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Shopping Our Own Facility

Let me ask you a question

"Have you ever shopped your dealership or those of your competition?"

What happens when you call for service? When was the last time you called and asked for same day service? As a former service manager, I was sure that the advisors understood the importance of answering the telephone in the manner in which they had been trained. And indeed, part of our training includes proper telephone guidelines.

We found, when listening to phone shop results, that we needed that training. One session in particular really opened my eyes. Internally, the dealer asked an employee to call the service department requesting an appointment. Not only did the new advisor not answer the question correctly, he did not even ask to schedule the service work! Had that been an actual customer call, we probably would not have earned her business.

If you are not confident in the phone skills of your people, I recommend some time be spent on some phone basics. Are the members of your service staff polite and confident? Do they offer a reservation? Do they ask for the business? What if the advisor is not available? How long does a customer wait to speak to a service advisor? Can someone else offer to help? Do they? As most of our customers first call and then come in for service, the phone is vitally important. I am sure you know, regardless of whether the interaction is negative or positive; it will be a lasting impression on your customers and will greatly impact your business.

Speaking of shopping our facility, once the customer does arrive, how does it look and what does it offer to make your customers visit as comfortable as possible?

Will a new customer know where to park? Is the waiting lounge a place where you would like to sit for an hour (or longer)? Some dealerships have computer workstations, free internet, and cafe while many facilities would do well to have a neat, clean place to sit, good television reception and up-to-date magazines.

How does your competition treat their customers? It is another worthwhile exercise to shop the competition. Call them and ask for a quote, using the criteria mentioned above. And remember, our competition is not just the dealer down the street; it is also the local mass merchandiser.

If you need help with shopping, or your teams skills are not what you expect, give us a call!