More consumers use product specialists when buying a car

More consumers use product specialists when buying a car

As vehicles become increasingly complex, more buyers are getting help from product specialists to help then learn how to use the technology in their new car, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Sales Satisfaction Index Study.

The study found that 24 percent of luxury vehicle owners and 16 percent of mass market vehicle owners worked with both a salesperson and a product specialist when buying a new vehicle. Those figures are up from 19 percent and 15 percent two years ago.

–Owners can be challenged with the complexity of todayês vehicles,” said Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail practice at J.D. Power. –More dealerships are employing product specialists and more brands, especially the luxury brands, are requiring that the dealers have them.”

The product specialistês primary role is to make the owner aware of the array of technology in their vehicle and help them understand how to use it. A product specialist may help the owner pair their smartphone to the vehicleês Bluetooth system or show how to navigate the Bluetooth system. Owners who work with both a salesperson and product specialist are overall more satisfied with the sales experience than those who work only with a salesperson.

Explaining the technology or providing a demonstration not only makes the owner aware of all the technoloiges in the car, but also makes the person more likely to use the technologies and want them in their next vehicle, Sutton said.