In today’s competitive automotive service industry, it has become more difficult for dealerships to compete with the aftermarket. In order to attract and retain customers, a service manager needs to close the gap between the cost at the dealership relative to the often-lower aftermarket price by increasing the perceived value of his service experience for the customer.
One way to boost the perceived value of the dealership is to use direct mail with cost-competitive coupons. Dealers find coupons to be very effective in reducing negative perceptions about the added cost of the dealer’s service.
In addition to marketing initiatives, there are many simple behaviors you can start today that will instantly showcase your value—and they don’t cost anything to implement. They involved common courtesy coupled with a desire to make the customer’s visit as pleasant and unencumbered as possible. People like to feel that they are important to you, especially when they spend their hard-earned cash.
When a customer arrives, they expect congenial, attentive service advisors who properly evaluate a vehicle for necessary services. How helpful would it be if the service advisor suggested alternate transportation? Options could include: free shuttle service, a hassle-free rental from a neighboring vendor, or a courtesy car for services that require an extended stay. The key here is to offer transportation and not make the customer have to ask. That initial sincere interaction will create perceived value with customers by giving them something they don’t get at the aftermarket. Often, customers have already thought out their transportation needs before bringing in their vehicles. But, by taking time to make the suggestion, you’re acknowledging that service visits can often interrupt their busy schedules, and you are committed to making their experiences as hassle-free as possible. You see them as real people instead of merely your next car to fix. Most aftermarket shops can’t accommodate all of those options or just don’t take the time. When it comes to impressing a customer and building value in your brand, you have to pay attention to details.
When customers come back to pick up their vehicles, it is your last chance to make a lasting impression. Ideally, the service advisor should greet customers and ask if there is anything else they need. Once any issues are resolved, customers need to be educated on all of the procedures performed on the vehicle. People like seeing worn parts and hearing exactly why they needed replacement. It is valuable to gain knowledge of one’s vehicle, and it can lessen the impact of the final sum on the invoice that may follow.
After customers have paid, you still have opportunity to impress them and create value. A practice of preferred dealers is to escort customers to their vehicles instead of simply handing them the keys and saying, “Have a nice day.” This is an opportunity to engage them and get valuable feedback on your operation. Customers will probably be pleased that you take the time and effort to attend to them personally.
Once you reach the vehicle, open the door for your customer and remove the floorboard paper, seat plastic and mirror tag. The customer doesn’t need those things and shouldn’t have to be bothered with disposing of them. However, allowing these disposable items to be viewed before you take them out makes it obvious that the technicians took care in ensuring that the vehicle interior stayed clean during the repair. Folks know that service technicians encounter all types of grease and grime. And who among us hasn’t gotten back into our car as we prepared to start it and drive off and noticed that our steering wheel feels just a little grimy? That’s not a good last impression. A great finishing touch is to clean the steering wheel and gearshift with an anti-microbial wipe and dry them with a paper towel.
Being attentive to customers’ needs doesn’t always involve what goes on in the shop. All of these suggestions are inexpensive ways to boost your appeal to your customers. You might be able to think of and institute others. Ensuring customer satisfaction from beginning to end will go a long way in creating the “value added” experience that will sufficiently differentiate you from the aftermarket in order to attract and retain your customers.
