Detroit forum identifies what women want from car dealers
02-09-2002, 10:28 PM
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Detroit forum identifies what women want from car dealers
In the majority of American homes, women have the most influence when it comes to deciding which car to buy. A focus group gathered at the Detroit Auto Show provided some clues about women’s preferences.
Sigmund Freud is reputed to have once asked: “What do women want?” Freud didn’t have an answer.
But a recent Boston Globe article about a forum sponsored by the Women’s Economic Club of Detroit during the Detroit Auto Show may at least shed some light on what women are looking for from their car dealers.
The forum was titled ‘’What Women Want (in the Cars They Drive),’’ and attracted roughly 400 women participants. The women were asked to use hand-held units to record their responses to a series of questions posed by a market research firm. The responses were then immediately tallied and displayed at the front of the room.
So what do women want from car dealers? The overwhelming response was “Respect,” respect as individuals and respect for their time. Don’t send direct mail pieces to a woman and address her as “Mr.” And why can’t service department hours be more convenient?
The women also ranked safety, comfort, and design as their highest priorities in selecting a vehicle. Price came in fourth. Image was also an important consideration. According to the Globe report, while the woman at the forum agreed that minivans are a practical way to transport children, they prefer to buy SUVs for that purpose. And while the Nissan Altima and Chevy Trailblazer won top honors at the Auto Show from journalists, the women from the forum picked Ford’s Thunder-bird as their favorite, followed by the Cadillac CTS.
Sigmund Freud is reputed to have once asked: “What do women want?” Freud didn’t have an answer.
But a recent Boston Globe article about a forum sponsored by the Women’s Economic Club of Detroit during the Detroit Auto Show may at least shed some light on what women are looking for from their car dealers.
The forum was titled ‘’What Women Want (in the Cars They Drive),’’ and attracted roughly 400 women participants. The women were asked to use hand-held units to record their responses to a series of questions posed by a market research firm. The responses were then immediately tallied and displayed at the front of the room.
So what do women want from car dealers? The overwhelming response was “Respect,” respect as individuals and respect for their time. Don’t send direct mail pieces to a woman and address her as “Mr.” And why can’t service department hours be more convenient?
The women also ranked safety, comfort, and design as their highest priorities in selecting a vehicle. Price came in fourth. Image was also an important consideration. According to the Globe report, while the woman at the forum agreed that minivans are a practical way to transport children, they prefer to buy SUVs for that purpose. And while the Nissan Altima and Chevy Trailblazer won top honors at the Auto Show from journalists, the women from the forum picked Ford’s Thunder-bird as their favorite, followed by the Cadillac CTS.
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