EVs have become more common and could even be considered relatively mainstream today, but buyers still cite numerous problems with the shopping and dealer experience. Among them is salesperson knowledge and their ability to answer questions about the new vehicles. Chevy aims to fix that issue with a new training program that is projected to reach 7,000 employees across five states.
Michael MacPhee, Chevy’s director of sales operations, said, “We’ve had live drive events in the past. We’ve done five-city tours before. But this is the first time that we’ve been so EV-focused.” The program’s launch comes ahead of GM’s push to release new EVs across several segments in the coming years.
More knowledgeable dealership staff generally results in a better buying experience, especially for somewhat novel technologies like electric vehicles. Chevy also sees the effort as a way to boost sales, with MacPhee saying, “It’s 100 percent the goal behind the training tours: How do we grow our business to meet customers’ needs who have the interest and propensity to buy an electric vehicle? We’re confident that the Chevy showroom is the right place to buy those.”
Automakers have invested billions in electrification plans, and some have asked dealers to spend heavily updating their facilities for EVs and installing charging stations. While those efforts have certainly helped some buyers, they haven’t done much to educate the salespeople who are generally responsible for helping buyers set up and use the vehicles for the first time.
[Images: Chevrolet/GM]
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