3 Min ReadOctober 20, 2023

Dealerships Must Embrace Tech to Attract Millennial Workers

Dealerships Must Embrace Tech to Attract Millennial Workers.

As staff turnover continues to plague dealerships, implementing modern technology could be the saving grace to attracting millennial talent. The industry needs to cater to this group. After all, millennials are the largest working generation. Millennials, broadly categorized as those born between 1980 and 1994, represent 35% of the total U.S. labor market.

If dealerships want to stay competitive and continue adding quality workers to their staff at a variety of levels, the millennial population can’t be ignored.

Digital Natives

Millennials are digital first, growing up with the web at their fingertips and entering the workforce with smartphones in hand. For those used to the convenience of online shopping and next-day (or even same-day) delivery, the traditional car buying process is unappealing.

Add to that the stereotype of pushy sales staff, cut-throat competition for commissions and stacks of paperwork. While this stereotype is outdated, it’s important for dealerships to address these concerns to attract reliable, new employees.

Tech, Not Stress

Selling cars in a traditional dealership is often very stressful, for customers and employees. This sales model doesn’t appeal to millennials who place a lot of value in a seamless buying experience. They’re used to the ease and simplicity of buying on Amazon. They want the car buying process to be Amazon-like, but they also want to sell that way from an employee perspective.

Modern retail technology can be the saving grace for dealerships seeking to attract and retain millennial workers. Technology, such as tablets and kiosks, streamline the experience for everyone involved.

The Express Storefront

Keeping what millennials want in mind, many dealerships have decided to go a step further by enhancing standard dealership processes with an online Express Storefront, like the one offered by CDK Global.

The promise of an Express Store is simple: Customers go online and select an available vehicle or customize a dream car. They can secure financing, receive a value for a trade-in vehicle, calculate monthly payments, and educate themselves on finance and insurance products.

The transparency and convenience shorten the buying process in-store and eliminate the price haggling that so many customers and employees dread.

Consultant, Not Salesperson

Leveraging technology to transform the buying experience also transforms the role of salespeople. When all the details of a purchase are transparent, salespeople fill the role of trusted consultants and can leave the hard bargaining behind.

A customer in-store who has already done hours of research online doesn’t need to be sold. Instead, customer and consultant can work together on one tablet using the same Express Storefront the customer used at home to calculate payments, work a first pencil, and choose finance and insurance products. Built-in guardrails ensure payments meet dealership parameters and don’t erode gross.

Freedom from the burden of high-pressure sales appeals to millennials who are suspicious of pushy salespeople and lengthy transactions. This instantaneous generation weaned on the Internet and the convenience economy can be drawn to dealership jobs when technology is leveraged to ease transactions and blunt hard sales tactics.

Share This

CDK Global
By CDK Global
Staff

Recent Insights

Four Common Questions About Modern Retail in Automotive.

Four Common Questions About Modern Retail in Automotive

Modern retail is a term everyone is buzzing about. Yet, there are still a lot of questions about what it...
4 Min ReadDec 6Jen Miller
More Car Buyers Visit Just One Dealership in November

More Car Buyers Visit Just One Dealership in November

Last month, higher inventories led to more people finding the car they wanted in stock and, at the same time,...
2 Min ReadDec 5David Thomas
Why Process Is as Important as Dealership Technology.

Why Process Is as Important as Dealership Technology

Customers are increasingly vocal about subpar service and they’re taking it online. According to the latest National Customer Rage Survey...
3 Min ReadDec 4CDK Global
CDK Global 2023. The Year in Research.

CDK Global 2023: The Year in Research

CDK Global endeavors to connect dealers with the automotive industry at large and our in-depth and revealing research covers everything...
1 Min ReadDec 1CDK Global
The Ideal Automotive Sales Process May Surprise You.

The Ideal Automotive Sales Process May Surprise You

Our industry has come a long way toward offering different paths to purchase for vehicle buyers. Shoppers can buy online,...
3 Min ReadNov 20CDK Global
Who’s Paying Cash for Cars?

Who’s Paying Cash for Cars?

Sky-high interest rates and tightening credit have made buying a new car more daunting than it’s been in years. It...
3 Min ReadNov 14Courtney Gaillard
Car Buyers Eager to Shun Idle Time, Not Dealer Showrooms.

Car Buyers Eager to Shun Idle Time, Not Dealer Showrooms

Most dealerships are hyperfocused on building a better buying experience for their customers. Contrary to popular belief, a better experience...
4 Min ReadNov 13CDK Global
Time Is Ticking on Customer Satisfaction E Book

Time Is Ticking on Customer Satisfaction E-Book

If there’s one thing no one has enough of these days, it’s time. The more efficient the world becomes, the...
1 Min ReadNov 10CDK Global
The Boom-er Times Are a Changing for Dealerships.

The Boom(er) Times Are A-Changin’ for Dealerships

Baby boomers have dominated car buying and leasing for decades. Now, the oldest members of this generation, typically classified as...
4 Min ReadNov 6CDK Global
Unexpected Inventory Boosts Lead to Improved Purchase Experience.

Unexpected Inventory Boosts Lead to Improved Purchase Experience

Consumer credit continues to tighten. The workforce unrest for the Detroit automakers is just now settling. And for many, the...
3 Min ReadNov 1David Thomas