Are Automotive Firms Overestimating Their Customer Service? New Study Reveals Shocking Gaps

A recent study by Moneypenny reveals a significant disconnect between how automotive businesses perceive their customer service and how consumers actually experience it. The research, which surveyed 200 automotive businesses and 5,000 consumers, highlights major perception gaps across key communication channels.

The Biggest Gaps

The largest disparity was on social media, where 71% of businesses believed they met customer expectations, but only 34% of consumers agreed. Similarly, web forms showed a gap: 71% of businesses thought they were satisfactory versus 38% of consumers. For messaging apps, 79% of businesses rated performance positively, compared to 52% of consumers.

The 'One-Shot Economy'

Moneypenny's findings point to a 'one-shot economy', where 70% of consumers are likely to choose the business that responds first. Speed is critical: 79% of businesses think a customer will try again if they don't get a response, but only 23% of consumers would. About 1 in 5 consumers would stop trying or go elsewhere.

What Matters Most

Both businesses and consumers value clarity, professionalism, and human reassurance on first contact. However, there's a gap on personalisation: 84% of businesses rate it as important, but only 68% of consumers agree.

Out-of-Hours Support

Out-of-hours support also affects customer confidence. While 40% of consumers prefer standard 9am-5pm support, 26% would opt for early evening (5pm-9pm).

This study underscores the need for automotive firms to align their customer service perceptions with reality to win and retain customers.