We live in a world that thrives on instant gratification – consider smartphone browsers at red lights. They can't wait even a few minutes to make their next move. They are in action and on the go, 24/7. In this modern day society of "gotta have it now" we are finding that prices are actually no longer the #1 most important factor in choosing one dealership over another. It's not quality of inventory, either it's customer service! Research by Accenture shows that over half of customers convert due to poor customer service.
Many dealerships pride themselves on having superior customer service, but is it true?
Something to keep in mind is that expectations are higher than ever. A dissatisfied customer will think little of abandoning your business – and it doesn’t take much. Unhappy customers are very likely to go to your competing dealership instead. It can be very easy to lose a customer due to a bad experience, and very difficult (if not impossible) to get them back.
Some of the main reasons a customer chooses to leave a dealership for bad customer service is because of a rude staff member, an uneducated employee, or one who makes them feel unappreciated. And you can count on nearly all of your lost customers to tell at least one other person about their unhappiness.
Keeping your current customers happy saves you money. Instead of marketing to draw a new person in, these customers make repeat purchases at your dealership. They can even serve as spokespeople for your business, bringing in friends and family members. It is worth the effort to keep delivering to them. Customer retention is important!
In order to provide the best possible customer service, you need to prepare for success:
- Train your employees and sales staff to be kind and helpful. Make sure they know everything they need to know about your units in order to help customers and answer questions they may have.
- Ensure that your employees #1 goal is to help the customer leave happy. Even if they decide not to make a purchase or disagree with your staff member on something like price or quality, there is no good reason for them to leave feeling like your team members are rude or unhelpful.
- Customers want to feel like you are genuinely interested in helping them, rather than simply motivated by their spending. Instill that in your employees.
- Give customers plenty of ways to reach you – through a phone call, email, social media, online forms be available!
Regardless of whether you think you are providing outstanding service, the customer is always right in this scenario. Unfortunately, customers make that judgement call. If they feel differently, your business could suffer. So prepare yourself at a minimum with the tips listed above, and always welcome customer feedback with a smile on your face – your bottom line will thank you for it!