Comments on: Customer service report card: car dealer service

By: Customer service report card car dealer service Customers Rock | low cost car insurance

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:19:50 +0000

[...] Customer service report card car dealer service Customers Rock Posted by root 9 minutes ago (http://customersrock.net) In last month brandingwire installment i discussed car dealers and the service comment from the dealership when my husband first made this request i don 39 t customers rock is powered by wordpress design by andreas viklund Discuss | Bury | News | Customer service report card car dealer service Customers Rock [...]

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:22:07 +0000

Took my wife’s S2000 Honda to Lancaster Honda because the trouble light came on. Three hundred and twenty dollars later and after getting it home, my wife informed me the trouble light was still on. That is the last time I am buying a Honda from Lancaster Honda (paid cash too) and certainly the last time I take any of our “fleet” of cars to a dealership. Should have known better…duh!!!

By: CarTruck-Center.com » Blog Archive » Car Seat Cover: Aesthetic and Performance

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:55:22 +0000

[...] Customer service report card: car dealer service ? Customers Rock!Franchised Automobile Dealers; Franchised Truck Dealers; Franchised Motorcycle Dealers; Franchised Equipment Dealers; Large Independent Auto Dealers … [...]

By: Becky Carroll

Becky Carroll — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 17:09:18 +0000

Mike, thank you for chiming in from the car dealership side! It is great to get your perspective, especially as you are one of those business people who “get it”. I think this statement you made sums it all up: “One of the oldest adages in the car business is that sales sells the first vehicle, and service sells every one after that.” It may be an old adage, but from my experience, very few dealerships take it to heart and put it into action!

That said, the premium brands seem to be much better about a consistent, and pleasant, customer experience. Thank you for your insight! You rock!

And of course you can borrow my idea. That’s what this blog is here for! Let me know how it works out for you.

By: Becky Carroll

Becky Carroll — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:59:02 +0000

Jonathan, glad to see you! If we keep this type of issue at the forefront by blogging about it and helping organizations change, we will make a difference. I liked your post; thanks for sharing.

By: Michael Brairton

Michael Brairton — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:48:02 +0000

Becky,
As the Director of Operations for a premium highline dealership (Porsche) I can tell you that thankfully your service experience is more of an anomaly in today’s competitive retail automotive environment, than the standard.
After 25 years of working for auto manufacturers, as well as owning and managing several dealerships those that have survived are the ones who have processes and accountability in place to ensure that your experience with the “guys in the white shirts” in the front of the dealership is totally consistent with your experience in the back of the dealership.
One of the oldest adages in the car business is that sales sells the first vehicle, and service sells every one after that. At my dealership you would have asked for the floormats to be cleaned, and when you came to pick up your truck you would have found new floormats in your truck. We have learned this to be what it takes to be successful, and thankfully did not need JD Powers to point it out to us. We figured it out on our own!
I hope your ownership experience improves from here.
Mike Brairton
PS-Love your idea about having people sign in next to their pre-arranged appointments when they arrive at the dealership in the morning. Mind if I borrow it?

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 03:15:44 +0000

That’s such an interesting post. Customer service is so important and it always boggles my mind why businesses don’t focus more on it. I actually just blogged about customer service and it’s effect on customer loyalty on my blog at http://www.oncardblog.com. check it out when you get a chance.

By: Becky Carroll

Becky Carroll — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:14:38 +0000

Andrew, it is not always easy to make this shift in thinking. It is much larger than just training or incentives, as you hinted. A company culture needs to be built which puts the customer into the DNA of the organization. This is most effective when it comes from the top! However, it can be done in smaller parts of the organization, and using those successes as proof points, it can spread over the company. The right metrics are critical to keeping it going!

Thanks so much for chiming in!

By: Becky Carroll

Becky Carroll — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:11:46 +0000

Katie, thank you for your comment. This was exactly the kind of experience Kathy Sierra used to outline in her infamous pictures on her blog Creating Passionate Users (in my blog roll). My guess is the sales people all get wonderful customer-focused training and incentives. What are the incentives for the service department? Making things right goes beyond just a repair; it goes to making the customer feel satisfied. Car dealers who can get this right will reap the rewards!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:02:37 +0000

Becky

“Customer service is the face of the company to most customers. It is the area where most customer-facing interactions take place. It is time for companies to stop viewing it as a “cost of doing business” and instead, view it as a key to building strong customer relationships and, ultimately, referrals.”

I agree absolutely – any ideas about how to encourage this shift in thinking? I can’t imagine that training alone would do it, incentives perhaps. Or is just a question of having the owners/ managers cultivating that mentality within the organization.