Five Customer Service Strategies for Car Dealerships and Others in the Retail Automotive Industry, From a Customer Service Expert

An article by Micah Solomon.

[Note to my readers from author Micah Solomon - Customer Service Consultant : this is one of my rare single-industry articles. I apologize if it isn't of general interest, but many of the pointers, particularly toward the end of the article, may be applicable in your industry as well.]

The extreme emotions of customers in the automotive retail sector are second only, perhaps, to the emotional highs and lows experienced during wedding planning. As a customer service consultant who has worked with car dealership groups and various well-known automotive brands, I've identified several emotional triggers:

• The significant financial implications for purchasers, both in actual value and symbolic worth: Did the customer prove their financial savvy or were they, as the saying goes, taken for a ride?

• Family dynamics: It's not unusual for families or couples to find themselves on test drives, navigating financial terminology, pondering premium packages, or deciding whether a costly repair or maintenance on an old vehicle is justified. When customers and their families face these situations, the resulting emotions are rarely completely positive.

• The grandiose expectations surrounding car ownership—the allure of the open road—that many American drivers have absorbed from childhood, from the excitement of Route 66 to songs by artists like Springsteen and Mellencamp, as well as every emotionally charged car advertisement they've consciously or subconsciously assimilated.

Given the high emotional involvement in automotive retail, it's essential for your dealership or dealership group to refine every aspect of your customer service. This will undoubtedly produce substantial benefits due to the cyclical nature of automotive retail — outstanding customer service draws customers back to the showroom, and vice versa.

So, what are some groundbreaking strategies to improve customer service, whether at the service desk, parts department, or sales floor? Here are my top five recommendations:

1.     To revitalize customer service training in your dealership, consider implementing asynchronous customer service eLearning training. This method allows employees to learn at their own pace and according to their schedule, ensuring comprehensive coverage without disrupting work schedules. It not only boosts the customer service skills of all employees, whether they interact with customers directly or work behind the scenes but also offers certification opportunities for those who complete the course successfully.

2.     Instill a "default of yes" mentality throughout your dealership. This transformative approach can significantly improve customer interactions and boost staff morale. Strive to be a company that always endeavors to say "yes", even before fully understanding the customer's request. While it may not always be possible to give the exact 'yes' the customer wants, ensure you never flatly say "no" without proposing alternative solutions 5.

3.     

1.    Establish, train, and practice a "service recovery" protocol to manage dissatisfied customers. Every organization focused on customer service should have a strategy for service recovery: a predefined approach to effectively handle discontented or frustrated customers. Whether you adopt Marriott’s L.E.A.R.N strategy or Starbucks’s L.A.T.T.E method, having a service recovery plan will better prepare you to deal with unhappy customers and potentially turn them into loyal clients.

FREE FOR MY READERS: If you're in need of a service recovery framework, feel free to email me at micah@micahsolomon.com for a complimentary copy of the MAMA service recovery framework that I've developed and use in my customer service training.]

2.    Make a concerted effort to prevent customers from reaching what I call the "cliff of dissatisfaction." Studies suggest that a large part of customer dissatisfaction comes from perceived delays or slow service, irrespective of how the customer defines these terms. The "cliff of dissatisfaction" is the moment when a customer loses trust in your company's ability to serve them promptly. The speed at which a customer reaches this cliff can vary based on multiple factors, but it's a risk present in every service interaction and business relationship. Modern customers value their time highly, so prioritize reducing wait times. If you can't literally reduce a customer's wait time, strive to improve their waiting experience with pleasant amenities in customer areas, surprise services to brighten their day, and connectivity options that allow them to work or entertain themselves.

3.    Strive to provide customer service at your car dealership in a sincere, predominantly unscripted manner that connects with today's customers. Scripted customer service, especially the cliché car dealer phrases from the past - "What will it take to get you into this baby today?" or "Shall we use your pen or mine to sign this contract?" are immediate turn-offs for contemporary consumers. Instead, customers want automotive professionals to display authenticity and an "I'm here to assist you" mindset. Given the abundance of information available to today's car retail customers, it's essential to recognize and respect their knowledge (likely sourced from Google) and expertise. When dealing with a customer armed with internet-derived knowledge, the best attitude to adopt is, "You have a lot of knowledge, and I respect that."

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A brief commercial from the author:

Hi, I'm Micah Solomon. I offer customer service and CX improvement consulting, training, and eLearning creation. Please reach out to me by text: 484-343-5881 • email: micah@micahsolomon.com • or via my website: micahsolomon.com

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