Critical Shifts:
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Mobile Apps Drive Actionable Feedback: While email dominates total submission volume (62.2%), mobile app feedback delivers higher engagement. Mobile respondents are far more likely to receive an acknowledgment (74.1% vs. 57.6%) and see tangible operational changes (36.4% vs. 14.2%) compared to email users.
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Facebook Outpaces Yelp in Dealership Research: Over two-thirds of customers read online reviews before choosing a dealership, with 76.9% stating reviews directly influence their decision. Google leads across all demographics, but Facebook consistently ranks ahead of Yelp, especially among buyers under 45.
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Satisfaction Outpaces Customer Trust: High immediate satisfaction (88%) and repeat intention (93%) mask a broader trust deficit. Only 37% of customers trust dealerships "a great deal," and 60.6% report higher expectations than two years ago, proving that a single good visit does not automatically build deep brand loyalty.
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Gender Disparities Persist in Follow-Up: Women experience a weaker overall feedback loop. They are less likely to be asked for feedback than men (27% vs. 18% never asked) and are more likely to report that their feedback resulted in no visible change or acknowledgment
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New research from Alchemer offers a look at how automotive customers find reviews, provide feedback and decide whether they trust a dealership or service provider.
The customer experience and feedback intelligence provider released two new automotive customer experience reports Aug. 19 covering consumer behavior, online reviews, satisfaction, feedback and brand loyalty.
Mobile Feedback More Likely to Get a Response
Email remains the most widely used feedback channel, accounting for 62.2% of submissions. But customers who provide feedback through mobile apps are more likely to receive an acknowledgment and see action afterward.
According to the research, 74.1% of mobile-app respondents received an acknowledgment, compared with 57.6% of email respondents. And 36.4% said they saw a visible change after providing feedback, compared with just 14.2% of email respondents.
Only 4.2% of mobile respondents said nothing happened after providing feedback, compared with 24.1% of email respondents.
Facebook Beats Yelp for Automotive Reviews
Online reviews remain an important part of the shopping process. More than 67% of customers said they read reviews before choosing a dealership or service center, and 76.9% of those customers said reviews influence their decision.
Google was the leading review source across every age group. Facebook also ranked ahead of Yelp across every age group, with customers under 45 relying on it most heavily.
High Satisfaction Doesn't Always Mean High Trust
Customers generally reported positive automotive experiences, with 88% rating their most recent experience positively and 93% saying they were likely to return.
But only 37% said they trust dealerships "a great deal," while 60.6% said their expectations are higher than they were two years ago.
The gap suggests that a customer can be satisfied with a particular experience without necessarily having a high level of trust in the dealership.
Women Report a Weaker Feedback Loop
The research also found differences between men and women in how they experience the feedback process. 27% of women said they had never been asked for feedback, compared with 18% of men.
Women were also more likely to report receiving little or no follow-up after providing feedback. 22.2% said nothing happened after they responded, compared with 16.2% of men, while 10.1% said they received no response or acknowledgment, compared with 6.5% of men.
Overall, the research points to a customer experience where satisfaction is relatively high, but trust and follow-through remain areas where dealerships can make a difference.
