20-plus years ago, it really mattered which auto dealer you went to and bought your vehicle at. Everything from the price of your purchase to the service experience varied widely at each showroom.
It was kind of wild, actually.
And then the automakers at the top of their game started to crack down. Executives, and their teams, realized that by improving certain elements of the dealer experience, they could sway buyer's decision-making. Lexus was best when it came to customer service.
I remember when shopping for luxury autos, certain dealers were quite upfront with their moves. It was a big deal to have a service loaner. And the better dealer groups started offering luxury vehicles of the same class of your personal ride — that way, theoretically, there was no real inconvenience and a straight swap.
Fast forward to present day where things have changed in a big way. Now it's not as important as having a rental fleet as it is to have a ride sharing service — Uber — on call. Or, a concierge service will pick up and drop off your car at your home or office, for example.
So, we've got to ask: Does YOUR dealer where you service your vehicle have a fleet of loaners OR have they been leveraging ride sharing apps, like Uber, instead?