Ouch. That’s a hot topic. No one wants to be accused of the sexist stigmas that have been tied to the automotive industries. Men and women are equals in all things, from careers and family matters to politics and beyond. But is the automotive realm lagging behind? More specifically, is your store?

When you ask someone what they think a typical car dealership experience looks like, whether in the sales or the service department, the image evoked is often one of money-hungry, sleazy guys in cheap suits. Ask what the image of a woman’s experience in the dealership looks like, and responses reflect that of vultures swooping in to pick the last bits of flesh from the bones.

Now, we know that imagery isn’t true in MOST places, but have you overcome it in your store yet? I can tell you, from my wife’s point of view, not everyone has.

Not Just Falling Flat, But Frustrating

Recently, she took our vehicle in for its regular maintenance. I know, aside from any surprises, what she should have expected to hear for required services and necessary repairs. There are a couple.

Upon arrival, she’s first told she’s shown up on the wrong date (which she hadn’t), starting the visit out with a sour taste. Then, her oil change service is confirmed and it’s recommended that she purchase the detailing package.

And that’s the extent of the upsell. Vehicle history wasn’t consulted for repair recommendations from a previous visit. If it had been, the advisor would have seen there was a tie rod end with play. He also did not detect that our vehicle is overdue for its transmission service, differential fluid change, coolant flush, nor has a wheel alignment been performed in over two years.

And these are all things I already knew about before my wife went in for the appointment.

You might think that’s just a lazy service advisor, and that’s probably partly the issue. But is there a part of me that believes it’s more? That answer is yes.

My issue is this: if there’s an upsell to make, it’s almost always a loss leader to capture even more business in the long run. Had the upsell been a wheel alignment, the advisor would have had an open door to sell suspension work. If the upsell was the coolant flush, the opening would be for the other fluids that were overdue as well.

Instead, the upsell was a superficial service, playing on the ‘feminine’ trait of cleanliness. When she declined the detailing service, no other mention was made of repairs to be done, not even after she paid for the oil change and left.

In fact, it wasn’t until I glanced at the inspection sheet, surprised that the tie rod end wasn’t recommended, that I saw the loose tie rod AND a loose stabilizer link noted on the inspection. The advisor didn’t even TRY to sell the front end work.

Both Ends of the Spectrum

The pendulum can swing both ways, though. This advisor clearly didn’t think my wife was either interested in driving a safe, reliable vehicle or didn’t think she was the decision-maker in the family. The other end of the spectrum is the advisor who tries to hit a home run on each female client, assuming they’ll buy everything due to lack of knowledge. Both ends of the spectrum hurt your department.

How Should it be Done?

In my dealership experience, I’ve worked beside female technicians, service advisors, and managers. Many of them know cars, stats, and repairs way better than I do. I’ve also worked with even more completely inept males who know nothing about cars; with such dismal automotive knowledge that they couldn’t change their own tire.

It’s ridiculous to assume today that women aren’t on able to make their own decisions regarding automotive work. It hurts the industry as a whole when the stigma is reinforced by the actions of a few. I can tell you from my wife’s experience that she wants to know when there are problems with our vehicle. Her trust in the dealership she visited has faded into nonexistence, all from the actions of a single person.

How Can You Tell if Your Store is Alright?

It’s an age-old trick, but it’s one that works: mystery shoppers. Have your friends bring their vehicles in for service, then report to you with their experiences. A good advisor will tailor their service approach to the individual client, male or female, so it’s less about the actual ‘service work’ and more about the ‘customer service’.

If you find that you’ve got a problem, there’s no time to wait. Tackle it right now with training for the staff involved. It might just be old habits that are hard to break, but your store’s health depends on equal service for everyone coming through your doors.