Study: Car Salespeople Are Improving

In ongoing studies of car buyers, CDK asks about the all-important role of the car salesperson in the purchase process. Over three years, more than 11,000 shoppers have told us how well their salesperson has assisted them in key areas. And each year these vital contributors at the dealership are improving.

One of the key factors for a smooth car-buying process, as well as a strong Net Promoter Score, is how shoppers feel about the time they spend at the dealership. NPS tracks whether someone would recommend a dealer to friends and family and a good score is generally in the 20s. If the sales process takes more than three hours, the NPS score falls from +51 to +32.

And much of that time is spent with the salesperson. Since 2022, the percentage of people who say a salesperson made efficient use of their time has risen from 75% to 82% in 2024.

Despite high turnover for many Sales professionals — dealers in the 2025 CDK Friction Points Study said they turned over three salespeople in 2024 on average — more customers say in their interactions there was increasing levels of auto know-how. In 2022, 77% of car buyers said the salesperson demonstrated product expertise, rising to 82% in 2024.

Receiving guidance from Sales staff on the products and the purchase process itself has been a focus of shoppers, especially younger generations. In this area, gains were also strong with 83% of customers saying their salesperson provided clear explanations through the entire process.

The last category we surveyed around was on the representative’s professional demeanor. The 81% of people who said their salesperson was professional at all times in 2022 also rose, hitting 85% in 2024.

These questions are asked as part of a broader Ease of Purchase monthly survey, which has shown that buying a car is a relatively painless task for most consumers. When we started asking the simple question, “Was it easy to buy your car?” in 2022, it was a slight surprise to hear more than four out of five (82%) say yes. In 2024, that number had grown to 88%.

As we track each month, the clearest factor in moving the total number higher is the availability of inventory. But it seems the contributions of the people moving the metal are making an impact too.