You Have to Get to Work!

Think of what it must feel like to be a service customer at your store – Put yourself in your customers’ shoes for a minute. Call your store and ask for service - what does that feel like? Is the call answered quickly and courteously? Does the service advisor get your name, try to build a relationship, talk about features, benefits and advantages and do they give you (the customer) a reason to do business with you? Do they invite you in with a simple multiple choice question like – “Let’s see when I can get you in for service…I have openings today or tomorrow; which is best for you?” If you answered no to any of these, go to work.

How does it feel to drive into your service lane? Are customers greeted quickly? Is the lane kept clear at all times? Do service advisors welcome customers to the dealership? Is the lane and advisor work areas kept hospital clean and free of negative signage? Do you have service menus with competitive prices readily available? Do you do a written vehicle inspection on every single car? If you answered no, go to work.

What is it like to sit in your customer lounge? Do you have comfortable, presentable furniture in your waiting area? Are the restrooms clean? Do you have plenty of magazines and reading materials available? Do you have an area for kids to play? Do you offer wi-fi for internet access? Do you have a blaring intercom system that should be turned off? Is your lounge an area you would want your family to spend time in? If you answered no, go to work.

How does it feel to have an advisor suggest additional services? When advisors discuss work that is needed with customers are they positive and accurate? Do they approach customers with bad news, or do they mention that they have good news, that the bill is going to be less than they expected, that you have the parts and a technician that is standing by and that you can have it ready by x o’clock? Do they make it easy to say yes and hard to say no by using multiple choice questions like – “I will only need it until 4 o’clock, I guess the question is do you want to wait here or get a ride home?” If you answered no, go to work.

What does it feel like to go to the cashier to pay your bill? Is your cashier hateful and mean? Does she have a chip on her shoulder? Do your advisors meet your customers at the cashier window and review repair orders? Do you have customer’s cars valeted around to make it easy for customers to leave? Do you remove seat covers and floor mats so the customer can see that they were used and do you take a white rag and dust it across the dash, steering wheel and door panel giving the customer a true ‘white glove treatment?” If you said no, go to work.

Here’s the bottom line. Customers have so many places that they can choose for service today that you have to something different if you expect to succeed, even survive. When prospective customers call your store you have to WOW them on the phone and make them want to visit your store. When they arrive on your lane, welcome them and WOW them so they feel valued and at ease. When you meet with them to give them news or an update on their vehicle, make it a good news event, not a bad news one. And when they are ready to leave, make sure they are WOW’ed again with an awesome professional delivery process. It takes extra effort to make it nowadays, the question is - Are you ready to go to work to keep your customers?