winning the Toughest Customer: The Essential Guide to Selling to
Women. "We're not only trying to change that one dealership at a time through
the WomenCertified program, but we've also developed Car Buying Her Way as a
stress-free alternative to a process that is necessary but frustrating for so
many women."
The difference in the CBHW experience is manifold. First, all vehicles
listed on CBHW site are offered at pre-negotiated pricing, providing a
haggle-free and consequently less stressful car buying process. According to
Edmunds.com, when asked to pick metaphors for the auto negotiation process,
men picked "winning a ballgame" and a "wrestling match," while women picked
"going to the dentist." The same study also showed that women are two and a
half times more apprehensive about haggling over pricing than men are.
Eliminating the need for negotiation, CBHW allows customers to connect with
salespeople as partners rather than adversaries.
Next, CBHW customers are guided through the car buying process via phone
and the web by a dedicated Personal Auto Shopper, each of whom have completed
WomenCertified's communication and customer service training.
"AutoNationDirect's Personal Shoppers provide a complete concierge experience
from start to finish, and they are fully trained to give the kind of service
women expect and deserve," explained Passi.
"The bottom line is, a woman needs a car -- but she doesn't need the
stress, the shoddy service and the confrontation that, until now, came as a
package deal with that car," she added.
Currently, the Car Buying Her Way service is offered in California,
Colorado and Florida markets with plans for national expansion later this
year.
In late 2008, AutoNationDirect completed the requirements to earn the
WomenCertified Seal for customer service excellence, which inspired the
creation of CBHW as a women friendly auto e-retailer. To earn the
WomenCertified Seal, 70% of a company's sales and service team must complete a
specialized customer service and gender communications training program that
teaches "what women want" in a buying experience.
Based on Passi's extensive research and expertise in women's communication
and shopping habits and preferences, WomenCertified focuses on attentive
customer service, active listening, effective gender communications and
building trusting customer relationships. According to Passi, "WomenCertified
is creating a customer service revolution for women by setting the standard
for excellence in service -- which I think many women feel is lacking in the
automotive industry."
Recent statistics show that women influence the purchase of 83% of all
consumer products, including 95% of all vehicles sold in the United States.
"AutoNationDirect is part of a growing movement to raise the bar in
providing the best customer service experience -- not only to women but to
every customer," said Passi. "As a whole, Americans are feeling less and less
satisfied with the quality of service they receive. We're trying to reverse
this trend with WomenCertified. Studies show that when you meet the
expectations of women, you exceed those of men. It's a win-win opportunity for
companies and consumers."
"AutoNation is proud that our AutoNationDirect sales channel has earned
the WomenCertified Seal -- it's a testimony to our efforts to reach all of our
customers in the most effective and appropriate way possible," said Mike
Maroone, President and COO of AutoNation, America's largest automotive
retailer and parent company to AutoNationDirect. "No business can afford to
take customers for granted, and WomenCertified is a great way for us to
connect with what may be the most important -- and underappreciated -- market
segment there is. We're proud of the association and look forward to great
things from this partnership."
Formed in 2007, AutoNationDirect is an alternative sales channel that
enables AutoNation to serve the unique needs of Affinity Groups, Credit Unions
and other specialty organizations by providing a customer sales experience
outside the traditional dealership. AutoNationDirect customers can work via
phone, online or in store with a dedicated Personal Auto Shopper and get the
best experience in the business at an attractive price. Ron Frey, the
President of AutoNationDirect, and a direct sales channel veteran, says of
AutoNationDirect, "AutoNation has quietly brought the promise of a truly
customer centric alternative automotive sales channel to life -- online, by
phone or in store. Because AutoNation controls the inventory, the price, the
trade value and the finance process, we are the only ones who can deliver
something like this."
About AutoNation, Inc.
AutoNation, Inc., headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is America's
largest automotive retailer and has been named America's Most Admired
Automotive Retailer by FORTUNE Magazine in five of the last seven years. A
component of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index, AutoNation owns and operates
302 new vehicle franchises in 15 states. For additional information, please
visit http://corp.AutoNation.com or www.AutoNation.com, where more than 80,000
vehicles are available for sale along with AutoNation's E-Vehicle program.
About WomenCertified
WomenCertified is a proven training and certification program rich with
resources to help professionals increase sales through more effective
communication, appreciation and an enriched customer experience. For more
information visit www.womencertified.com.
SOURCE AutoNation, Inc.
CONTACT:
Marc Cannon
+1-954-769-3146
Cannonm@autonation.com