On the Dash:
- Car salesperson performance held steady from Q2 to Q3, CDK found.
- Ease of Purchase hit its 2026 low in September at 79%.
- Product expertise and trust scores dropped from last quarter.
According to an analysis from CDK Global published Oct. 20, car salesperson performance held steady from the second quarter to the third quarter, even as the car-buying process got harder for customers. That squeeze also showed up in CDK’s monthly Ease of Purchase score, which hit its lowest mark of the year in September, with 79% of car buyers saying it was easy to buy a car.
Salesperson performance slips
CDK asked buyers whether they agreed with five statements about their salesperson, covering the following:
- Efficient use of time
- Clear explanations
- Product expertise
- Professionalism
- Trust
While three of those areas held steady with Q2, product expertise and earning trust declined. However, compared with a year ago, product expertise, efficient use of time, and clear explanations all declined, while earning trust remained flat. Overall, the results match the 2023 and 2024 averages, but they give back the gains made in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.
Additionally, salesperson scores also remained higher than scores for the rest of the purchase experience this quarter. CDK said nearly every step buyers completed in September fell sharply, while salesperson scores tend to vary less from month to month.
Buyers cited pressure and long waits
CDK found no negative comments about salespeople last quarter, but a few returned this quarter and focused on pressure and long waits for sales staff to locate requested vehicles. One survey respondent pushed back on the sales pitch, saying, “Stop acting all happy, like it’s something special to buy a new car. Tell me my options and prices up front. I am not your friend.”
Still, positive comments outweighed the negative ones since most buyers said their salesperson was helpful and communicated clearly. “The staff listened patiently and never rushed me to make a quick decision,” another respondent said.
Because product expertise is the only area that declined from both last quarter and last year, dealers can address it through product training, helping salespeople answer questions about engines, transmissions, and features. Buyers in the survey asked for exactly that. A process for quickly locating requested vehicles can also reduce the waits buyers described, and providing options and prices up front gives salespeople the best chance to earn trust before the paperwork begins.
