A recent briefing from ICDP has laid bare something many of us in the automotive industry have long suspected: too many dealers are quiet when they should be speaking up. In an era where electric vehicle lead times can stretch beyond six months, consumer brand loyalty is on the decline, and new entrants are disrupting the market with tech-forward EVs and eye-catching price points, dealers and OEMs simply cannot afford to leave existing customers in the dark.
A Customer Waiting
“With my current vehicle due to be returned in half a year, you’d think I’d be prime ‘let’s get you into a new motor’ material. Apparently not.”
This quote, pulled from ICDP’s real-world case study of a customer currently navigating the car-buying journey, should ring alarm bells. The customer is primed to repurchase, aware of delivery lead times, interested in exploring options, and increasingly tempted by newer brands making bold moves. Yet, despite being an ideal prospect, they’ve received no contact from their dealer, finance company, or OEM. Not a call. Not an email. Not even a letter.
Early Engagement Matters
It’s a powerful example of what can happen when dealerships fail to engage during the so-called ‘passive phase’ of the buying journey; that period when a customer isn’t actively shopping yet, but their future decision is quietly taking shape.
“Just 31% of new car buyers in our 2023 consumer survey replaced their previous car with the same brand.”
Turning Silence Into Strategy
At DACX, we’ve built our Lost&Lapsed and Renew&Retain solutions specifically to address this growing gap. Our intelligent contact centre services empower dealerships and OEMs to reconnect with dormant leads, reach out to customers with leases due to expire, and create meaningful dialogue before competitors can step in.
There’s another telling contrast in the ICDP briefing. A friend of the author, also leasing a vehicle, received a proactive check-in call from their dealer. No hard sell, just a casual chat about their vehicle and an invitation to consider an early trade-in. The result? A new sale, a loyal customer retained and a highly desirable used vehicle back in the dealer’s stock.
“That’s proactive customer management. That’s a dealer understanding the market and their customer base.”
Communication That Builds Trust
Proactive communication isn’t about pestering customers. It’s about hitting the sweet spot between silence and spam, building trust and relevance at the right time. We work with many AM100 dealer groups and OEMs who understand this well and use our support to consistently deliver timely, relevant and empathetic customer engagement.
When nearly 75% of customers have already made up their mind on brand and model before visiting a dealership – and 95% of them go on to buy that brand – waiting for them to walk in just doesn’t cut it anymore.
Don’t let another customer slip through the cracks. Talk to us about how DACX can help you re-engage your customer base … and make every conversation count.
Inspired by ICDP’s 2025 briefing: A potential new car buyer – a tale of radio silence by Gareth Arnould
