Communicate Before It’s Too Late!

The Most Overlooked Driver of Customer Experience


In today’s customer experience, communication has become just as important as the product or service itself. Customers are more informed, more connected, and less patient with uncertainty. When updates are missing or delayed, confidence fades quickly — even if the underlying issue is minor.

At ROAR, this pattern has been impossible to ignore — and it’s one that demanded a better way of connecting with customers.


  1. Why Silence Creates CX Risk
  2. How We Know Communication Counts
  3. The Communication Gap
  4. From Chaos to Connection
  5. When Communication Becomes a CX Advantage
  6. How ROAR’s Customer Connect Changes the Game
  7. Takeaway


Why Silence Creates CX Risk
In customer experience, silence is never golden.
Whether it’s a delayed delivery, a service update that never comes, or a question left unanswered — communication gaps destroy confidence faster than any technical issue.

At ROAR, our CX data shows one constant truth across both sales and service: The best communication doesn’t always deliver good news — but it always delivers trust. And typically, the sooner the better.

Customers would rather hear “we’re running late” than hear nothing at all. And yet, many dealerships still lose loyalty not because of what went wrong, but because of what went unsaid.


How We Know Communication Counts
Everyday hundreds of customer alerts arrive at ROAR Headquarters from customers whose customer experience was poor. More than 50% of these alerts reflect poor communication—and it’s more the absence of information than misinformation. So, nothing deliberate, but a lack of letting customers know of delays, changes, …

“Se vi dicono la richiamiamo … campa cavallo e spera…. non mi hanno richiamato, alle mie mail non risponde mai nessuno, se vai di persona ti senti dire l’adetto oggi non c’è … peccato….” (Google review)


The Communication Gap
Breakdowns happen for predictable reasons:

  • No structured process for follow-up during the “waiting” phase—either before new vehicle delivery or the service delivery.
  • Poor visibility into vehicle order progress or repair status.
  • Advisors relying on phone calls and emails that go unanswered or untracked.
  • Insufficient time for personnel to provide good communication.

The result? Customers are left guessing.
And when customers are guessing, they’re not trusting.


From Chaos to Connection
Many customers are digital-first and expect the same communication experience from a dealership that they get from online retail or food delivery — real-time, visual, and easy.

That’s why ROAR developed Customer Connect: a seamless, chat-based communication platform that keeps customers informed, reassured, and engaged at every step of the journey.


With Customer Connect, dealerships can:

  • Chat live with customers during sales or service processes.
  • Send photos and videos of progress, vehicle conditions, or recommendations.
  • Share quotes, updates, and approvals instantly within the same conversation.
  • Centralize communication history so no message gets lost between advisors or shifts.
  • Quick CX checks at the end of the experience to ensure the right satisfaction level and an alert if recover is required.

The result is communication that feels as smooth as modern commerce — simple, visual, and transparent.


When Communication Becomes a CX Advantage
It’s not just about updates — it’s about perception.
When customers see effort, clarity, and care in communication, their confidence in the dealership rises — even if the outcome isn’t perfect.
Conversely, poor communication amplifies minor frustrations into deal-breaking disappointments.

Our ROAR data shows that dealerships with structured, proactive communication processes see:

  • Higher NPS and OSAT scores in both sales and service.
  • Reduced cancellations due to perceived delays.
  • Stronger retention in post-warranty service visits.

Communication doesn’t just support experience — it is the experience.


How ROAR’s Customer Connect Changes the Game
Customer Connect can be standalone or integrates directly with dealership systems and ROAR’s analytics platforms.
It automates reminders, escalates missed messages, and flags at-risk customers whose experience may require management intervention.
Through chat, photo, and video messaging, advisors can show customers exactly what’s happening — bringing clarity and understanding to in-process communication.

Imagine you as a customer receiving a brief video of a technician explaining a repair recommendation, or a photo confirming a vehicle’s completion before pickup.
That’s not just communication — that’s comfort and confidence we all want as customers.


Takeaway
Customer satisfaction excellence is based on customers feeling comfortable and confident with their product and service providers. By making communication simple, visual, and proactive, dealerships can avoid customer uncertainty, and provide customers assurance.

With ROAR’s Customer Connect, every conversation becomes an opportunity to build trust, improve transparency, and close the communication gap — once and for all.
Because the most powerful CX tool isn’t technology or training — it’s communicating.