You may be fortunate enough to work for a dealership that has multiple lines and a well stocked used car inventory that enables you to provide something for every customer. When I was in sales, I worked for a single line dealership with a 25 car used inventory. So what do you do when you don’t have what the customer is seeking?

Case Study

The elderly woman entered the dealership in search of her “last new car”. During the interview (fact finding) process she made it clear that a brand new four door sedan was her only choice. She simply wanted a comfortable ride and power seats. Unfortunately for me, none of our vehicles came equipped with power seats and the installation of power by a vendor was cost prohibitive.

After exhausting all other options, I picked up the phone and called my contact at the local Oldsmobile dealership. I had established referral relationships with about half a dozen salespeople who believed the customer’s needs came first, and who would reciprocate referral business. I set an appointment that afternoon and followed up to ensure that the customer was satisfied with her purchase.

Am I Crazy or Just Insane?

In the book Raving Fans, a customer was unable to find a particular book at one store so the manager sent one of his employee to a competitor and purchased the book on the customer's behalf. They sold the book to her at no profit so, technically, the store lost money. But did they really?

In the case of Raving Fans, the customer’s only experience with that store was one of excellent service. In the case of my customer, I exceeded her expectations and ensured that she got what she wanted. So her experience with my dealership was also excellent. So what are the results of this type of customer service?

I can’t speak for the customer in Raving Fans, but I can speak for my customer. Not only did she send two referrals to me, but I also received a check from the salesperson who sold her the car. And, since my dealership worked on all makes and models, the customer had her regular customer pay work performed at my service department and only went to the Oldsmobile store for warranty work.

Now I’m not suggesting a salesperson try this without first obtaining approval from his or her Manager. Many managers would consider that approach a firing offense. You should also make sure your stable of references do business the same way you do or you could end up hurting your relationship with the customer.

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