A car is one of the biggest things most people buy, and they research the dealer as carefully as the car. Reviews cover the whole journey: the test drive, the sales conversation, the finance office, the handover and every service visit afterwards.
Ask at the moments that matter
- At handover, when the customer is happiest. A QR card in the welcome pack works well.
- After the first service, by text or email.
- After a warranty repair is sorted, even if the visit started badly.
Ask every customer the same way. Do not ask only buyers who seemed pleased, and never offer a free valet or accessory for a review. Google prohibits review incentives, and the FTC's rule on consumer reviews, in force since October 2024, bans incentives tied to what the review says. See the rules on incentivised reviews.
Replying to the common complaints
"Pushy salesperson." "Thank you for telling us. Nobody should feel pressured buying a car, and it's not how we want to work. Our sales manager [name] would like to hear more. Please call [number]."
"The price changed at the desk." Do not argue figures in public. "We're sorry the final figures weren't what you expected. We want every price to be clear from the start. Please contact [name] so we can go through it with you."
"Service took three days and the problem is back." "That's frustrating, and we're sorry. Please bring the car back or call our service manager directly on [number]. We'll look at it as a priority."
Keep sales and service separate in your head
Many dealers find their sales reviews glow while service reviews drag the rating down, or the other way round. Tag reviews by department so you know which team to coach. A good dashboard groups themes like price, wait time and staff.
Multi-site groups
Dealer groups should compare sites on rating trend, response rate and unanswered reviews, not just the overall average. See tracking ratings across locations and our guide to multi-location reputation management.
Why speed matters
The BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 found 89% of consumers expect businesses to respond to reviews. A thoughtful reply to a three-star review often reassures the next buyer more than another five-star one.
How Reputfy helps
Reputfy collects reviews from your profiles into one inbox, tags them by theme, drafts replies for your team to approve, and makes QR cards for welcome packs and service desks. Dealer groups can rank every site in the locations view.
