Walk-in customers are once again the biggest source of sales enquiries for UK dealerships, according to new JudgeService research.
Research by JudgeService found 50% of customer enquiries now come from dealership visits, up from 44% in 2022, highlighting the continued importance of physical retail environments.
Online enquiries also increased over the same period, rising from 24% to 26%, while phone enquiries fell from 22% to 17%.
Leads generated by sales staff proactively contacting customers also declined, dropping from 9% in 2022 to 7% in 2026.
The findings are based on analysis of 1.7 million customer responses gathered through JudgeService’s ProAct lost sales surveys between 2022 and 2026.
The link between greeting and NPS
Neil Addley, managing director of JudgeService, said: “Our data tracks -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.”
JudgeService also found a strong link between customer greeting times and dealership net promoter scores (NPS).
The highest NPS scores came from customers greeted within one minute of arrival, accounting for 42% of responses, followed by those welcomed within “a couple of minutes” at 32%.
Scores dropped significantly for customers waiting five minutes, at 6%, and 10 minutes, at 7%.
Customers who waited more than 10 minutes recorded a negative NPS score of -27%, while those who had to actively seek assistance reported a score of -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.”
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