Why Auto Parts Retailers Need To Prioritize the Customer Experience and How To Start

According to Global Market Insights, the automotive aftermarket industry has exceeded $560 billion in 2021 and will exhibit a growth rate of over 6.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2028. The major factors fueling the industry’s expansion include ever-increasing customer expectations, ongoing technological innovations, and rising competition across the automotive sector.

To remain competitive in this fast-growing market, brands must prioritize enhancements to the customer experience in order to boost revenue and market share. Unfortunately, automotive parts brands tend to have a bad rap when it comes to the customer experience.

Where are they falling short? A quick scan of ratings + reviews sites gives us some insight into top customer complaints—and demonstrates the lasting impact a negative experience can have:

• “Delivery hasn’t arrived!”
• “Parts not available when told it would be.”
• “Order took three extra weeks to arrive – no communication or apology.”
• “Good luck getting a refund for a faulty part.”
• “Paid for next-day delivery item, got it five days later.”
• “I’ve had the worst customer service ever!”
• “Wrong items delivered.”
• “This will be the last time I use this company.”

With so much at stake, what is your brand doing to prioritize customer satisfaction and resolve issues and problems quickly and effectively? Without a proper customer experience (CX) strategy, brands are losing valuable customers. But brands that are taking the right steps to execute a positive customer experience—including addressing and resolving customer concerns quickly and effectively—are building customer loyalty and seeing the payoff to their bottom line.

Having a solid CX program also helps brands stay ahead of the curve and proactively address issues before they become a larger problem. Customer feedback provides valuable insights into areas where your company is falling short and helps identify improvement opportunities. By listening to and learning from customer feedback, companies can make positive changes and improve the overall customer experience.

To improve the performance of your CX efforts, you need to understand your brand’s performance in the following areas:

• Respect: How your business treats its customers and the degree of deference and consideration you extend to them
• Products: The quality and reliability of the products offered by your company
• Service: Includes delivery promptness, employee expertise, ease of purchasing, and the availability of post-sale support
• Price: Cost of goods or services and any specials or discounts that may be applied
• Communication: Your company’s effectiveness and clarity in terms of sharing information, availability of customer service, and responsiveness to customer questions or complaints
• Digital channels: The usability and effectiveness of your company’s online platforms, including website and mobile apps

The best way to gauge how your brand is doing in these areas is to implement a CX program that collects customer feedback in order to develop strategies that address any shortcomings and improve the overall experience.

Because providing excellent customer service is essential for your brand to remain competitive in the automotive parts industry. By providing a knowledgeable and helpful support staff, responding quickly to customer inquiries and concerns, and providing convenient and efficient returns or exchanges, you can become consumers’ top choice for auto parts.

Another way to improve CX in the automotive parts industry is to make it easy for customers to order parts and access product information. Best-in-class companies offer online ordering, detailed product descriptions and specifications, and real-time order tracking, while presenting a wide range of products to meet the needs of different customers.

This may seem like a lot. But the good news is you don’t have to do this alone. Outsourcing your customer experience program can be beneficial because it allows you to tap into specialized expertise and resources that may not be available internally. It can also be a cost-effective way to manage CX because your company won’t have to invest in training or hire a specialist staff.

With the right CX partner, your automotive parts company will have the support you need to understand customer motivations, meet their expectations, and differentiate your brand from competitors. Let’s get started.