
Driving change
The best practice guide to CX in the automotive industry
OEMs need to shift their focus from engineering to customer experience
Forge partnerships with stakeholders and prioritize data collection and sharing
In the shift to digitalization, dealerships shouldn’t lose sight of the importance of in-person CX
Marketing direct to customers can pose unique problems
Approaches to sales, support and services must reflect regional customer needs
How do you transition existing customers to EV ownership?
It’s no exaggeration to say the automotive industry is going through the greatest revolution in its history. Thanks to new technology, new regulations and new forms of competition, the changes that are already taking hold will be more profound than the opening of the first dealership, the launch of the assembly line or the expansion of globally integrated supply chains in terms of how they define and reshape the industry for years to come.
The automotive industry is undergoing a mandated shift from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electrified or decarbonized forms of propulsion. Over the past decade, this transformation has been accompanied by the rise of direct-to-customer (D2C) automotive brands competing with legacy Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), as well as the emergence of disruptive, digital-first businesses that leverage data-driven insights, analytics and seamless integration to challenge traditional notions of car ownership.
And the changes don’t stop at ownership; the definition of the automobile itself is being challenged. As well as moving towards electrification, cars are moving towards greater connectivity and greater autonomous driving capability with each passing year. Will this transition break the emotional bond between car and driver? Will the car cease to be a product and become a service?
But of course, every industrial revolution creates opportunity and confusion in equal measure, and when a challenge can be identified and overcome, it stops being an obstacle and becomes an opportunity for growth.
However, before the legacy automotive industry can start navigating these future challenges, it has to reconcile its past. It’s vital that car makers recognize, learn from and correct historical errors so that they can move forward without repeating those mistakes. And over the past several decades, the biggest mistake the automotive world has constantly made is ignoring the strategic importance of customer experience.
Because the only way to plot a path to future success is through putting the customer in the driver’s seat.
Put the customer in the driving seat
OEMs need to shift their focus from engineering to customer experience