The next time you walk onto a car lot with your car loan quotes and other papers in hand, you are as likely as not to find a female sales representative waiting to help you. Although car dealers traditionally have employed a mostly male sales force, recent trends have them actively recruiting more women.
Most Car Buyers are Women
One reason for this change is that most of the customers seeking car loan quotes and buying cars are female. According to an article in Motor Matters around 58% of car buyers are women; Road & Travel Magazine puts that number closer to 65%. Despite a predominately female customer base, auto dealership employees have been overwhelmingly male.
According to surveys, a majority of female customers say feel more comfortable dealing with female sales people. Some women are uncomfortable with salesmen because they feel the men treat them condescendingly. A survey by CNW Marketing Research showed that women are three times more likely to want a female sale representative than a male one.
Car dealers are responding to these studies and to their own experience with female sales people and are hunting down more women to work the sales floor.
The Showroom Isn't the Only Choice for Women
Although more women are selling cars on the floor and issuing car loan quotes in the finance department, opportunities in the service and parts departments abound as well. The women in these jobs aren't grease-stained tomboys who spent their teen years rebuilding transmissions. They are average women, often with customer service experience in other jobs.
Parts and service jobs require a great personality. The ability for the shop to generate repeat business greatly depends on how the employee gets along with the customer. The technical part of the job can be taught, but good customer service is a real art. Women with strong people skills have a lot of opportunities in these areas, earning the same wages as their male counterparts.
A Changing Industry
Although car dealers are trying to minimize the gender gap, many are at a loss as to how to attract more female employees. Much of the difficulty comes from the potential employees themselves. Many women never consider working at an auto dealership. Some assume that dealerships don't hire women while others fear they might be harassed in a male-dominated environment. They might be surprised just how male-dominated these fields aren't anymore.
While women don't yet make up half the employees in the auto sales and finance industry, you'll find quite a few more women at car dealerships than you would have a few years ago. From the person giving you car loan quotes to the sales representative to the service staff, more women are making inroads into these fields than ever before.
Shade structures have become very popular these days. Although the idea originated in South Africa and Australia, since the 1990s both shade structures and shade sails have become more and more popular in the United States. Used for a multitude of purposes such as covers for school playgrounds or field bleachers, to providing instant shade over patios and swimming pools, it is no wonder these nifty devices are becoming more popular. It is no wonder that now even car dealerships are seeing the many benefits of shade sails or shade structures on their lots. Here are just a few ways car dealerships are seeing their shade structures pay off.
1. Sun damage and hail can ruin a car. In certain parts of the country hail is known to fall and cause damage wherever it lands. A large hailstorm can completely ruin an auto dealer's inventory of expensive cars. These car dealers are then forced to sell cars at a discount. With the installation of a shade structure or shade sail, a dealer's inventory is quickly protected. In addition, certain insurance companies will discount their premiums against hail damage for car dealers who use shade sails or shade structures to protect their inventory.
2. Protection from the sun is also important. Both new and used car dealers alike will agree that the sun can damage a car's paint as well as its interior. Interiors that have been exposed to the sun for long periods of time become weathered. Leather seats can start to crack while other interior parts like the dashboard and center console can start to deteriorate as well. Shade structures and shade sails will protect a car's interior and keep it from deterioration. Additional value will be passed on to customers who will know that the car they just purchased was kept under cover by the dealer.
3. Shade sails and shade structures will also increase the "curb side" appeal of any auto dealership. These artistic looking structures will be seen from far away. Shade sails stand out from your ordinary metal roof parking structures. Available in many colors, the shade cloth used for shade sails or shade structures, can be coordinated with dealership brand colors. For example, a Toyota automotive dealership can use a red top with white logo letters to make a very nice attractive display for their inventory. Potential customers will be drawn just to the shade sails or shade structures and perhaps might be persuaded to purchase a car as well.
4. A comfortable shopping environment is another advantage that shade structures or shade sails give automotive dealerships. Certain parts of the country like Texas, Arizona and New Mexico are subject to extremely hot temperatures. Car shopping can be less then enjoyable when having to walk around a big car lot in 100 degrees or more. Customers will appreciate the ability to shop in the shade. And, shade sails and shade structures can reduce the heat by more than twenty degrees. Auto dealerships that use shade sails or shade structures are almost even increasing the size of their showrooms. Customers who are not bothered by the heat or sun are more likely to purchase as well.
There are many uses for shade sails and shade structures. The automotive industry is only one good example where they can be fully utilized.
Both Christine Harrell & Alex Gwen Thomson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.