There have been some great conversations highlighting the importance of scheduling the first service appointment. Posing the age old question who schedules the first service appointment? Which is more relevant than ever in today’s market with new car sales slowing down. 

The answers have offered everything from using the BDC, service advisor, to the sales consultant. Everyone has a different way of approaching the first appointment. However, at the end of the day what does matter is making sure that the appointment is not only booked but that they show up! As it has a direct impact and correlation to service retention. 

Here Are some things to consider when handling scheduling the first service appointment:

When is the last time you checked how many new service appointments to expect for the month?

We know that the number of sales affects service. But what we might not be paying attention to is how many new service customers should be making their way into the service lane at the beginning of each month!  You should run a report entailing how many new customers you should be expecting in service.  If you had a slow month a few months back, then you can expect a smaller increase in service. 

Knowing what to expect for the month as far as new customers go will help you better plan your marketing efforts. Perhaps spending more in advertising working on customers who have not been in the lane for the last year. Especially given that these campaigns yield lower ROI's. But even a small success can balance the numbers for the month as far as retention goes.  

A Sales consultant handoff can make for a good experience 

The sales consultant should have shown the customer the service lane during the purchase. Explaining all of what your service department has to offer - in addition to scheduling their first appointment. But to take this a step further, if the sales consultant were to call them 6 months or so (after their purchase) and confirm their first service appointment it could assist with the show rates! As the sales consultant would hand-off the customer when they arrive for their first appointment. 

If you are not hitting the retention on first appointments - something is not right! 

As mentioned above, sales effects the number of new customers making their way into service. That said, it is essential to know what percentage of the customers are making their way back into the service lane for their first appointment. If you are not tracking this than you could be missing out on thousands of dollars! You will also see trends in so far as if the sales consultants doing a proper hand-off. If the sales consultant is not telling the customer about service and its benefits than their likelihood of coming back is not as good! 

Bottom line: 

Check your numbers! If they are low, then take a moment to work with the sales consultants and service advisors to devise a plan that makes sense. A plan that works for both the store and service! Making the sure that the sales consultant remembers that if the customer completes all of their services with you their chance returning for sales will be much higher! 

Who books the first appointment at your store? Have you tried the sales to service hand-off for the first appointment?