Reviews and social presence are an integral part of doing business in the digital world we live in. Collecting those reviews, however, is the challenging part. Everything from training the service advisor on the platform to the consistency in collecting those reviews. All of which assists in building a reputation that maintains and creates new business.

So Many Options So Little Time - Which Review Site, though?  

There has been a lot of discussion in our store as to which platform is best for reviews. Whether that is focusing solely on Google or Dealer Rater. We focused on using Dealer Rater having had great success.  Using the Dealer of the Year Award - 5 years running - as a means of building business and collecting reviews from new and current customers. Giving the Advisors talking points when handling phone calls, emails, and customers in the lane.

Part of getting the Service Advisors on board was not easy, either. We approached the Advisors expressing the value of building a relationship with their customers and taking the time to remember their names as they enter the lane. Making sure they had cards to hand out to customers as they are leaving. But It was not until one of the advisors got their first referral - Dealer Rater Connection Lead - that their excitement gained momentum, which has turned into 25+ 5 star reviews a month for the past two months. Having a direct impact on our business.

One of the other reasons there has been a focus on Dealer Rater is because it is the one trusted platform where the employee can be reviewed. Allowing the employees to build their own online reputation as a part of the store's overall image. Even allowing the Advisor the ability to receive connections (as mentioned above) - leads - that have led to sales, and most importantly new, happy customers! And as we all know, loyal & happy customers often spend more money.

Google is important, though right?

Google is very important, and if you have a GMAIL account, and are searching for a service center - your friend's reviews will populate, which can have a deep impact. That said, in our follow-up email we ask our customers to give us a review on Dealer Rater - posting it to Google, too. It is a catch 22, but in the meantime, we believe Dealer Rater is an invaluable tool that has benefited us greatly. 

How do you handle reviews? Do you have a social media manager? Anyone else have great success with using Dealer Rater?

There have been several rounds of conversation in regards to videos. Namely, videos are the new it factor when it comes to capturing our customer's attention whether that is giving the service customer an update, thanking the customer, or building value in the service advisor by having him/her share a personal video with the customer.

Videos are powerful, BUT - the way we have been approaching video (for some time now, really) might not be what the customer is looking for in a video. Sure there are in fact some customers who love the videos!

This article is not to discredit the hard work of those who have been brave enough to load a million apps, take time out of their personal day, spend their money, and argue with his/her GM & Service manager be a part of taking videos.

What I am saying, however, is that there is an easier method of being relevant when it comes to video that we have yet to approach. That is creating a collection of videos that ‘effectively’ explain the services s/he needs for their vehicle. And no, this is not a personal video that would be done onsite for each and every customer. But rather a menu of the services your dealership offers.

Think about it, when a customer explains a problem in the service line it is like “it makes this grrr crackkkkk grrrr sound,” to which the advisor says “we’ll take a look.” The more confident the consumer feels - as if s/he were a part of the decision-making process - the more trust they have, which means they will spend that much more money in the lane.

In regards to the videos, you would have a simple to use catalog - using YouTube Videos (45 seconds or less) - explaining the most common problems. The video’s (while short) are informative, offering the customer a plausible explanation as to what could be wrong with their vehicle.

The best way to start this project is to create a video for oil change, cabin filter change, even a vehicle detail. This video needs to be appealing, too - refraining from using an OEM video where everything is too perfect. It is like booking a hotel on Expedia where the photos are from the resorts first day of business. So upon arrival, the hotel has been through heck and back looking nothing like it once did.

How often do you take videos? Are you having great success with it in the service lane? Any customer feedback?

How many Thank You’s is enough? Do we say thanks so much that we become desensitized to what “thank you” really means? Its that word that puts you in the awkward moment where you say “Thank you.” to which the other says “No, Thank You.” and you finish with “No, but really thanks.” 

Where does it end? 

Well, the same idea of saying thanks too much applies to just how many times we say thank you to our customers via email.  Whether that is the first thank you at the store, thank you email after they leave, thank you review email, & finally the OEM email thanking them for their business - just where does it end?! 

Now mind you, yes, the purpose of saying “thank you” is to “thank” the customer. With the ulterior motive of soliciting that coveted five-star review. The review with the happy customer smiling to the moon and back saying how much they just love visiting your store. 

While we want to continue to thank our customers and in return capture their excitement towards your store - there are a better means of maintaining that! The first step is reviewing how and when your thank you emails go out. 

Check CRM for “Thank You” emails in the workflow - i.e. do you have auto templates set up? 
Email service providers - when is the email triggered? (most of the time it is after an R/O closes)
OEM survey email - usually ten days after service for brand specific vehicles - does your *previous* email let the customer know s/he will be receiving a survey?

Once you have reviewed what emails are sent out and when they are triggered - take an extra minute and review the content keeping in mind that the email can be short, sweet, and to the point. One of the most effective ways of sending out a thank you email is using the advisor's personal information - using their photo in the “thank you” template. 

The single template can cover - thank you, reviews, & OEM survey - I guarantee that condensing your emails will yield better results. In the meantime, check out your current open/opt-out rates - how many people opt out every email cycle? If the opt-out rate is high, then you are either sending too much content. And Remember, start small! 

When reviewing the email content make sure to take the time, and include those directly impacted by the project. Such as the BDC Manager &  Service Manager. So, Thank You!!! 

How do you say thank you?! How many thank you’s is too much??

Using the same coupons every month works, right? I mean Bed Bath & Beyond does it - so why can’t we?

Showing the same coupons on your website every month takes away your FOMO - fear of missing out - where your customer will just assume you will continue to run the same specials. We want to keep using FOMO by creating coupons based on objectives -  offering a relevant, valuable offer.

Beyond updating your website's service page (where you thousands of views) do you make sure that the coupons in your current service email blast even match the offers on your site?! This becomes a huge disadvantage when your customer does what you’ve spent money for them to do! That is clicking on the special taking them to your website where that special they just clicked on does not exist! This happens more than you think.

If you are unsure of what to run for the current month check-in with your OEM and see if they are running a special. You can always add to the special they are offering or create your own special.

There might be an item you have overstocked (i.e. Windshield wiper blades) - so you create a special/bundle promoting them. This special is your primary special that is highlighted on all fronts (website, social media, & POP Marketing) using it as a tool to upsell in the service lane.

Do you use the same coupons every month and it works? Do you run a new “high lighted” specials each month?

How many service appointments does your dealer average on any given month? Chances are you might be missing appointments!

The word “responsive” has been around for quite some time. Perhaps Responsive is even an overused word with vendors who are trying to earn your business for their “responsive” design services - where they all tell you that a “responsive” design will increase conversion!

That all sounds well and good - but a “responsive” website will render itself useless if the scheduling software is not compatible offering the customer a miserable experience. An experience where the appointment scheduling tool format forces the customer to pinch and zoom! (seriously, pinch & zoom!).

The average customer might exit the site if s/he cannot easily schedule an appointment online. That or they might just show up. Sure, that sounds great. But that is not so great if and when several customers show up at the same time without an appointment. In turn increasing their wait time at the dealership, which is a recipe for a lower CSI score.

Check it Out! Try and Schedule an Appointment!

So, is your site responsive? If so, does your appointment scheduling software format correctly online? Or is it iframed in so that when the consumer is trying to schedule an appointment on their mobile device, they are pinching and zooming!

Beyond checking the actual mobile format. It is also important to monitor and review the overall conversion rate. If you notice that there is a dip in conversion, there might be an issue with the site! Check your site and start booking more service appointments!

I do not want to keep a loyal customer said no one ever! Somehow, though, dealers fall short of creating, implementing, and executing a successful loyalty program. Often spending too much time on other marketing efforts.

When is the last time you asked a service advisor or sales consultant what their store's loyalty program was? Better yet - once you’ve asked them what their program is (which they probably will at least acknowledge that you have one) ask them how often they use it to sell the dealership!

Do they use the Dealers Loyalty Program to sell the dealership? (if not, chances are it is a program that is not clearly explained or valued).

Designing a loyalty program is more than creating a brochure and touting benefits that are not explained or translated into what the “benefits” actually do for the customer.

For example, you tell the customer “you have x amount of oil changes. Earning money for each service” the consumer might think “if the oil change is free what else do I need?”

The customer - at the time of their purchase - is not always thinking about all of the other things that can go wrong with their newly purchased vehicle. Or if they do, that is why s/he bought their extended warranty.

That said, what does a “loyalty” program do for them? If the consumer in this day in age *expects* maintenance (such as the oil change) to be apart of the oil change, then the loyalty program has to be creative. A program that deems itself useful to the customer.

One of the things that can help build value with your dealer's loyalty program is partnering with local shops. Think about it - if you were to partner with a local favorite coffee, bakery, or boutique shop, and purchased a “bulk” amount of coffee or pastries, then the customer would see *value* in their servicing the vehicle with your store. Making that extra stop on the way home to their popular downtown venue.

It is a win-win for both the dealer and shop. Sure, there would be different demographics to approach when tailoring the programs. For instance, your luxury brands might have a “Presidents wine club.” where the CEO & owner shares a bottle of his prize wine at a “discounted” price. But at the end of the day, the options are endless.

I encourage you to ask the hard question to your employees “what does our loyalty program mean - would you use our loyalty program?” And see what they have to say!

What kind of loyalty programs do you have? What has worked well for you?

At one time or another, we are all (assumably) guilty of running the same service specials online month to month. Asking our advisors how many times the coupon hit the service lane to which the advisor most likely does not know. Certainly not pulling a pile of coupons out of their service desk to show you either. 

Looking at the analytics online - reviewing the click, conversion,  and total prints - might not be as effective either; as the analytics do not paint the overall picture. How many times have you gone to a store and said “I forgot my coupon, but I saw the special online? Can I use it?” and the cashier redeems the coupon. 

The same thing happens in the service lane, but are the advisors using the right op code to track the discount? If not, the discounts are not being tracked by the coupon. In turn, it makes it that much harder to make a decision on what special to run next month! 

Taking the extra minute in the lane to use specific opcodes, however, can ensure that the coupon was used. Even offering an op code for those who did not have a coupon, but still asked for the discount in the lane! Sounds like a lot of work. But it isn’t.

Tracking how many people are engaged with a special can optimize your service marketing efforts. Sending and continuing to send marketing that is effective! 

Do you use special opcodes for monthly service specials? How do you track discounts with Advisors? 
 

The last thing a dealer wants to hear is “take me off of your marketing list.” Each and every time you get that email, phone call - or in some cases a text - you often ask yourself did I email to much? Was the offer good?

The bottom line is that you have to remove the customer from your marketing lists. Dealers sometimes forget (or lose track of) just how many vendors that actively email your customers, which are not just sent from the CRM/DMS. There are OEM emails and sometimes vendors also send their emails, too.

Removing the email from just the CRM (in most cases) will not then also delete the customer's email address from all systems. In which case, the already upset and disinterested customer will receive another email next month. Certainly not the best way to try and capture their business for service, no?

When is the last time you checked with your vendor to see if they’ve scrubbed for opt-outs? How does your dealer handle opt-outs?

You might be wondering why I am so enthused about removing customers from the marketing list? Let me set the record straight. It is not about being excited to remove upset customers - it is about better the chances of earning their business for service.

If the customer has opted out of email correspondence for service, the last chance of resurrecting that customer is not by sending them another email. There are a few different campaigns that could work. One of them being mailers - sending a mailer will allow you to personalize it by having the customer go to a unique URL giving us their permission to email them. As you are giving them an exclusive offer.

If the customer - who initially opted out  - needs an oil change and you’ve provided a complimentary oil change (or whatever offer works best), and they are in need of that service -  the chances of the customer coming in are in your favor.

If that upset customer - the one that opted out - has a great experience then it can have the chance of restarting the relationship. A relationship that can be profitable for the dealership. If traditional mail has not worked for your dealer, there is always social media marketing. Allowing the dealer to send the customer (the one that opted out) a coupon that will show up in their feed.

Doesn’t matter which campaign you choose (again whatever works best for your dealership), but you should make sure that your email lists are up to date!

How does your dealer deal with opt-outs? Do you use digital or traditional campaigns?

January is full of resolutions, which often fail because there were either too many resolutions or there wasn’t enough focus on the ability to maintain or sustain the resolution. 

Every dealer should have resolutions -  understanding, however, that the mentality in the industry is often a tunneled month-to-month perspective. A perspective that is often short lived as the bigger picture is often forgotten. 

It is not too late, though!

One resolution that can make a big difference is a dealer managing/organizing their vendors - reviewing the year-end reports cross-checking the vendor's current role in your overall strategy. Asking yourself if the vendor is currently living up to their standards - all too often, dealers forget just how many vendors they work with! 

When is the last time you logged into to your vendors portal to check reports or ask a question to improve performance?

Keep in mind, when reviewing vendors it is important to review the marketing schedule (namely, when your marketing was sent out). Looking for trends in the open rates, conversion rate, click rate, and how many appointments were scheduled. Asking yourself if the current strategy is working?  Are your dealers marketing efforts overlapping? 

Something as simple as switching the marketing schedule (making sure it is in alignment with the OEM) can impact the conversion rate leading to more appointments. More appointments result in more RO’s! 

Beyond switching/reviewing your marketing schedule it is also a good time to review the website. Asking yourself if the website offers the service customer a good experience? When reviewing the site look for the overall ease of use - i.e. how long did it take you to book an appointment? Are there too many pop-ups? 

If you have a chat service - CHAT! - have a conversation with the agent to see how they perform when asking to book a service appointment. Does the agent take too long to assist the customer? Did the customer get an appointment? 
. 
This all sounds simple, but the fact of the matter is managing and strategizing with your vendor what you expect for them (starting in January) is far more effective than trying to work out a new plan in the middle of February! If you set the expectations now, your dealer is already ahead allowing you to fine tune your strategy as the year progresses. 

How many of you already have met with your vendors? Have you gotten rid of vendors? Or is the month to month mentality best? 
 

Is a free oil change the only way of getting customers to return to your dealership? If so, chances are you have other underlying problems. Problems that are costing your dealer thousands of dollars annually.

There is no question that the OEM puts pressure on the dealer to maintain their customers in both sales and service. Keeping your customers loyal in both sales and service is incredibly lucrative for the dealer. Saving thousands of dollars in conquesting costs.

Keeping your customers at a cost, however, is not lucrative, and here’s why

The only time you have to ask yourself what the value of keeping a customer is if you are always giving free oil changes to the same customers. Putting yourself in a situation where it takes a miracle to increase the average RO spend. And you are spending thousands of dollars a month to retain those customers.

Understanding that If everything is always free (in this case the oil change), the customer loses site of its value. In other words, the customer has become immune to the word free oil change. Not expecting to pay a dime otherwise when it comes time to service their vehicle.

If the customers first words upon arrival (or when booking an online appointment) are “I need to schedule my free oil change” their entire trip is revolving around the “free oil change.” Versus the customer saying “I need to schedule my oil change.”

In the second scenario, the dynamic of the conversation completely changes. It offers the Service Advisor a better chance of upselling the customer. Whereas if the appointment is revolving around the “free” oil change, the advisor would possibly lead into “Besides your oil change - will you need anything else today?”  Or the advisor might say “right now we are running a service special for $79.95 - today only.”

To which the customer might say “No, just need the oil change.” The customer has already made up their minds that they will not be spending anything. It is free.

Instead of always offering a free oil change to your current customers. Think about what other brands are doing in regards to coupons and discounts to increase customer retention. The coupon, however, has to be relevant, and reflect instant gratification.

A customer who believes that they are saving a dollar amount off of an RO will leave feeling satisfied. In doing so, it builds value in your pricing. The other benefit besides valuing a “dollar” amount for a discount (such as $20 off of services more than $100) is the dealer's ability to show their competitor's price - slashing it - and offering a “dollar” amount off of the service.

There still is a markup left in the “service” (depending on the services provided) as well room for the advisor to sell other services. If the customer believes that they are getting a good deal, they are more apt to purchasing more.

How does your store retain customers? Have you used Dollar Amounts off Savings?  Do you give free oil changes and have incredible success?