Embracing the ever-evolving digital consumer experience is key to thriving in the tyre retail trade, Michelin’s partner dealers were told at annual regional forums across the UK and Ireland.
Guests at the full-day events, held in Windsor, Manchester and Kilkenny, were encouraged to make full use of the tools and advice Michelin provides to develop a slick, engaging and accessible online presence capable of reaching a far wider audience.
The forums highlighted the dedicated end-to-end support that Michelin offers to all partner retailers – giving them the best possible platform upon which to build a solid and loyal customer base.
Mark Meagher, Michelin’s Programme Manager for the UK and Ireland, says: “We’re committed to our dealer partners and invest heavily in helping them provide outstanding customer service in an ever-evolving marketplace – both online and offline. As a result, Michelin really can help them grow their audience if they make use of the range of tools and guidance we give them.
“In order to retain customers, we expect our dealer partners across the UK and Ireland to deliver a seamless end-to-end consumer experience, from research, tyre selection and buying to fitting the premium products and delivering post-purchase support.
“We want to provide a simple, robust, integrated, digital one-stop shop for customers’ tyre needs. We have made an investment in capabilities and expertise to provide a suite of services and content to help our network of dealers succeed online.”
Those in attendance learned about the benefits of powerful digital tools such as syndicated advertising, syndicated content, pay-per-click ads, Net Promoter Score (NPS) software and Michelin’s Click2Sell – an online portal that enables tyre dealers to roll out a personalised website in just two hours.
NPS allows people to rate a business or service online and is becoming an increasingly vital component of the consumer experience – with research revealing 92 per cent of customers consider positive reviews to be highly influential on their web purchasing habits.
Meagher adds: “Quality of service is essential and consumers seek out the experience of others to influence their purchasing choices. Customer acquisition and retention is more important than ever and Michelin will continue to work closely with its partner dealers to develop solutions, ensuring the purchase process from beginning to end is first class.”
Michelin Auto Professional advocate dealers enjoy advantages including free staff training sessions and bespoke business support by Michelin to help them further grow their premium tyre market share.
Once part of the Michelin Auto Professional programme, newly ratified advocate dealers can apply to become a Michelin Certified Centre, and face Michelin’s stringent quality audit process.
Only dealers that successfully complete the audit – which checks everything from telephone manner and workshop cleanliness to tyre stock levels and training provision – earn the right to display the coveted Michelin Certified Centre signage, and add the Michelin Man’s famous logo to their frontage.
Ends
Michelin, the leading tyre company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tyres, services and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve the mobility industry. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has 111,700 employees and operates 68 production facilities in 17 countries which together produced 187 million tyres in 2016. (www.michelin.com)
For further press information please contact:
David Johnson, Michelin Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1782 402341 Email: d.johnson@michelin.com
Tim Nixon or Rebecca Gleave, Garnett Keeler PR, Inver House, 37-39 Pound Street,
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 3PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8647 4467 E-mail: tim.nixon@garnettkeeler.com or rebecca.gleave@garnettkeeler.com
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