I think we’d all agree that the world turns much faster than we ever expected. In the blink of an eye, ten years go by and we wonder what we missed. In as much as that applies in so many ways to our personal lives, it resounds in our professional lives and careers as well.

While we are living in the present, sometimes just trying to keep our heads above water as we are surrounded by the demands of customers, the strains of co-workers and managers, and the many hours spent at the shop, we forget to look to the future. Frankly, with as many hours as you already spend living and breathing work, you don’t want to worry about tomorrow, never mind years from now.

Your professional future demands that you pay attention to what the automotive industry is going to be like in the coming years. No one can deny the incredible technological advances we’ve seen in the past twenty years and the fascinating developments that are happening now at a blistering pace. We’ve seen:

• Cruise control develop from a luxury option to standard equipment, and adaptive cruise control becoming commonplace.
• Collision avoidance systems integrated into most every manufacturer’s lineup, not just anti-lock brakes and traction control
• Monstrously heavy vehicles pare down with lightweight materials and advanced composites.

Yet, while the industry standard in vehicle manufacturing has come such a long way, our fixed operations departments have barely changed at all.

A study was performed by Autotrader to determine what the car buyer of the future looks like and one of their questions was relative to vehicle servicing. The results are quite telling.

Car buyers were asked how they would like to service their vehicle in the future, either in real options or hypothetical servicing options.

• 21 percent want an app-based service appointment scheduler that also contains their vehicle’s service history and recommended maintenance.
• 23 percent want to see home-based vehicle servicing, where the dealer picks up their vehicle, services it, then returns it back when it is complete.
• 31 percent want to be able to service at one of multiple shops in their dealer network, even if they didn’t buy their vehicle there.
• Only EIGHT percent want to continue servicing their vehicle in the traditional way that dealerships employ today.

What does that mean for you?

The “traditional” dealership service model is a dinosaur. It has been operated in the same way for decades where the rest of the world has moved along, as has the customer base. Is it any wonder that customer retention is so difficult at the dealership?

Embrace the world outside your dealership. Discover what it is that makes the modern world turn. Here’s a hint: customer convenience.

Have you noticed that virtually every other industry has made servicing their customers as convenient as possible? You can order your groceries online if you’d like, and even have them delivered. You can shop on Amazon, eBay, and other e-tailers who will deliver your goods within a day or two so you don’t have to fight crowds at the mall or even spend gas for the drive.

Your service customer of the future wants things to be more convenient than they are now. If only eight percent are satisfied with the current service model, that means we need to make major industry changes before other services steal our customers out from under our noses.

Need a few ideas?

• If you don’t already, offer a pick-up and drop-off service for customer vehicles. You don’t have to offer it for free either. Although your customers want enhanced convenience, it doesn’t mean you can’t charge a little extra for it.
• Develop a professional web presence and convenient app for your particular store for easy appointment setting and service reminders.
• Team up your dealer group stores to offer basic services to clients across your different makes. Stock common fluids, filters, and parts to make services timely and competitive to the independent shop on the corner.
• At the very least, make your current service model as convenient as possible. Hire enough service shuttle drivers so your customers aren’t waiting a long time to get to work or home. Invest in a fleet of courtesy cars that you can give out for larger repairs or overnight stays.

The future of car servicing at your car dealership will need to dramatically change in order to meet the changing client needs and wants.

Do you know what the service customer of the future looks like in your area? Do you have an immediate or long-term plan to meet those needs? Share your ‘service customer of the future’ ideas here.