Customer service is vital. We get that. But one thing we might not notice or suspect as much is the very fact that not everyone has proper phone etiquette. In fact, some of your best Advisors could be the absolute worst on the phones! Just because you are great in front of a person does not mean you can handle objections or have the patience to listen to a customer explaining their issues. 

Here are some of the top reasons to listen to your service calls! 

It is Not About Being “Big Brother” 

Listening to phone calls is not about being “Big Brother” where you are trying to intimidate your advisor into thinking their every move is watched. Or that the reason you are listening to their phone calls is directly correlated to their performance. Instead, one of the best ways to approach this is to offer that you want to assist them. Working with them (not against them) when it comes to providing excellent customer service. 

Offering that sometimes something as simple as listening to their calls can have a profound impact on their success!

Customer Vehicle Issues 

We know that when a customer is describing an issue over the phone that they need to come in for an appointment. What we do not always get, however, is that the customer needs to feel that the advisor is working with them. Taking the time to understand his/her needs. Even if that means listening to some bizarre remake of the mechanical issue they are experiencing! (have you heard some of those commercials?!)  In doing so, the rapport is built on the phone (much like it is in sales) and the customer trusts that the advisor has their best interest at heart. 

This situation - had the advisor not been in tune or interested - could have ended entirely different. Where the customer was unable to explain their issue as the advisor was interrupting them or worse talking over them to try and tell them that it is just best if they bring the vehicle in! 

Booking the Appointment 

It is much easier just to say “sure, come in we are open until 6 PM” than it is to get their information (asking if they have serviced with you) and book the appointment, right? Sure, it sounds much easier! But in the end, it isn’t! 

Using this method of “get off the phone as quickly as possible” can lead to working with too many RO’s at once. And we know what that can lead too “bad customer experience,” which means that the dealer has the chance of getting a bad survey. 

Not to mention, if the customer has serviced there and is not asked about it, then s/he might not feel as valued. And why would the advisor want to handle a call (working with the customer) to suddenly give up that customer as they do not have their information or an appointment scheduled? Seems kind of counterproductive, no? 

Bottom Line: 

Listening to calls will not only help the advisors deal with objections but the more confident you are in handling phone calls, the better off your advisor will be! Not to mention, it will help pinpoint and find issues you are having that you might not even be aware of! In the end, it is all about offering the customer an excellent experience. Everything from their website visit when booking the appointment, to their phone call, and last but not least their appointment at the dealership! 

Do you listen to calls? If so, how has this helped in offering better customer service? If you do not monitor and/or listen to calls - why not?