The old adage “the customer is always right” was wrong. In previous articles, I have discussed the idea that the customer is not always right. I want to take it a step further this time.
While the customer is not always right, do not be so quick to say no to the customer. By listening and understanding, we can help the customer identify where they may be misinformed and move forward.
The challenge in listening to our customers can sometimes stem from understanding that your customers are not professionals in your field. They do not have the same access to information you do. They do not have the same time to dedicate to the craft as someone working full-time in a job. Nor can anyone consistently diagnose their challenges as well as an outside professional consultant. Doctors have their own doctors, after all.
So, let’s cover the many ways your customers can be misinformed, how to address some of those challenges, and what the results mean for your business training.
Customers have always researched incorrectly. Before the recession, they used brochures to decide what they wanted. Then, they would be disappointed when the exact floorplan and color combination were not available. The internet made this worse.
Today’s educated buyers have spent so much time researching what details and options are available that they have overwhelmed their own ability to make a decision. In the RV industry, you only learn one thing with more research: there is endless more to research.
The challenge consumers face with all the information available to them is distinguishing what is real from what is noise. Customers are convinced they need a diesel because they are better, but they are not towing or driving enough miles for a diesel engine to really matter. Customers are convinced they need an east-to-west bed for bedroom space, or a full outside kitchen for cooking. However, they are only sleeping in their bedroom, so they do not need the additional space. They already have a full grill setup—one that works better for their use than the pop-out installed on the RV.
What these customers need is someone to listen to them.
If the average customer has been thinking about their new RV for two to five years, by the time they reach out to a dealership, they have already sold themselves on owning an RV and going camping. These consumers do not need a salesperson to sell them. They need to be professionally outfitted.
If you were to climb Mt Everest, you would not just pick up and go—that would be crazy. You would call ahead and hire a professional guide. The guide asks about your goals, your personal fitness level, and the time and budget you set aside. With all the information, the guide would custom-build a trip to help you accomplish your goals safely.
A professional climbing guide, in this case a Sherpa, would do you a disservice if they asked what gear to use and what mile checkpoints you want to hit by what time. The Sherpa’s job is to manage the gear and the trip. They will professionally outfit the climber in the same way an RV salesperson would shift to being a professional outfitter helping consumers select the right RV.
The sales conversation now shifts from what the customer thinks they want to an understanding of how the customer will use the RV. Examples include the climates they will travel through, the length of their stays, the people they are traveling with, the roads they will travel on, where they will store the RV and so on. Without a full picture of how a customer will use their RV, a professional outfitter cannot help the consumer overcome their information challenges.
New and experienced customers need to be educated on what they do not know. No, artificial intelligence (AI) is not the answer.
Most people use AI the same way they used Google for so many years. Google helped many people discover the wrong medical diagnosis. Now, AI and its reassuring disposition have caused many patients to avoid proper medical attention. When professionals are not used properly in the systems that enable them to excel, misdiagnosis rates are high.
Online searches will tell customers not to buy Covid Campers. AI will tell customers to research trade values nationwide. Neither source will ever be as up to date as a professional who studies their inventory and the ever-changing marketplace.
Let’s take a concrete example, such as interest rate changes.
Over the last few years, and especially this winter, I am sure you heard customers say they are waiting until the rates drop to buy an RV. The advice is horrible and delivered from sources with incomplete information. The customer is not wrong in thinking that a rate drop would save them money on interest. They simply do not understand the whole picture.
We have to be able to explain to the customer the concept of “Lock-In.” When a consumer picks out and buys an RV, they lock in three things. We do not know where interest rates will go next, up or down. We do know that if the customer is in the buying process, the rate they lock in enables them to get a payment that fits their budget. We know by locking in now, they will not pay future pricing structures—all the new 2026 models cost more than what is on your lot now.
By locking in the current selection, the customer knows they are getting the RV that works for them before the manufacturer makes any future changes. The best reason to lock in now is that the customer can camp now, enjoy off-season camping and break in their RV before making bigger plans next year.
When a customer decides to lock-in the RV they selected, they will win no matter what happens next. If rates go up, they win by not waiting. If rates are the same, they won. If rates drop, they saved thousands of dollars up front on pricing, selected the options they wanted before any potential changes and they enjoyed their RV. If the rates ever drop enough to make a difference, your customer can always refinance the rate, but they cannot refinance the price.
During a seminar I taught at the RVDA Convention, we determined that the average monthly trailer payment changes by under $6 per month with a 0.25% rate decrease. The change is not enough reason to put off a purchase.
Again, the customer is not always right.
To take that a step further, they are not always right because they cannot determine what really matters and what is just noise, the way a professional consultant can.
When a customer reaches out with a specific product in mind, we know there is a good chance they have landed poorly. We cannot simply dismiss the work they have done.
To really help the customers, we can use lines like “Let’s confirm your research…” to help the customer slow down with your team. With better information, we can properly equip consumers with your inventory.
With the proper information and outfitting, we can give the customer the best customized presentation they have ever seen. These steps are what you need to do to help the modern research buyer move forward and buy. This means we have to train diligently to understand and execute this gameplan.
The fundamentals and techniques that enable your team to be productive in these situations must be practiced regularly to use them. Since your customers don’t have the time to research correctly in our business, we have to make sure that well-trained professional outfitters help customers better than customers can help themselves.
Jered Sobel serves as president of Sobel University, a company providing training for management, salespeople and consumers across North America. He is best known for designing the industry-standard onboarding sales training manual and co-authoring the consumer guide to purchasing an RV. Among his previous work experiences are roles as a dealership salesperson, a general sales manager and hiring dealer staff.
