Adding Live Chat software or a hosted chat option to your website doesn’t mean you have to think outside of the box - in fact it is another way to get more buyers INTO THE BOX! I’m sure in the 1930s having a phone was ‘new’ thinking, just like adding a website or dealership email address in the late 1990s was a revolutionary idea.
The debate about whether or not to have chat on your website is pretty much over. You really just have to focus on which chat software or service vendor you would like to use. Here are a few keys to success:

• 24/7 Coverage: Avoid the 'sorry, we're offlin' message: Often as many as 20 to 30 percent of opportunities occur after business hours. Business people travel and military personnel may not have phone access but still appreciate a two-way conversation  - you know, high-quality prospects. Tuesday and Thursday mornings can be slower on the lot, but you still have salespeople scheduled, right?
• Fully Hosted / Managed Option: If you are completely happy with the way all your phone ups are handled AND have someone with the available time to handle the chats and savvy enough to master the software, you have a shot at successful self-hosting. Otherwise be sure to look at either a backup option or fully hosted service.
• Automotive Exclusive: A one-size-fits-all chat option is like a website or CRM solution from a company that serves all kinds of businesses. What stores really need is internet technology that is developed from the ground up to mesh with both automotive shoppers, as well as processes within the dealership environment. What's more, you want automotive professionals with experience in a variety of dealer roles and settings on the development team.
• Proactive Invite: This is the popup that greets your dealership website visitors and gives them a chance to chat. It should be on page one, and timing is critical - how long before it pops up and the duration it is on the screen are important.

There are dozens of other details that are important when you are choosing a chat software or managed / hosted chat option, but these major factors will help guide your choice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe CarChat24 CHAT EXPERT

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He began working with the internet building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

Adding Live Chat software or a hosted chat option to your website doesn’t mean you have to think outside of the box - in fact it is another way to get more buyers INTO THE BOX! I’m sure in the 1930s having a phone was ‘new’ thinking, just like adding a website or dealership email address in the late 1990s was a revolutionary idea.
The debate about whether or not to have chat on your website is pretty much over. You really just have to focus on which chat software or service vendor you would like to use. Here are a few keys to success:

• 24/7 Coverage: Avoid the 'sorry, we're offlin' message: Often as many as 20 to 30 percent of opportunities occur after business hours. Business people travel and military personnel may not have phone access but still appreciate a two-way conversation  - you know, high-quality prospects. Tuesday and Thursday mornings can be slower on the lot, but you still have salespeople scheduled, right?
• Fully Hosted / Managed Option: If you are completely happy with the way all your phone ups are handled AND have someone with the available time to handle the chats and savvy enough to master the software, you have a shot at successful self-hosting. Otherwise be sure to look at either a backup option or fully hosted service.
• Automotive Exclusive: A one-size-fits-all chat option is like a website or CRM solution from a company that serves all kinds of businesses. What stores really need is internet technology that is developed from the ground up to mesh with both automotive shoppers, as well as processes within the dealership environment. What's more, you want automotive professionals with experience in a variety of dealer roles and settings on the development team.
• Proactive Invite: This is the popup that greets your dealership website visitors and gives them a chance to chat. It should be on page one, and timing is critical - how long before it pops up and the duration it is on the screen are important.

There are dozens of other details that are important when you are choosing a chat software or managed / hosted chat option, but these major factors will help guide your choice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe CarChat24 CHAT EXPERT

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He began working with the internet building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

"...you can't just throw it on there and expect it to generate more sales leads or help you sell more cars"

When the internet began to commercialize in the late 90's, you could throw up a website with a few nice pictures and you were ahead of the competition. Then you had to add your inventory just to be competitive. The same is true with live chat on your website - you can't just throw it on there and expect it to generate more sales leads or help you sell more cars.

Success with live chat requires more planning than you probably put into your website, especially if you plan to self-host instead of contract with a managed chat provider. The good news is that leading chat providers have the benefit of handling thousands of successful leads from hundreds of dealerships, and can offer a chat success formula, instead of a chat mystery. These five points can help you be a star for both your customers - and your bottom line:
◾Include a proactive invite on EVERY landing page
◾Ensure response to chat requests is 5-10 seconds
◾Train operators to know all the facets of their chat dashboard
◾Ensure chat leads end up in CRM - these are warm sales opportunities
◾Have a plan for non-sales chat inquiries (CSI / service / parts / collision center)

Auto dealers with live chat on their website join a growing number of businesses that take advantage of the opportunities this technology offers, including retail department stores, travel companies, and the computer industry.  By choosing the right chat partner and carefully planning processes and lead flow, live chat can not only boost your amount of quality leads and increase car sales, but build stronger relationships with your customers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He began working with the internet building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

"...you can't just throw it on there and expect it to generate more sales leads or help you sell more cars"

When the internet began to commercialize in the late 90's, you could throw up a website with a few nice pictures and you were ahead of the competition. Then you had to add your inventory just to be competitive. The same is true with live chat on your website - you can't just throw it on there and expect it to generate more sales leads or help you sell more cars.

Success with live chat requires more planning than you probably put into your website, especially if you plan to self-host instead of contract with a managed chat provider. The good news is that leading chat providers have the benefit of handling thousands of successful leads from hundreds of dealerships, and can offer a chat success formula, instead of a chat mystery. These five points can help you be a star for both your customers - and your bottom line:
◾Include a proactive invite on EVERY landing page
◾Ensure response to chat requests is 5-10 seconds
◾Train operators to know all the facets of their chat dashboard
◾Ensure chat leads end up in CRM - these are warm sales opportunities
◾Have a plan for non-sales chat inquiries (CSI / service / parts / collision center)

Auto dealers with live chat on their website join a growing number of businesses that take advantage of the opportunities this technology offers, including retail department stores, travel companies, and the computer industry.  By choosing the right chat partner and carefully planning processes and lead flow, live chat can not only boost your amount of quality leads and increase car sales, but build stronger relationships with your customers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24 Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He began working with the internet building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

CarChat24 receives its third “Top Rated” Award for Dealer Satisfaction in the Chat Products Category

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Jan. 24, 2014 -  CarChat24 - 24/7 Fully Staffed Chat & Advanced Dealer Chat Software is the recipient of a “Top Rated” Chat Product award in the fifth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, presented at a special event today in conjunction with the 2014 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo.

“We are extremely proud to accept this third award and we are very grateful to our dealers who took the time to rate us on DrivingSales.com,” said CarChat24 President and CEO, Shereef Moawad, who started the industry-leading dealer live chat software company seven years ago to help auto dealers generate more quality sales leads through their websites. “The real winners are our dealers, who not only appreciate the value of a quality live chat product, but trust us to help them sell more cars.”

He explained that his extensive management experience taught him the value of an effective chat product and he is determined to provide his dealer clients with the best cutting-edge web technologies and expertise. “Live Chat software is hands-down the best way for dealerships to increase volume and profit by starting the sales process the moment a visitor lands on their website, and we are proud that our efforts at CarChat24 to create a proven live chat solution and provide a world-class dealership chat support service led to this coveted award,” Moawad continued. CarChat24 previously received a “Top Rated” award in the Chat Products category in the 2nd and 4th annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, announced at NADA 2011 and 2013.

“We congratulate CarChat24 on winning a ‘Top Rated’ Chat Product Award and for being recognized by its dealer customers for high levels of excellence and customer satisfaction,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “In our fifth year of presenting these awards, we feel especially proud that DrivingSales Vendor Ratings continues to help dealers make smart and informed decisions through thousands of peer reviews that lead them to service providers such as CarChat24.  We congratulate CarChat24 on being recognized for top notch performance by the people to whom their services count the most: the dealer community.”

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards measure dealer satisfaction with vendor products and services, and are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings.  DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons, and provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products / solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2014 issue of the DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide which, in addition to being distributed at the 2014 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to the top 100 used car dealerships. For more information on the Dealership Innovation Guide, please visit: http://drivingsalesinnovationguide.com/.
About CarChat24.com (http://www.carchat24.com)
CarChat24 provides 24/7 hosted Live Chat Support & Dealer Chat Software for new and used car dealership websites. CarChat24 helps dealers sell more vehicles by converting a higher percentage of their website visitors into quality leads. Since 2007, CarChat24 has been helping car dealers improve their sales and customer service on the Internet. Our mission is to empower car dealers with cutting edge live chat technology, and provide the professional staff and superior processes needed to obtain the best possible results. We are committed to helping our clients get the best return on investment from their websites. We strive to make our support service the very best and are always looking for innovative ways to give our dealers the edge over their competition. Follow CarChat24.com on http://www.twitter.com/CarChat24  and fan CarChat24.com on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CarChat24 and Google+ http://www.google.com/+CarChat24PalmHarbor

For more information visit http://www.carchat24.com or call Jeff Sterns or Jason Good at 1-800-510-7567

About DrivingSales
DrivingSales is a professional network serving the auto industry with dealer-driven news and information, online training, and performance data, all to enable dealers to make critical business decisions at their dealerships.  DrivingSales’ mission is to connect progressive dealership professionals to the people and information they need to maximize their success.  Founded by a third-generation car dealer, and opened up to the industry in 2008, today DrivingSales has registered users in over 50% of new car dealerships in the US and is active in several other countries around the globe.  To learn more about the DrivingSales community, training or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com, DrivingSalesUniversity.com and DrivingSalesData.com

Media contact for CarChat24 / ChatLead.com, Inc:
Jason Good
Jason.good@carchat24.com
1592 Lago Vista Blvd. Palm Harbor, Florida 34685
800-510-7567
www.CarChat24.com

DrivingSales Media Relations:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949.307.1723

CarChat24 receives its third “Top Rated” Award for Dealer Satisfaction in the Chat Products Category

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Jan. 24, 2014 -  CarChat24 - 24/7 Fully Staffed Chat & Advanced Dealer Chat Software is the recipient of a “Top Rated” Chat Product award in the fifth annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, presented at a special event today in conjunction with the 2014 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo.

“We are extremely proud to accept this third award and we are very grateful to our dealers who took the time to rate us on DrivingSales.com,” said CarChat24 President and CEO, Shereef Moawad, who started the industry-leading dealer live chat software company seven years ago to help auto dealers generate more quality sales leads through their websites. “The real winners are our dealers, who not only appreciate the value of a quality live chat product, but trust us to help them sell more cars.”

He explained that his extensive management experience taught him the value of an effective chat product and he is determined to provide his dealer clients with the best cutting-edge web technologies and expertise. “Live Chat software is hands-down the best way for dealerships to increase volume and profit by starting the sales process the moment a visitor lands on their website, and we are proud that our efforts at CarChat24 to create a proven live chat solution and provide a world-class dealership chat support service led to this coveted award,” Moawad continued. CarChat24 previously received a “Top Rated” award in the Chat Products category in the 2nd and 4th annual DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards, announced at NADA 2011 and 2013.

“We congratulate CarChat24 on winning a ‘Top Rated’ Chat Product Award and for being recognized by its dealer customers for high levels of excellence and customer satisfaction,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “In our fifth year of presenting these awards, we feel especially proud that DrivingSales Vendor Ratings continues to help dealers make smart and informed decisions through thousands of peer reviews that lead them to service providers such as CarChat24.  We congratulate CarChat24 on being recognized for top notch performance by the people to whom their services count the most: the dealer community.”

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards measure dealer satisfaction with vendor products and services, and are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings.  DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons, and provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products / solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2014 issue of the DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide which, in addition to being distributed at the 2014 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to the top 100 used car dealerships. For more information on the Dealership Innovation Guide, please visit: http://drivingsalesinnovationguide.com/.
About CarChat24.com (http://www.carchat24.com)
CarChat24 provides 24/7 hosted Live Chat Support & Dealer Chat Software for new and used car dealership websites. CarChat24 helps dealers sell more vehicles by converting a higher percentage of their website visitors into quality leads. Since 2007, CarChat24 has been helping car dealers improve their sales and customer service on the Internet. Our mission is to empower car dealers with cutting edge live chat technology, and provide the professional staff and superior processes needed to obtain the best possible results. We are committed to helping our clients get the best return on investment from their websites. We strive to make our support service the very best and are always looking for innovative ways to give our dealers the edge over their competition. Follow CarChat24.com on http://www.twitter.com/CarChat24  and fan CarChat24.com on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CarChat24 and Google+ http://www.google.com/+CarChat24PalmHarbor

For more information visit http://www.carchat24.com or call Jeff Sterns or Jason Good at 1-800-510-7567

About DrivingSales
DrivingSales is a professional network serving the auto industry with dealer-driven news and information, online training, and performance data, all to enable dealers to make critical business decisions at their dealerships.  DrivingSales’ mission is to connect progressive dealership professionals to the people and information they need to maximize their success.  Founded by a third-generation car dealer, and opened up to the industry in 2008, today DrivingSales has registered users in over 50% of new car dealerships in the US and is active in several other countries around the globe.  To learn more about the DrivingSales community, training or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com, DrivingSalesUniversity.com and DrivingSalesData.com

Media contact for CarChat24 / ChatLead.com, Inc:
Jason Good
Jason.good@carchat24.com
1592 Lago Vista Blvd. Palm Harbor, Florida 34685
800-510-7567
www.CarChat24.com

DrivingSales Media Relations:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949.307.1723

Strong relationships are similar to spider webs, especially in the auto industry. Multiple threads are must to build an effective web for business – or spiders. If you want to build long-term success in car sales, you have to recognize that these relationships start with one tiny thread, and by creating additional threads through rapport and nurturing with quality customer care, additional threads and then loyalty can follow.

Loyalty is a fickle mistress in the modern era. No longer do buyers automatically return again and again to purchase their cars like the Buick and Lincoln buyers of old because that is part of their identity. Today’s buyers tie their identity more to a class of car, rather than a particular brand, and their connection to their dealer is even weaker. But as long as I have been around motor vehicles, the dealers that work the hardest to strengthen that bond stand the greatest chance to retain their customers.

The key is to make the most of the first thread. A relationship typically begins one of five ways:

• Floor traffic
• Dealer Website (contact form, phone call, or live chat)
• Third party lead
• Referrals
• Events and Prospecting

Each contact with a customer is a chance to make or break a thread. Whether each contact is through sales, service, parts or the BDC, it is an opportunity for a new thread to be created. Successful dealers ensure their staff is trained to treat each interaction as an opportunity to help or hurt future business. Even the best dealers end up breaking a thread once in a while, so building webs with new customers is a must, and in this day of online reviews, how you treat someone who DOES NOT end up buying can affect your business as much as someone who did. Just like a spider’s web, sometimes forces beyond our control can break those bonds, from a vehicle breakdown to someone moving out of the area, so you have to continue the web-building process.

Even though the internet can create more stress by transforming the buying process and allowing online reviews, it can benefit the dealership’s web-building through both social media and email campaigns. Carefully executed, both these communication methods can be a key part of a dealer’s ability to strengthen and create new threads to connect the customer to the store. Additionally, during and after the buying process, website live chat link on a dealership website is a valuable tool (especially after hours) to see to a customer’s needs with a real-time response to a sales, service or parts inquiry.

Faux spiders and goblins adorn our neighborhoods for Halloween, but dealers who view every client interaction as a chance to strengthen the web of their relationship, can increase sales throughout the year.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe CarChat24  Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He began working with the internet building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been an performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

Strong relationships are similar to spider webs, especially in the auto industry. Multiple threads are must to build an effective web for business – or spiders. If you want to build long-term success in car sales, you have to recognize that these relationships start with one tiny thread, and by creating additional threads through rapport and nurturing with quality customer care, additional threads and then loyalty can follow.

Loyalty is a fickle mistress in the modern era. No longer do buyers automatically return again and again to purchase their cars like the Buick and Lincoln buyers of old because that is part of their identity. Today’s buyers tie their identity more to a class of car, rather than a particular brand, and their connection to their dealer is even weaker. But as long as I have been around motor vehicles, the dealers that work the hardest to strengthen that bond stand the greatest chance to retain their customers.

The key is to make the most of the first thread. A relationship typically begins one of five ways:

• Floor traffic
• Dealer Website (contact form, phone call, or live chat)
• Third party lead
• Referrals
• Events and Prospecting

Each contact with a customer is a chance to make or break a thread. Whether each contact is through sales, service, parts or the BDC, it is an opportunity for a new thread to be created. Successful dealers ensure their staff is trained to treat each interaction as an opportunity to help or hurt future business. Even the best dealers end up breaking a thread once in a while, so building webs with new customers is a must, and in this day of online reviews, how you treat someone who DOES NOT end up buying can affect your business as much as someone who did. Just like a spider’s web, sometimes forces beyond our control can break those bonds, from a vehicle breakdown to someone moving out of the area, so you have to continue the web-building process.

Even though the internet can create more stress by transforming the buying process and allowing online reviews, it can benefit the dealership’s web-building through both social media and email campaigns. Carefully executed, both these communication methods can be a key part of a dealer’s ability to strengthen and create new threads to connect the customer to the store. Additionally, during and after the buying process, website live chat link on a dealership website is a valuable tool (especially after hours) to see to a customer’s needs with a real-time response to a sales, service or parts inquiry.

Faux spiders and goblins adorn our neighborhoods for Halloween, but dealers who view every client interaction as a chance to strengthen the web of their relationship, can increase sales throughout the year.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe CarChat24  Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He began working with the internet building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been an performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

AutoWeek spotlighted the ’53 Mercury on their website, and it got me thinking how sad it is that such a storied brand has fallen by the wayside, and that dealerships that aren’t careful can also end up like the dodo bird or Mercury brand.

CSI is critical to SURVIVAL

One of the intangible benefits for our Live Chat products is that it can help guard your CSI. Not just the CSI the factory measures, but the one that has your customers posting great things on social media and telling their friends how great it is doing business with your dealership. The one that ensures you are still in business two years, five years, ten years down the road – or just the next recession or manufacturer dealer chop.

Years back when I was part of the management team of one of the top luxury dealerships in the world in both sales and CSI, our general manager continuously harped on the fact that from a business longevity point of view, the “WOULD YOU RECOMMEND US” question was more important than the TOP BOX / COMPLETELY SATISFIED question.

Relationships are the key

That same GM stressed that the RELATIONSHIP that every staff member had with every customer was critical to help ensure future business. I’ll never forget him sharing how his father’s insurance agent knew everything about their family so they could be an effective advisor, from “buffy the dog” to “uncle Harry’s liver operation”.

We were obsessively committed to a CULTURE that would help ensure this result and create customers who are AMBASSADORS in the community. I shared this with my brother, who lives in a rural area in the eastern U.S., when we were discussing how one of his small local dealers didn’t seem to care about customer service - but that it didn’t matter because they would always be in business. I told him to mark my words when the economy slipped and that dealership would fall by the wayside. Sure enough, it was an unfortunate casualty of the recession.

Three keys to stronger CSI

Is your dealership TRULY committed to the satisfaction of your customers? Here are three keys to help you achieve this holy grail:

• Have every staff member commit to it – ensure they understand the critical importance in the long and short term
• Make sure every employee can recognize a problem, and empower them to help begin the resolution
• Measure – measure – measure, by every means you have to

Whether your relationship begins through live chat, walking on the lot, or as a phone up, a commitment to true satisfaction can help ensure your dealership doesn’t go the way of the dodo bird – or Mercury.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus

AutoWeek spotlighted the ’53 Mercury on their website, and it got me thinking how sad it is that such a storied brand has fallen by the wayside, and that dealerships that aren’t careful can also end up like the dodo bird or Mercury brand.

CSI is critical to SURVIVAL

One of the intangible benefits for our Live Chat products is that it can help guard your CSI. Not just the CSI the factory measures, but the one that has your customers posting great things on social media and telling their friends how great it is doing business with your dealership. The one that ensures you are still in business two years, five years, ten years down the road – or just the next recession or manufacturer dealer chop.

Years back when I was part of the management team of one of the top luxury dealerships in the world in both sales and CSI, our general manager continuously harped on the fact that from a business longevity point of view, the “WOULD YOU RECOMMEND US” question was more important than the TOP BOX / COMPLETELY SATISFIED question.

Relationships are the key

That same GM stressed that the RELATIONSHIP that every staff member had with every customer was critical to help ensure future business. I’ll never forget him sharing how his father’s insurance agent knew everything about their family so they could be an effective advisor, from “buffy the dog” to “uncle Harry’s liver operation”.

We were obsessively committed to a CULTURE that would help ensure this result and create customers who are AMBASSADORS in the community. I shared this with my brother, who lives in a rural area in the eastern U.S., when we were discussing how one of his small local dealers didn’t seem to care about customer service - but that it didn’t matter because they would always be in business. I told him to mark my words when the economy slipped and that dealership would fall by the wayside. Sure enough, it was an unfortunate casualty of the recession.

Three keys to stronger CSI

Is your dealership TRULY committed to the satisfaction of your customers? Here are three keys to help you achieve this holy grail:

• Have every staff member commit to it – ensure they understand the critical importance in the long and short term
• Make sure every employee can recognize a problem, and empower them to help begin the resolution
• Measure – measure – measure, by every means you have to

Whether your relationship begins through live chat, walking on the lot, or as a phone up, a commitment to true satisfaction can help ensure your dealership doesn’t go the way of the dodo bird – or Mercury.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom LaPointe
CarChat24
Interactive Media Manager / Industry Analyst

www.carchat24.com/
24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions
Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software
727-638-0195

Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with more than 15 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been a performance leader in everything from sales and service, to web development and viral marketing.

www.facebook.com/CarChat24 / https://twitter.com/CarChat24 / bit.ly/CarChat24GooglePlus