Pertunia Sibanyoni, CEO of InspectaCar, was one of six participants at a panel discussion at the recent Women in Transport Conference. The annual event, held in October, recognises women in the transport industry and brings awareness to breast cancer. The panel featured leading voices from several industries.
Sibanyoni shared insights with regard to the current trend of consumers moving from new to pre-owned cars when making their purchase decision. She noted that used-vehicle sales have been on a steady climb in South Africa over the past few years with the price of new cars on the rise, skyrocketing fuel prices and the decline in economic conditions all contributing to this trend.
Sibanyoni spoke about a number of important tips to consider when making a pre-owned purchase, stressing the importance of the pre-sale inspection. Prior to any vehicle sold by InspectaCar, it was heavily scrutinised by the dealers, who are experts in their field, and who have strong motor industry experience. Any vehicle not befitting the high standards set by the franchisor, is disqualified from going anywhere near a dealer’s floor. Once the vehicle gets the nod, it is put through stringent safety checks to ensure that when the vehicle is purchased it is roadworthy. “This ensures that our customers have total peace-of-mind when acquiring their car,” Sibanyoni told the audience.
She also shared insightful information about car buying moments in the consumer purchasing journey. Starting with the “which-car-is-best” moment, she noted that six out of 10 shoppers who enter the market are unsure of which car to buy. And so, the purchasing journey begins, with consumers turning to their mobiles or tablets to start their search. The next moment is the “is-it-right-for-me?” one. This is when consumers narrow down their choice. “They need a reality check at this point,” says Sibanyoni, “taking lifestyle and practical considerations into account. Safety, boot space and seating accommodations are important considerations,” she said.
The “where-I-can-buy-it” moment is next. Buyers want a dealership that delivers the best experience. Once consumers imagine owning a particular vehicle, they now move to investigate affordability. “This is where WesBank’s expertise and digital enablement solutions such as preapproved and graduate finance, additional online services, the Wshop (WesBank Online Shop) for tyres, batteries and accessories come in to play,” said Sibanyoni.
At this point, the customer is very close to making the purchase and the “am-I-getting-a-good-deal” moment kicks in. And so, the customer steps in to the dealership, to finalise the deal. Apart from dealing with an expert in the motoring field, the customer needs to feel assured that when making the purchase, the dealings they have with the dealer is transparent and that they are getting good value for money.
“We have created a unique experience for our customers. A one-stop-shop to complete the buying journey, from the online experience, the well checked car, transparency, dealing with professional and trustworthy staff, to the value-added products. Of course, in addition to selling cars we provide finance, warranties and insurance,” said Sibanyoni.
It was clear from the reaction of the audience attending the conference, their view of used car dealers had been transformed. The common perception of the typical “used car salesman and dealership” had been dispelled by Sibanyoni’s presentation.
Under the theme of the “urban lady’s guide to safer driving”, Pertunia Sibanyoni provided attendees with safe driving tips, which InspectaCar shares with their customers on their monthly statements. Some of these are:
Focus on driving
- Keep 100% of your attention on driving at all times – no multi-tasking
- Don’t use your phone or any other electronic device while driving
- Slow down. Speeding gives you less time to react and increases the severity of an accident
Drive “defensively”
- Be aware of what other drivers around you are doing, and expect the unexpected
- Assume other motorists will do something crazy, and always be prepared to avoid it
- Keep a 2-second cushion between you and the car in front of you – make that 4 seconds if the weather is bad
Draw up a safe driving plan
- Build time into your trip schedule to stop for food, rest breaks, phone calls or other business
- Adjust the seat, mirrors and climate controls before putting the car in gear
- Pull over to eat or drink. It takes only a few minutes
Practice safety
- Secure cargo that may move around while the vehicle is in motion
- Don’t attempt to retrieve items that fall to the floor
- Have items needed within easy reach – such as toll fees, toll cards and garage passes
- Always wear your seat belt and drive sober and drug-free
Other members of the panel included Justine Clackworthy from MasterDrive, organisers of the event; Megan Hatting, from Hollard, who spoke about the importance of insurance cover for all drivers on our roads; general manager of sales at Cartrack, Rosemarie van den Heever, who provided the audience with valuable information on making smart choices when choosing a telematics provider; and Peggie Mars from Wheel Well, a non-profit organisation, who enlightened the audience about how a car seat can make the difference between life and death. Olebile Molaoa, national sales operations manager at Heineken, talked about Heineken’s campaign to encourage people to never drunk drive.
With the event falling in cancer awareness month, PinkDrive (also sponsors of the event) provided clinical breast examinations. ModernEyes provided basic eye examinations and MasterDrive presented a hijack risk-management presentation as a wrap up to the day’s proceedings.