The pitfalls of manual review systems and how automation can improve your review volume—and your reputation.
Reviews are the lifeblood of every dealership’s online reputation. They influence buyer decisions, improve business visibility, and provide actionable insights into the customer experience. Despite their importance, many dealerships have difficulty collecting reviews from their clients.
As the consumer process has shifted more toward streamlined digital transactions, outdated feedback methods have fallen behind, leaving dealerships to miss out on the opportunity to strengthen their customer base and their reputation.
The solution? An automated approach that ensures a steady flow of authentic customer feedback.
Let’s get into it.
The problem: Inconsistent effort = inconsistent reviews. When review requests utilize manual strategies that rely on customers doing most of the work, it becomes hard to maintain high volume and accurate feedback.
The problem: Salespeople hesitate to ask for reviews. Even the most experienced sales staff often feel awkward requesting a review, resulting in fewer outreach efforts.
The problem: CRMs aren't built for review generation. They lack the personalization, smart timing, and follow-up needed to drive real response rates. As a result, most requests go unnoticed—and review volume stays low.
Some dealers also limit outreach to only satisfied customers. This form of review gating hurts online reputations, as businesses with only positive reviews are less likely to be trusted than those with a more credible mix of negative and positive feedback.
While the old practices yield some results, they fail to generate consistent and authentic feedback, leaving dealerships with unpredictable review volume and an incomplete online presence.
Long story short—none of these tactics make the cut in 2025.
With systems like Google Business Profile powering the online marketplace, many dealerships make the easy mistake of putting all of their focus on ratings. While maintaining high ratings is important, it’s not the only factor. What's equally—if not more—important is:
1. Review Volume
A large number of reviews enhances credibility and trust among potential customers. When consumers see a high review volume, they are more likely to perceive your business as reliable and your products/services as desirable.
2. Review Frequency
Maintaining a consistent influx of new reviews is an indicator of an active and engaged customer base. Ongoing feedback helps create a dynamic relationship between your dealership and your customers, fostering community engagement.
3. Review Consistency
Consistent reviews highlight different aspects of the experience: You should be asking all of your customers for reviews, even if they might be negative. A well-rounded mix of feedback reflects the true customer experience, rather than just isolated positive or negative moments. Consistent reviews that highlight the different aspects of the automotive experience allow customers to make informed decisions, and they help your business collect actionable data.
So, instead of chasing the perfect 5-star rating, trust the process and trust your customers. Prioritize honest, high-quality feedback.
Now that we have gone over the target goals, let’s talk about how your dealership can achieve them.
Automation is the name of the game!
Dealers should adopt an automated system that:
Seamlessly requests reviews of all customers—at the right time: This ensures that every customer has the opportunity to provide feedback at important stages of their experience, such as right after a purchase, a positive employee interaction, or a successful vehicle repair. According to a Brightlocal study, 70% of customers say that they will leave a review if asked. Automatic requests make it as easy as possible for customers to leave reviews with just one click.
The benefit: Increased review volume = better search rankings. When reviews are requested automatically, opportunities don’t slip through the cracks, and more reviews come in. Google prioritizes businesses with a high review volume and recency rate, improving their visibility in local search results. 81% of consumers use Google to evaluate local businesses, so harnessing review practices that strengthen your GBP will lead to higher ratings and higher customer satisfaction.
Removes the burden from employees and encourages authentic reviews: Automated reviews take the pressure off your employees to request in-person reviews, allowing your staff to focus on delivering excellent customer service.
The benefit: Removing the in-person manual review ask leaves space for your customers to craft honest feedback without any pressure. These authentic reviews create a reputation that exudes trust and engagement, attracting more customers and building long-term credibility.
Uses sentiment analysis for actionable insights: Automated reputation management programs identify trends in customer feedback to pinpoint areas for improvement.
The benefit: Learning from your reviews will result in better reviews in the long run. By requesting reviews from all of your clients, your dealership will be able to spot common weak points, determine what's working well, and make informed changes to your strategy.
Pro tip: Invest in a third-party review management system that will analyze your data for you, providing concise recommendations to strengthen your dealership’s reputation.
Automation isn’t just about convenience—it’s about results. Dealerships that embrace technology-driven review collection see tangible improvements in their online reputation and, ultimately, their bottom line.
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