63% of potential car buyers in Malaysia said a professional sales advisor would positively influence their decision to purchase a new car while one-quarter would be discouraged from buying a new vehicle if served by a pushy or aggressive sales advisor, according to a survey by global market research company Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc.

Exploring consumer attitudes of potential car buyers, Synovate surveyed 1,010 Malaysians from the ages of 29 to 60 across all income levels about their future vehicle purchase intentions. According to the Senior Project Director for Synovate’s Motoresearch Practice in Malaysia, Jon-Paul Best, while more than half (67%) of the respondents welcomed good service,  car dealerships will need to raise the bar on professionalism and provide better customer service when dealing with potential customers in their showrooms.

“This is especially important, given that 87% of respondents said that they would tell their friends and colleagues to avoid a particular dealership if they had received bad service. To avoid this, car dealerships will need to re-think the way they serve customers in order to stand out and be different. It is also about maintaining a long-term relationship and sales advisors need to ensure that each customer leaves their showroom feeling like they had a great experience” he said.

Good news for the car companies: 20% of those surveyed said they intend to purchase a new vehicle in the next 18 months while 6% said they were interested in buying a used car. When choosing a specific vehicle, 83% of potential car buyers said they normally have a specific make and model in mind when they visit a particular car dealer.

“In spite of knowing what model they want, we also found that 39% of potential car buyers spend an average two to four months looking for a new car and doing research on their own, clearly dispelling the impulse buying myth,” Mr. Best added.  

When asked what circumstances would prompt them to think about getting a new car, 59% of respondents said they would only do so if they could afford it, while 46% of respondents said a reduction in car prices would influence them.

Price reduction is a strong deciding factor for buyers

More than half (51%) of respondents said that a ‘good deal’ campaign and lower downpayment would encourage them to think about getting a new car while 45% of potential car buyers would prefer a discount on the price.

“Interestingly enough, we also asked respondents if they stuck to a particular budget when purchasing a new car and found that amongst those who can be persuaded to pay more for a particular model they like, the average amount was over RM2,500. In essence, price remains an influential factor for potential Malaysian car buyers but with the right service they can be persuaded to pay more” said Mr. Best.