CDK Global

Hiring and retaining talent is one of the most challenging tasks for dealerships. While a career in automotive offers a lot of perks, like high-earning potential, the downsides of long hours and high-pressure sales environments can dissuade job-seekers. So, what can dealerships do to draw in talent?

CDK wanted to find out. In our recent workplace study, we asked 400 current and former dealership employees about different aspects of their jobs. What we learned may surprise you.

Haggling, at least for the average consumer, may reach its zenith in the car-shopping process. However, that doesn't mean that the stereotypical image of a car shopper doing battle with a dealership’s entire Front Office actually holds true.

In fact, the opposite may be the case. In a recent study by CDK of over 1,000 car buyers*, we learned that nearly 85% of them reported spending less than half an hour negotiating the overall price or their monthly payments. That’s it: just 30 minutes or less — about the amount of time it takes to get through a TV sitcom.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of car shoppers surveyed in recent study* by CDK said that they ultimately decided to purchase from a specific dealership because it offered the highest value for their trade-in vehicle.

There’s a lot of discussion about hybrid vehicles having a moment. But when it comes to buying a car, more shoppers are choosing a hybrid approach too. The CDK Ease of Purchase Survey tracks how many people buy their car entirely in person at the dealership, entirely online or a combination of the two.

While women have an outsized influence on car purchase decisions, they’re a clear minority of car dealership employees. According to NADA, approximately one in five dealership employees are women. That’s why CDK wanted to learn more about these employees as part of our recent 2024 Dealership Workplace Study.

The results are stark.

If you had any doubt about the power of the test drive, a recent study* by CDK should put it to rest.

CDK surveyed over a thousand new car buyers on a number of topics but one that was crystal clear: just how important the test drive was to not only their purchase decision but to what dealer they purchased from.

There’s no question that a car’s price, and very often its monthly payment, often determines the car people buy. But even as car prices seem higher than they’ve ever been, many buyers are happy to hit the top of their budget.

In a recent study*, CDK wanted to find out just how budget-conscious shoppers truly were. And while 93% of shoppers said they indeed had a set budget, 57% admitted the car they finally purchased was at the top end of their acceptable range.

Simply put: Car shoppers were willing to splurge on a vehicle that best met their needs and desires.

In a recent study focused on the car buyer journey*, CDK uncovered that dealership Sales staff are extremely good at delivering two things that are critical to closing sales: test drives and assessing what a customer truly needs.

While many car shoppers come into the showroom with a general idea of the kind of vehicle they think they want, they often want their purchase considerations confirmed by expert dealership personnel. And, it turns out, car dealerships are delivering: 94% of customers reported that dealership staff spent time assessing their vehicle needs.

A surprisingly large number of U.S. auto dealers say their Sales staff aren't enthusiastic about selling EVs, according to the recent CDK Dealers Face the EV Transition white paper. A total of 250 dealership leaders in regions across all 50 states took part, and a startling 49% said their Sales teams weren’t excited at all about selling EVs. The differences between regions were also clear.

From supply chain issues and volatile interest rates to staffing woes and inflation, 2023 was a year rife with perpetual heartburn for most of the auto industry. CDK reached out to dealers for their take on the year while they were right in the thick of sales and service in 2024.