If you’ve been following along, we’ve been covering the impacts of complete compliance on a dealership’s reputation. We’ve covered topics like your car buying experience, or how your dealership approaches data privacy and security. Now, let’s switch gears and take a look at the impact your dealership’s safety program impacts your bottom line.

Let’s explore the impact of a dealership’s safety record on attracting customers and skilled technicians, emphasizing the broader implications for market success and community standing.

Don’t Forget that Your Safety Record is in the Public Domain

OSHA injury tracking and inspection data are publicly available. And OSHA loves to publicize high-dollar penalties.

Spills, fires, and casualties can all make the headlines. And, if you ask any KPAer, we all want people to focus on the good your dealership is doing in the community and that you’re a trustworthy company to work for instead of a shaky safety record.

The Impacts of a Good Reputation

Keeping Your Qualified Service Techs and Hiring New Ones

The competition for technicians is fierce these days. And the data doesn’t look good.

Wrenchwray surveyed over 600 technicians for their Voice of the Technician Survey, and one question they asked was, “On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend this industry to a friend?” This pivotal satisfaction metric, or Net Promoter Score, was a whopping -24.

“Any score below 0 means there are more detractors than promoters. With a score of -24, this means the automotive and diesel industries have a lot of work to do.”

The study also revealed that 49% of service techs have considered leaving the industry. Imagine the impact of half of your techs leaving the industry altogether. That will undoubtedly cut into the $142 billion market for service and parts sales.

More data points for dealers to ponder…data from Hireology’s Applicant Study notes that hiring is somewhat to extremely challenging for 88% of dealerships. And nearly half of applicants applied to 16 or more jobs. These statistics highlight the competitive landscape auto dealerships face when trying to attract top talent.

Demonstrating a solid safety culture goes a long way toward showing your techs that you care about them and want them to be members of your dealership family for the long haul.

Making a Buyer’s Short List

When the average customer only visits 2 dealerships before making a purchase, they’re leaning heavily on a dealership’s reputation when making their decision. And a dealership that doesn’t have their car buying experience completely buttoned up runs the risk of not making that buyer’s very short list.

Consider these data points:

• 84% of consumers say reviews are important in their choice of dealerships.
• And 93% of Gen Z use reviews to make purchasing decisions and are twice as likely to have their choice of dealership influenced by social media.

It’s also much harder to burnish a bad reputation than it is to maintain a good one. Keep in mind that one negative review from a dissatisfied customer can mean you’ll need roughly 12 positive reviews to counter its effects.

Enhancing Dealership Success Through a Commitment to Safety

A dealership’s commitment to safety significantly influences its reputation and financial success. High safety standards are not just a matter of compliance but a competitive advantage that impacts hiring, customer trust, and ultimately, the bottom line.

Dealerships must realize that their safety record can attract or deter both skilled technicians and potential customers. Hence, prioritizing safety is indispensable for building a reputable and lucrative business in the competitive automotive market.

Follow a 10-Step Journey to EHS Compliance

Environmental health and safety coverage that’s guided by industry-leading experts who provide a proven 10-step path for complete auto dealer ehs compliance. This robust set of tools includes a combination of consulting, training, and regulatory content. Hover over each step to learn more.

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Keep your dealership safe from environmental factors that impact your workers’ and customers’ safety. KPA helps auto dealers maintain cultures of safety, streamline operations, and manage risk.

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