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7 hours online before they visit a showroom.

CARS.com has a lot of consumer data, and is seeing many trends and disconnects in the automotive industry. CEO Alex Vetter joined us on Auto Collabs to talk about the digital customer experience, trust reservoirs and giving power back to the small business owner.

What we talk about in this episode:
0:00 Intro with Michael Cirillo, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier.

4:29 Alex and CARS have a philosophy of “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” They use this mantra to promote collaboration and innovation, something that Alex sees across the entire industry.

“Share points are usually won through teamwork and collaboration. And so it's a big cultural tenant we have inside our company, but I think it's important for the industry. I mean, I think what I love about dealers is that you know, they're competitors by day but they're partners through and through. They want to learn from each other. They want to share what's working. And they know that innovation has to always happen in order to keep relevant and current in the business.”

9:12 Are regular Metaverse vehicle purchases coming? Maybe eventually, but right now, Alex sees consumers spending much more time in digital spaces than physical spaces.

12:40 Don’t believe the negative hype surrounding dealers. CARS.com has 10 million customer reviews through DealerRater showing dealers are doing a phenomenal job in sales and service.

23:33 Customers are searching for trust reservoirs, areas where they can get objective data and reviews. Alex thinks we need to embrace these trust reservoirs and see them as a part of the process.

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Connect with Alex Vetter on LinkedIn
Learn about CARS.com

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