Statistics all support retaining current customers as opposed to bringing in new first-time customers. It costs seven times as much to earn a new customer than it does to keep one satisfied, and so on. But for some reason, 72 percent of car owners still service their vehicles at a third-party mechanic. The 2016 Cox Automotive Maintenance and Repair Study spells it out.

I won’t pretend like there’s one magic bullet that will turn that statistic around for a dealership – it runs much deeper than just one factor. But among the issues contributing to the extremely high defection rate would be something you only get one shot at: a first impression.

In the service department, there are naturally a few things set against you from the start:

• There’s no perceived benefit. Unlike sales, where a customer drives away a new car, there’s no tangible difference in the service department for most customers. They drive home in the same car, just with a lighter wallet.
• It’s not the cleanest environment. Whether it’s just road salt and sand, oil drips, or broken floor tiles and greasy handprints, the service drive is nearly impossible to keep up to the same standard as the showroom.
• The customer needs to meet someone new. Ever tried to make a new friend intentionally? It isn’t easy to walk up to someone you don’t know without feeling awkward.

So, when a customer comes to your dealership’s service department for the first time, they’re ultra-sensitive to their experience. Your first impression had better be good.

A Game Plan for a Good First Impression

Customers who have never been to your service department before – even those who bought their car from your store – need to receive a special one-time experience. It doesn’t have to be all pomp and circumstance but there should be a procedure that everyone follows for known new customers.

Here are a few ideas:

• As a customer pulls into the service drive, if the license plate doesn’t come up in the system, treat them as a new customer.
• Walk up to the driver’s door with a smile and a hand extended for a handshake as they exit the car. Introduce yourself and ask how they’d like to be addressed.
• Welcome the customer to your store and complete a walkaround WITH the customer.
• Complete the service work order.
• Provide hospitality like it’s the first time in your home. Offer coffee or water, let them know where the washrooms are, and make sure they understand services you offer like a shuttle van or rental car.

You’re well on your way to an excellent first impression. But you can go even further if it’s a home run you’re after (and you should be).

• Ask the new customer if they’d like a quick tour of your dealership. It’s a fantastic way to continue building the customer relationship.
• In a sales-to-service introduction, offer more than a quick hello. Offer to book the customer’s first service visit. Let them know you’ll be present that day and tell them to seek you out when they pull in. You’ve made a good first impression before the first service visit.

It takes much more than just a good first impression to retain more sales customers. But it’s a start.