Women
are more at ease taking a man to a car dealership, a study says, but even when
comfortable, many feel they have to make adjustments to obtain fair treatment.
Juaquita Callaway is a medical doctor who has always purchased her own cars. Unlike
most women, she feels comfortable with the car buying process; she's purchased
several vehicles on her own, her brother-in-law is in the business and her father
is a mechanic. But even Dr. Callaway admits that she had a strategy before going
into the dealership, which included dressing nondescript (in her case athletically)
and making sure she didn't let anyone know initially what she does for a living.
Dr. Callaway says she kept up with consumer reports and realized there might be
some disparities in treatment due to her gender, so she made sure she was prepared
----she went in with a price in mind, a vehicle in mind, and knew the features
she wanted.
Dr. Callaway might be one of a few women that feel at ease going
into a dealership. A survey from Power Information Network, a division of J.D.
Power and Associates, found that of about 800 female buyers nationwide, roughly
40 percent believe their gender hurt the way they were treated in their most recent
visit to an auto dealer. To counter this, most women rely on a male counterpart
to aid them in this process. "I contacted the dealer, but didn't feel really
comfortable with the information that was provided so I had my dad call",
says Shanna, a female consumer currently in the market to buy a car.
With
the rise in female car consumers (women purchase 50% of new car sales and 48%
of used car sales and influence 80% of buying decisions), dealers are beginning
to reach out to female consumers to better understand their needs and wants. Even
so, females still have concerns and are encouraged to try these tips:
