How to generate repeat business

When your dealership provides a thorough and satisfying experience to customers, they’re more likely to bring their repeat business to you – and may even spread news of their interaction with your dealership to their friends and family.

Just as importantly (perhaps more so), they may be inspired enough to leave a positive online review of your dealership for all to see.

Generating repeat business is the bedrock of dealership profitability, so it makes sense to ensure maximum customer satisfaction at every opportunity.

Both of the major considerations facing dealerships – providing great customer experience and generating a regular income stream – are key to managing our relationships with our dealer partners.

“Offering a great customer experience and creating a sustainable income stream for dealerships are fundamentally important to us and it’s true that they go hand-in-hand,” says Sam Cowling, Allianz National Account Manager – Automotive.

Creating a regular income stream for dealerships is underpinned by our fundamental proposition to our customers – we offer both benefits and flexibility when they take out a motor vehicle insurance policy with any dealership in the Allianz network. If they are satisfied with their vehicle purchase and associated insurance policy, they’ll have little hesitation coming back to the dealership for their next purchase.

Our Premier Motor Insurance is only available through the Allianz dealer network and contains certain features above what customers receive through the Allianz direct offering. Among the main features included in our Premier Motor Insurance package are:

• a genuine replacement part guarantee¹
• three years new-for-old replacement²
• no extra cost for choice of repairer, and
• no extra costs for paying by instalments³

The Premier Motor Insurance policy also includes the option to add benefits, such as removal of basic excess for tyre or windscreen claims. To reduce their premium, the customer could select a higher excess or the named driver option, or may also be eligible for a safe driver discount.

“When introducing a customer to Allianz’s Premier Motor Insurance, it’s important to explore the policy’s features and the flexibility you can offer,” Sam says. “It’s all about making the customer aware of the available options and letting them choose what suits them.”

Sam also talks about the importance of generating a sustainable income stream for partner businesses.

“We welcome the opportunity for our dealer partners to generate additional income from part sales and replacement vehicles,” he says. “With our genuine replacement part guarantee, we authorise the purchase of those parts through the dealer network. And with our new-for-old replacement policy, we’ll come back through the selling dealer with first right of refusal for the replacement vehicle in the event of a total loss.”

Wayne McPherson, Allianz Account Manager (NSW/ACT) – Automotive, says we provide assurance to customers by offering them trusted manufacturer-branded policies.

“We brand our Premier insurance for around 70–75 per cent of the market, so the offer of a manufacturer-backed insurance product obviously provides consistency for the dealership,” Wayne says. “It also provides peace of mind to customers and offers them that seamless brand experience they’re after when they visit a dealership.”

Of the benefits offered by our Premier package for dealer network customers, he says the biggest differentiator is our genuine parts and genuine choice of repairer proposition.

“The genuine choice of repairer offer ensures that customers can choose a repairer they trust, like a local business or a brand specialist,” Wayne explains. “It's really something that customers can find value in when they have a claim.”

Sam agrees that our strength lies in our ability to provide a consistent experience for dealership customers.

“A significant point of difference for a franchise motor vehicle dealer is we have relationships with the majority of the OEMs in Australia,” Sam says. “But let’s not forget the hard work of our field team account managers – they’re on the road and dedicated to working with each and every dealership out there.”