Customer Service = Higher Profits
For today’s high tech, fast paced customers time is the most valuable commodity they possess. They are used to customer service interactions when they shop for clothes, computers and homes. Automobiles are no exception.
Automobiles can be purchased on almost every major intersection. Quality customer service is more difficult to find. Dealers, who display it in action, reap the rewards in profits.
How do you achieve quality customer service? Start with a “Customer First” campaign. Customer service begins at the first encounter with the customer. That may be an Internet inquiry, a telephone call or walk-on traffic. Realize that the customer is trying to locate a dealership that provides service after the sale. It is crucial that you make them feel appreciated and special.
Customer service is based on three key factors: 1. The People, 2. The Place, and 3. The Process
The People: Do all of your employees grasp how vital proper customer service is? Are they aware that superior customer service impacts the future of the dealership? If not, why? Make sure your employees are rewarded when they deliver quality customer service.
I told a dealer recently that adults would resist change more adamantly than a child because adults are clearly more set in their ways. But, if they can see the benefit of change, then behavior modification can be realized.
The Place: How is the traffic flow in your dealership? A controlled traffic flow will benefit your sales environment best. Do your customers feel at ease the moment they walk in? A friendly, smiling person welcoming them into your store is a great start.
Is your dealership state-of-the-art? Have you completed new renovations recently? If so, show it off. Invite your customers to tour your facility. Introduce them to the service advisors, show them where the service work occurs and where they take delivery of their new vehicle.
When their vehicle is in for service, is it washed prior to pick-up? If so, show them where that activity takes place. An added plus is to invest in a water conservation car wash facility to demonstrate the dealership cares for the environment.
Display community certificates of appreciation for your various charitable works. Customers like to know that some of the profits go back into the community–demonstrate your civic pride.
Be sure to conduct the tour before the customer interview regarding their needs for their next vehicle. By showing off the place, you get them excited about doing business with you. You demonstrate what is different about you and your dealership.
The Process: Have you implemented the Ritz Carlton rule in your dealership? When a customer is within ten feet of a dealership employee, the customer is greeted, “Good Morning Sir/Miss/Madam, how are you today?” If a customer is within seven feet of an employee, the employee asks, “How may I assist you today?” Or “Is someone assisting you already?”
Recognize the customer, give proper salutation, and ask if they need assistance. Demonstrate what you will do for them and how you support the community. When customers feel welcome, they feel at home. Where they feel at home is where they shop. Better customer service yields higher profits.
Dealer Marketing Magazine, August 2002, p. 17.