A Personal Story
I first met the convenience-oriented consumer one night at my home. Imagine the scene. 11 pm on a school night. Doorbell rings. A young gentleman at the door. He speaks, “Is Maya here?” I respond, “Maya is studying; you are not going to see my daughter tonight.” He speaks again “Sir, Maya ordered cookies from Insomnia Cookies and I am the delivery person.” The young man raises a small bag containing two piping-hot chocolate chip cookies as proof of his story. I yell out, “MAYA!” My daughter comes bouncing down the hallway with a smile from ear to ear, already salivating at the idea of hot cookies to fuel her next hour of studying. Transaction complete.
I follow my daughter into her room. “Maya, we have three bags of cookie mix in the pantry…your favorite three. Why didn’t you make cookies?” “Dad, I’m busy. I don’t have time. I need to study. [Insert that most contemptuous tone only a 16-year-old daughter can inflict upon her father] Can you leave me alone? AP US History is killing me with reading.”
Choosing tactical retreat over continued engagement, on my way out, I ask, “How much were the cookies?” Maya responds as if this is completely normal “$8 for the 2 cookies, $5 for delivery, $2 for tip.” On that night, in my home, I met the future of retail. The convenience-oriented consumer. In the 21st century, digitally-native Americans will trade money for time for almost any segment of commerce. That was 2017. Today, we have Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Grubhub, Amazon, and others all delivering more products and services faster and more conveniently than ever before in history.
The New Power Buyer: Convenience-First, Loyalty-Maybe
Today’s convenience-oriented car buyers aren’t just looking for under the hood horsepower or a polished, freshly remodeled showroom—they will demand something far more important to them. Time savings, seamless experiences, and personalized remote services.
The convenience-oriented consumer is not so quietly reshaping the automotive retail and service landscape. Humbly, I submit that if your dealership isn’t adapting to meet their expectations, you’re already behind.
The Amazon Effect: Raising the Bar for Automotive Retail
Amazon's recent entry into car sales is more than a hypothetical—it’s here. The e-commerce giant has redefined convenience across industries for decades. First books, then electronics, clothing, shoes, furniture, and so much more. Consumers now expect similar Amazon-defined experiences when purchasing vehicles. This means online browsing, transparent pricing, and home delivery options are becoming standard expectations.
Implications for Dealerships
Sales:
The price variability will compress. Commissions will be smaller and sales people will be converted to delivery experts. Over time, the Amazon car buyer will want the car delivered to their driveway.
Service:
Mobile maintenance and repair services will no longer be optional. You delivered the car to their driveway. The consumer will expect the same for most maintenance, recalls, and services. Only the most complicated and challenging work will be acceptably performed in your shop.
Embracing the Future
The convenience-oriented consumer is not a passing trend—they represent the future of automotive retail and service.
Dealerships that adapt to these expectations will not only survive but thrive in the evolving market. It’s time to rethink traditional models and embrace innovation to meet the demands of this influential consumer segment.
Spiffy offers a blueprint for mobile services success: software, vans, training, and implementation built over 10 years on 3.5 million mobile services —all designed to help your team launch and scale mobile. Our tools are built by operators for operators.
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Posted in Digital Servicing
