For many consumers, cars are a necessity. They rely on them to get to work so that they can feed their family. They take their children to soccer practice and their spouses out for nights on the town. Throw in an occasional long-distance road trip to visit a relative or take a vacation, and it’s easy to see how much consumers rely on them. Manufacturers integrate safety messages into their branding. The government tests the vehicles. Consumer agencies review them. And consumers use this data to choose which manufacturer they want to do business with.

Time passes. Consumers go about their daily lives with a plethora of concerns that, for the most part, don’t involve their vehicles. Then, a recall happens. 

Consumers and dealers alike are still reeling from the huge amount of recalls last year. It was in fact an all-time record. In 2014 about 62 million U.S. vehicles were recalled.  If you were to look at this in terms of vehicle sales – it’s about four years’ worth of vehicle sales -- or approximately one out of every four cars on the road today.  Several recalls made huge headlines, and were very much hyped up by the media -- including those for defective ignition switches in General Motors cars that have been linked to at least 50 deaths, and faulty Takata air bags, installed in Hondas and other brands, said to be responsible for at least five deaths and 64 injuries.

This can cause quite an emotional impact with consumers – your customers.

While these concerns may not be as dire or present as the customer may perceive, to the customer faced with the concerns, they most certainly are. I am sure many dealerships have experienced phones ringing off the hook shortly after a recall announcement with customers concerned about their personal safety, as well as that of their families.

Dealers aren’t crisis hotlines and, for the most part, aren’t trained to assuage fears such as these. However, if you take the time to handle recall repair requests with empathy and understanding, it can go a long way towards earning the trust and loyalty of these customers.

When a major recall is announced and the phone starts ringing, consider training the receptionists and service advisors in how to correctly handle these calls. It needs a gentle and understanding touch. Keep in mind that in the eyes of the consumer your dealership is, for all intents and purposes, an extension of the manufacturer.  The first thing any recall repair request should begin with is an apology. Be sure to let the customer know their safety is your number one concern when you invite them into the dealership to get their vehicle repaired. Be prepared to answer their questions such as “Should I get a rental car?” or “Is my car going to explode?” with a calm and reassuring voice. And give advice that has been coordinated and approved by management. Ensure that the entire dealership is briefed on how to handle these situations to avoid confusing consumers with mixed messages.

Recall work can bring incredible opportunity. But it is very important to recognize that customers tend to be uneducated about these recalls. Most have only seen the news reports and perhaps the hyped-up media coverage about people being killed. A little sympathy and compassion will go a long way towards earning and keeping your consumer’s trust. And it will assist you in capturing more of the available recall work. 

For many consumers, cars are a necessity. They rely on them to get to work so that they can feed their family. They take their children to soccer practice and their spouses out for nights on the town. Throw in an occasional long-distance road trip to visit a relative or take a vacation, and it’s easy to see how much consumers rely on them. Manufacturers integrate safety messages into their branding. The government tests the vehicles. Consumer agencies review them. And consumers use this data to choose which manufacturer they want to do business with.

Time passes. Consumers go about their daily lives with a plethora of concerns that, for the most part, don’t involve their vehicles. Then, a recall happens. 

Consumers and dealers alike are still reeling from the huge amount of recalls last year. It was in fact an all-time record. In 2014 about 62 million U.S. vehicles were recalled.  If you were to look at this in terms of vehicle sales – it’s about four years’ worth of vehicle sales -- or approximately one out of every four cars on the road today.  Several recalls made huge headlines, and were very much hyped up by the media -- including those for defective ignition switches in General Motors cars that have been linked to at least 50 deaths, and faulty Takata air bags, installed in Hondas and other brands, said to be responsible for at least five deaths and 64 injuries.

This can cause quite an emotional impact with consumers – your customers.

While these concerns may not be as dire or present as the customer may perceive, to the customer faced with the concerns, they most certainly are. I am sure many dealerships have experienced phones ringing off the hook shortly after a recall announcement with customers concerned about their personal safety, as well as that of their families.

Dealers aren’t crisis hotlines and, for the most part, aren’t trained to assuage fears such as these. However, if you take the time to handle recall repair requests with empathy and understanding, it can go a long way towards earning the trust and loyalty of these customers.

When a major recall is announced and the phone starts ringing, consider training the receptionists and service advisors in how to correctly handle these calls. It needs a gentle and understanding touch. Keep in mind that in the eyes of the consumer your dealership is, for all intents and purposes, an extension of the manufacturer.  The first thing any recall repair request should begin with is an apology. Be sure to let the customer know their safety is your number one concern when you invite them into the dealership to get their vehicle repaired. Be prepared to answer their questions such as “Should I get a rental car?” or “Is my car going to explode?” with a calm and reassuring voice. And give advice that has been coordinated and approved by management. Ensure that the entire dealership is briefed on how to handle these situations to avoid confusing consumers with mixed messages.

Recall work can bring incredible opportunity. But it is very important to recognize that customers tend to be uneducated about these recalls. Most have only seen the news reports and perhaps the hyped-up media coverage about people being killed. A little sympathy and compassion will go a long way towards earning and keeping your consumer’s trust. And it will assist you in capturing more of the available recall work. 

Recalls can be lucrative service work for dealerships. However, when recalls are announced, most consumers aren’t informed that their vehicle is subject to a recall. As a result, an estimated “46 million cars with unfixed flaws” are currently driving around, according to a recent article in Automotive News. A new bill proposed in the Senate would mandate that states require recall work be completed before an owner can register their vehicle. This bill will assist in informing consumers that their vehicle is subject to a recall and also force the consumer to take action. The article also mentions a “separate initiative, backed by the Transportation Department, to prohibit the sale of used vehicles that have open recalls.” Something that is already mandatory in new vehicle sales.

With the massive number of recalls our industry is currently experiencing, surely dealers want to capture as much of this work as possible. The additional scrutiny and legislation being enacted and proposed should impact the percentage of customers who are aware that their vehicles need service. The most cited reason for incomplete recall work is that the consumer is unaware that the recall exists.  Even when dealers or OEMs do reach out to consumers, oftentimes consumers mistake the mailing as junk or solicitous, without even bothering to read it. As consumers become more informed – whether that is due to a more impactful design on the recall notice from the manufacturer; a dealer mailing;  or perhaps by being prevented from registering their vehicle; it would be wise to capitalize on this by doing everything you can to capture this business. Customers may be mandated to fix their vehicles, but there won’t be anything mandating that they fix it with YOU.

How does a dealership best position itself to persuade a consumer to choose their dealership over their competitor? By beating everyone to the punch.

It’s quite common for dealers to start the notification process too late, because of concerns about being overwhelmed and lack of parts availability. While these concerns are certainly valid, dealers that take a proactive approach to inform customers; and that create a more efficient scheduling and parts ordering process; will capture more than their fair share.

This begs the question – “If the mailers being sent are being discarded by consumers without reading them, how can I get more consumers in my market to read them?”

Make your recall notices more eye-catching and consider sending them via First-Class Mail so they stand out from the other “junk” mailers. Ensure that they clearly educate the consumer and include a call to action to schedule an appointment at your dealership. And don’t just leave it at that – follow up with a phone call.

Get ready for this upcoming influx of service work – reach out to, engage, upsell, and satisfy recalled vehicle owners to keep them coming back. 

Recalls can be lucrative service work for dealerships. However, when recalls are announced, most consumers aren’t informed that their vehicle is subject to a recall. As a result, an estimated “46 million cars with unfixed flaws” are currently driving around, according to a recent article in Automotive News. A new bill proposed in the Senate would mandate that states require recall work be completed before an owner can register their vehicle. This bill will assist in informing consumers that their vehicle is subject to a recall and also force the consumer to take action. The article also mentions a “separate initiative, backed by the Transportation Department, to prohibit the sale of used vehicles that have open recalls.” Something that is already mandatory in new vehicle sales.

With the massive number of recalls our industry is currently experiencing, surely dealers want to capture as much of this work as possible. The additional scrutiny and legislation being enacted and proposed should impact the percentage of customers who are aware that their vehicles need service. The most cited reason for incomplete recall work is that the consumer is unaware that the recall exists.  Even when dealers or OEMs do reach out to consumers, oftentimes consumers mistake the mailing as junk or solicitous, without even bothering to read it. As consumers become more informed – whether that is due to a more impactful design on the recall notice from the manufacturer; a dealer mailing;  or perhaps by being prevented from registering their vehicle; it would be wise to capitalize on this by doing everything you can to capture this business. Customers may be mandated to fix their vehicles, but there won’t be anything mandating that they fix it with YOU.

How does a dealership best position itself to persuade a consumer to choose their dealership over their competitor? By beating everyone to the punch.

It’s quite common for dealers to start the notification process too late, because of concerns about being overwhelmed and lack of parts availability. While these concerns are certainly valid, dealers that take a proactive approach to inform customers; and that create a more efficient scheduling and parts ordering process; will capture more than their fair share.

This begs the question – “If the mailers being sent are being discarded by consumers without reading them, how can I get more consumers in my market to read them?”

Make your recall notices more eye-catching and consider sending them via First-Class Mail so they stand out from the other “junk” mailers. Ensure that they clearly educate the consumer and include a call to action to schedule an appointment at your dealership. And don’t just leave it at that – follow up with a phone call.

Get ready for this upcoming influx of service work – reach out to, engage, upsell, and satisfy recalled vehicle owners to keep them coming back.