As a consumer, I expect my experience to be consistent with the research I’ve done online. To me, it doesn’t matter if it’s finding an item I want in stock or having the prices match between online and on the shelf. And I’ll bet you share the frustration with me in how often consistency just isn’t there.

Two quick examples to show what I mean.

Very recently, I participated in soliciting quotes for a venue to put on a fundraising dinner. One company offered a menu online for exactly what I was researching – four-course prime rib dinner for $30.95. Upon calling to clarify availability and a few other details, the events manager emailed me the menu with additional information…but the menu was different than I’d seen online. The same dinner was $32.55. While not a huge price jump, it affected how I thought I could expect other aspects to go.

And more applicable yet to the automotive industry was a recent service visit I made for my wife’s vehicle. After a frustrating online booking process, I checked in at the dealership for my appointment. As the service advisor confirmed my requests, it was nothing like I booked online. The ‘Service B’ package for $89.95 was completely gone, replaced by an oil change and tire rotation. Plus, a note had been added that I was interested in purchasing winter tires. Not so! All I needed were TPM sensors programmed, and I specified exactly that in the appointment notes!

Consistency Isn’t Just Convenient, It’s Crucial

What might seem like minor inconveniences that didn’t have a huge effect on the outcome really are a big deal. Here’s why:

• According to a Demand Metric report in 2016, revenue increases by 23 percent when a customer sees consistency across all channels.
• In the same report, “less than 10 percent of this study’s participants hit this level of consistency.”

It isn’t just consistency in pricing that matters either. A consistent brand image is important from the logo you put on your website and direct mail to the colors you choose for your email blasts and the in-store finishing details.

For service departments and marketing professionals, the language and presentation for your service menu needs to look the same online as it is in the service drive. Taking my example from earlier (it’s the God’s-honest truth, by the way), your ‘Service B’ package online should be a ‘Service B’ package in the store. Your BDC shouldn’t need to translate it into the actual RO line items you offer – you have the tools to build out the RO lines as you see fit.

You’ll Make More Money

The immediate benefit from omni-channel consistency? It’s financially rewarding. Imagine tacking on an extra 23 percent to every RO, and all it takes is aligning your online experience, your in-store experience, and the campaigns you send your customers. For many stores, an extra 23 percent could be the bridge to achieve 100% service absorption. Take a moment to check if that’s how much it would affect your store.

You Won’t Tick Off Customers

More importantly, consistency is another tool for customer retention. If someone can trust that the information they see online will match the service, pricing, or product provided in store, they’ll become increasingly loyal.

The 2018 Cox Automotive Service Industry Study gives dealers a chance to laud their service advisors instead of admonishing them. One very important statistic that comes up in the report is this: 53 percent of service visits at the dealership included multiple services.

It’s a full 12 percent higher than just three years previous, in 2015. It should not be downplayed either. Tighter sales margins in variable ops means dealers will rely more heavily on service department revenue, and service advisors are bellying up to the bar, making it happen. While 12 percent is sure to benefit the bottom line, there remains a good chunk of customer ROs that are one-liners.

Lucky for dealers, the one-line ROs are less frequently just an oil change, according to the same Cox Automotive study. Whatever the job on that one line, the dealership can only benefit if that same RO had two or more lines on it.

Can’t Always Upsell the Same Stuff

I’m sure most service advisors would agree that upselling the same services customer after customer gets tiring very quickly. Only so many will want that brake replacement package you offer or the seasonal inspection. And the cooling system flush upsell just doesn’t go over as well in spring as it does in the fall.

It wears as thin on customers as it does on advisors. What people want is a service experience tailored to their needs, not one-size-fits-all suggestions.

Some upsells, however, work that way. The question you ask is effectively personal and can be asked of every customer as this summer season rolls around.

Summer Questions Advisors Can Ask

Of course, pay close attention to the customer. If you feel they aren’t in the space for it, give it a pass. There’s no need to tick off a customer just to attempt an upsell. But for anyone who seems mildly tuned into what you have to say, here are a few suggestions.

“How Has Your Air Conditioning Been Working?”

 A/C efficiency is a concern that many customers feel they can live with. It’s normal for an A/C system to lose 15-20 percent of its efficiency by the end of three years, and customers will begin to notice the difference. Often, it only requires a refrigerant evac and recharge to get it ice-cold again. It could also be an opportunity to add on a cabin air filter. Or, an A/C repair might be in order, and the average cost is $488, a nice addition to an RO.

“Did You Know Salt and Sand in Your Carpets Damages the Fibers?”

On the walkaround, did you notice that there are salt stains in the carpets? You’ll find this mainly in northern states after winter breaks. It’s true – the sand and salt in the carpet is an abrasive and causes carpet fibers to break off. It’s a segue into an upsell on detailing packages beyond the normal wash and vac. No matter the client, you’ll find that car owners whose vehicles are less than eight years old take pride in their ride and want to keep it clean and in good shape.

“When Was the Last Time You Looked at Your Tires?”

Going into summer, good tire tread is important for traction in rain, snow, and even the heat. More than one in three car owners can’t tell if a tire is bald. 78 percent of vehicles that enter the service drive require tire services of some kind, whether rotation, tire repair, or replacement. This question opens the conversation to bring the customer to their car and look at their tires with them. Not only is it a time you can build trust with the car owner, but a great opportunity to upsell tires or tire services.

And that brings up the key to it all: building customer trust. Upsells are so important for boosting the bottom line, and making money is the reason a dealership is in business. But it can’t be at the expense of losing a customer’s trust. With every interaction, weigh whether your actions and your speech build up that relationship or damage it.

New cars have more technology packed into them today, and it’s only increasing. Think about this: the world’s first supercomputer, the CDC 6600 in 1964, had just 982kB of memory and weighed in at 12,000 pounds. 55 years later, your smartphone weighs less than one pound and packs thousands of times the CDC 6600’s computing power into its tiny case. Imagine all the tech that can and does fit into a car. It’s mind-blowing.

All that technology is great to have, from convenience and comfort to saving lives through advanced safety systems. But in the service department, these high-tech features are the cause of many frustrating conversations, no fault found diagnoses, and poor CSI surveys.

Why is Tech a Stumbling Block?

What’s meant to enhance a customer’s car ownership experience becomes a sore spot. I’m thinking of a friend who doesn’t know how to operate her new Mercedes-Benz’s Active Parking Assist and doesn’t trust her Adaptive Cruise Control. Are those value-added and safety features doing anything to enhance her ownership? Not at all. If anything, it makes her think about buying a different brand.

Customers like my friend aren’t unintelligent. However, she thinks there’s something wrong with her Active Parking Assist system. And what I can guarantee you is that she’s going to make an appointment at the local dealer, drop her car off in the morning, and become frustrated that there’s nothing to fix. It’s working as designed (I can safely assume).

It’s an education problem.

The Service Staff are Doing Everything Right

When a customer drops off a vehicle for a technology-related complaint, the service advisor has to assume they’ve been taught how to use their car’s features. Unless there’s a glaring bit of the conversation that leads them to think otherwise, you must give the customer the benefit of the doubt, right?

Same goes for the technician. If the feature or system is functioning as designed, it’s their job to declare it an NFF diagnosis.

The ball has been dropped earlier on, back when the car was bought and delivered. The good news is that the service department has an opportunity to turn this negative experience into a positive and build on their trusting relationship with the customer.

Educate in the Service Drive

While I worked for a GM franchise previously, I was the Certified Technology Expert in the service drive. When customers or staff had questions, I was responsible to have the answer or find it. I certainly wasn’t used often in that role but it could have been amazing.

It would be easy enough to have the Tech Expert come over to the customer’s car and see how they’re using the tech feature to determine whether it’s a user issue or a fault. 9 times out of 10, maybe closer to 10, it’s user error. The service department can avoid tying up a service advisor, a technician, and the customer’s car for the day by spending a few minutes digging deeper, even if they shouldn’t have to.

Tackle It Early

I’m a huge advocate for Car Care Clinics. I think dealers should advertise Tech Clinics in the same way for their customers. Contact a car buyer a month after their purchase and invite them to the Tech Clinic to make sure they’re using their vehicle’s features to their full potential. Have staff on hand for one-on-one advice and even to take test drives to get customers comfortable with ADAS features.

Whether it’s through Tech Clinics or a Certified Technology Expert in the service drive, the service department can build trust with the client base and solidify their role as brand experts and ambassadors. That can only do positive things for the ongoing customer-dealer relationship.

A lot of attention is given to providing the customer with an experience they want – deservedly so. It’s an extremely important component for servicing today’s car owners in the way they best connect. Friendly greeting, a comfortable and well-stocked customer lounge, thorough and transparent communication, and high-quality repairs are all expectations that must be met.

Before the customer even comes into your service department for the first time after buying a vehicle from your dealership, there’s a detail they need to know. Just like a wedding is just the beginning of a marriage relationship, the sale is only the start of the relationship with the dealership.

Sadly, this is still a point that gets missed regularly. The sales-to-service hand-off doesn’t happen, or it’s short and sweet. The customer doesn’t know just how much value the dealership puts on their ongoing service relationship. The result? That customer doesn’t feel any sense of loyalty to book their service appointments with the dealership.

The statistic is hard to come by, but somewhere between 20 and 35 percent of new car buyers never set foot in the service department after the sale – not even for their first oil change. The bad news doesn’t end there either. By the end of the warranty period, 70 percent of customers have defected to another service provider, whether it’s a closer dealership or an independent store.

They don’t know they are your customer.

Lay Claim to the Customer

I know it comes across as crazy and possessive. However you view it, car buyers need to be educated that your dealership is there to support them as much or more after the sale. This is a point where businesses stumble all the time, not just car dealers.

You need to make assumptions in all your communication with the car buyer that they’ll be back for service, that they’ll send you their referrals, and that they’ll be buying their next vehicle from you. It all starts with that period of three to six years in the service department between car-buying experiences.

Start the Service Communications Soon After the Sale

Long before the car buyer is due for their first oil change, get connected with them. Honestly, as time-consuming as it might be, a verbal conversation is best – a phone call. It needs to come from either a person in authority in the service department or the person they’ll be connecting with during the visit, and that’s either the service manager, assistant manager, or the service advisor. I’d recommend the assistant service manager personally.

Simply ask them how their ownership experience has been thus far and let them know how to get in touch for the first service visit. Book the first appointment if it’s possible. And if you have a pick-up service, this is the time to make that known.

Stay Connected Between Services

70 percent of dealership service customers will drop away by the time the factory warranty ends. But if they feel connected between service visits, that number is bound to drop significantly. It’s as easy as email campaigns crafted to sound personal. Extend invitations to car care clinics. Drop little service nuggets and detailing how-to’s. Just make sure they understand the value of these emails or they’ll go straight to the junk folder.

A service department that makes an effort to connect between services demonstrates that they aren’t just there to take the customer’s money but to provide service and value.

Care About Their Surveys

Half of unhappy customers won’t respond to a CSI survey if they aren’t happy – they’d rather quietly go elsewhere. You’ll never know about them either. But unhappy survey respondents can be saved. Of the 50 percent that will tell you things did not go well, 70 percent are willing to try your store again if you resolve the issue.

A dealership that lays claim to the customer takes responsibility for fixing the issues, whether real or perceived.

It’s crucial for repeat sales and referrals, not to mention the service income that it generates. Keep the lines of communication open with your customers by letting them know you care for them because they are YOUR customer. It makes it much more likely they’ll stick with you.

The popular automotive marketplace, CarGurus, released data from a recent poll of truck owners. This segment, previously thought to be fiercely loyal to a brand and a dealership, has begun to change their views. And the catalyst for their shift? Rising pickup truck prices.

The 2019 Truck Sentiment Survey by CarGurus points to some key indicators.

• 68 percent of truck owners believe their vehicle is overpriced.
• Nearly half – 48 percent – believe that trucks aren’t made as well as they used to be.
• 1 in 6 truck owners say they probably won’t buy another pickup truck.

That’s a problem, don’t you think? While passenger car sales slump, truck and SUV sales continue to grow. This segment of the auto industry is driving sales (pun intended) and if loyalty is suffering through no fault of the dealership, what can you do?

Take Ownership of the Problem

Dealers, you don’t have a choice in the invoice pricing from the manufacturer, and you shouldn’t have to give away the farm on truck deals. But when loyalty is starting to deteriorate in this profitable segment, you need to do something! And perhaps it’s how you take care of their vehicle after the sale.

Before you think it’s going to cost you money – it’s not. At least, it doesn’t have to. Truck customers know their vehicles are more expensive than a four-door sedan or a hatchback. They know their cost of ownership is higher. While this study focused on the relation to rising prices, you can counteract it with awesome service.

Here’s an Example

I have a business acquaintance who owns a medium-sized company with around eight to ten vehicles in their fleet. After a couple decades in business, he knows his trucks are expensive to maintain, and their always Ford. No question. But the reason that his fleet is always Ford has little to do with the manufacturer, but rather the servicing dealer.

He’s been to the dealership once. Ever. When he needs a truck serviced, the dealership picks it up from him, leaves a loaner if necessary, and drops it off when it’s ready. He rarely questions the service costs. And he’s going to continue using that dealership for his servicing and vehicle purchases because they go above and beyond. His time is his most valuable commodity, and they recognize that.

 If vehicle prices rise, he won’t complain for a second because his service experience is so ideal that he’s going to be loyal.

Low- and No-Cost Ideas to Drive Truck Loyalty

I don’t believe that my friend is unique. What it takes is acknowledging what a customer values most and delivering on it. That’s especially true for truck owners who have already spent significant coin on their ride.

Pick Up and Drop Off Vehicles for Service

You’ll need staff for this so there is a small cost. It’s one of the extra services business owners and truck owners alike appreciate like crazy. You’re valuing their time and if it’s done well, they’re going to remain loyal unless you lose their trust. It’s such a valuable service that you could charge a nominal fee to cover expenses and most people wouldn’t think twice.

After-Service Detailing

CSI survey or not, give service customers back a clean car. When the average service cost per visit for a pickup truck is more than $200, the customer should be able to expect a clean truck back. Go a step further than a car wash and perform a light interior detail as well.

Offer a Truck Specialist

As a customer, there’s nothing more frustrating than a service provider that doesn’t know what they’re talking about. A junior advisor means well but can they accurately explain which truck services – diff service, transfer case service, Allison transmission service, etc. – need to be done and why? For dealers with a high percentage of truck customers, assign one or more of your senior advisors as Truck Specialists to establish a more authoritative, knowledgeable, and comforting service experience for truck owners.

These are just a few ideas to boost truck loyalty from the service side. Does your store do anything special for your truck customers to keep them loyal to the brand and your store?

The 2019 U.S. Customer Service Index Study results by J.D. Power have been published. You’ve seen the report before, but it should be more than just information for any dealership. It should provide valuable feedback on how to better serve and connect with your customers.

For 2019, a key indicator from the US CSI Study is about communication with customers in the most appropriate way. It’s not about how YOU want to communicate, but rather what resonates best with your customers.

This is directly from the J.D. Power press release:

“Satisfaction is 75 points higher (on a 1,000-point scale) among customers who have an all-digital experience compared with one that is all analog, preferring to schedule service via the internet and communicate with the dealer through text messages, rather than doing those tasks via phone. Satisfaction increases further when a service advisor uses a tablet during the service visit.”

Let’s spell that out very clearly. Customers value text messaging and the use of technology in the service experience. You’ll find the proof in the 2019 CSI Study.

Why Don’t Dealers Act On It?

Perhaps your service department is among the elite who text regularly and integrate iPads in the service walkaround. From the statistics, the vast majority do not.

Chris Sutton, Vice President of U.S. Automotive Retail Practice at J.D. Power, says, “For example, 34% of customers indicate they prefer to communicate via text message—but this only occurs 9% of the time! There’s no reason why this isn’t a more widely adopted practice across the industry.

“Dealers have easy access to these tools, so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Technology not only improves efficiency but also the more satisfied a customer is with their overall service experience, the more likely they are to return to the dealership for service and to recommend the dealership to friends and family members.”

Let’s make those numbers even more real. 34 percent want to communicate by text message, so approximately every third customer that enters your store. 34 out of 100 customers. Of those 34, only 9 – that’s right, 9! – receive communication in the way they prefer. For customers who expect text messaging as the communication method, only 1 in 4 gets the experience they want.

A Way to Differentiate

The gap in CSI ranking scores between first and last are narrowing (save for one or two outliers). A boost of 75 points on that 1,000-point scale makes a major difference in ranking. One single approach such as text messaging can have rather significant implications. Customers have spoken, and it’s what they want from you, the servicing dealer.

Without taking from all the other things you’ve been doing well, it’s time to make the customer’s preferred method of communication a priority for the service department. It might require DMS-integrated SMS texting. There’s a webinar through DrivingSales on March 28th by LivePerson Automotive on that very topic.

Your customers are telling you what they want. Time to deliver.

As a service manager or fixed operations director, this information is for you.

There has been much to do about email interactions and direct marketing recently. It’s hard to separate basic principles from ideas that may or may not work for your customer base. This is one piece of the pie that you can’t go without in today’s marketing world.

You absolutely have to create a personal connection in direct response campaigns. No question about it. It’s not up for debate. There’s one way to do it, and it’s unbelievably effective when you do it.

Speak to your customer one-on-one.

The Proof Is In Your Inbox

Open your email inbox and look through the past week’s emails, and don’t forget the trash. Which ones did you open and which ones were discarded immediately? Because you’re an intelligent person, you quickly deciphered the emails addressed personally (and correctly) to you. The email blasts that were clearly sent from some MailChimp list went straight to the trash.

At home, your mailbox is jammed with junk mail too. Any glossy papers are tossed. Personalized envelopes are set aside as a prized possession and opened.

And that’s how your customers treat emails and snail mail too.

Shape Campaigns to the Individual

Looking to get your emails opened? Want to convert better on your direct mailers? Whether you’re letting your customers know about a service promotion from the manufacturer or you’re drumming up work to sprint into the next quarter, you’re looking to have the best response rate possible.

Gimmicks used to work. They’re not nearly as effective anymore. Shiny coupons come from every dealer within five miles, touting $10 off a synthetic oil change. But customers see that you’re advertising a loss leader so you can upsell them. They’re smart. A flashy, colorful email immediately looks like you’re selling something, and they put a guard up.

But carefully craft a campaign that looks sincere and valuable, and you’ll see the difference in responses. Whether delivered by email or with a stamp on it, people will respond better when it looks like you’ve sent something specifically to them, or even to a select few customers.

Narrow It Down to the Reader

Look at the opening line of this post: “As a service manager or fixed operations director, this information is for you.“ It’s directed specifically at a small segment. If you send a campaign to someone and they make a personal connection, they will continue reading it.

Quickly Get to the Point

Don’t fluff the reader up. Don’t waste their time. Give them the reason for your email or letter fast. This post did that too, didn’t it?

Be Clear About the Offer

This post isn’t to sell you anything or it would’ve been in those first six to eight lines. For your service customers, you’ll need to identify WHY they’re getting the offer, and HOW they should respond.

“Because you’ve been a loyal customer since [YEAR], I’d like to offer you a complimentary full vehicle detailing when [DEALER.NAME] changes your timing belt. Because your visit will take a full day, email me or call me directly to book your appointment. I’ll even set aside a complimentary courtesy car for the day.”

Make It Worthwhile

Everyone gets the $10 off coupons. Your campaigns, especially direct mail, cost a pretty penny. Make it worthwhile, like the sample above. I can tell you this: my wife would jump on that offer immediately if she knew her timing belt was due for replacement! It respects her time with a courtesy car, and she gets to drive a clean car when it’s all done.

Address your service campaigns to the individual. No need to make it flashy, just clearly beneficial to the customer. Your response rates will spike if the recipients feel like you’re talking directly to them.

In the previous several weeks, we’ve had plenty of discussion about the customer experience. There’s a realization that customers are no longer content to come back to the dealership for service simply because they bought the car there. You have to treat them right.

Plenty of theories have been brought up, as well as a few action points. Aim for the best service possible, not just enough for a 5-star CSI score. Target the base issue first, and that’s to fix their car right. And definitely acknowledge that their time is valuable.

Those are all great to do and need to be the focus. But once you have those basics down, how can you put a personal touch on the service experience (as in the service department) at your dealership?

The Complaint

Customers often feel like they are just a number; like cattle herded through the stockyard. The tag isn’t in their ear but waving in their hand. It’s like standing in the return line at Walmart, waiting for the cashier to say, “Next!” They aren’t an individual – just another repair order number.

It makes the customer feel devalued when everything revolves around that RO number. It’s on every corner of the hard copy, the top and bottom of their invoice, the keytag when they pick their car up, and on their ‘claim-check’ tag too.

Use their Name

It’s an easy fix. Use the customer’s name. It’s that simple, but it’s extremely hard to do. Here are a few ways you can give your customer their name back when they’re in for service.

Start Interactions with an Introduction

It’s the basic greeting in the service drive: “Good morning! My name’s Jason, I’ll be helping you today. Who do I have the pleasure of meeting? Janine Baker? Is it alright if I call you Janine?”

Whatever your write-up process, greet the customer by name. If you happen to know ‘Janine’s’ name when they arrive, welcome them back.

Change the Conversation

When customers follow up on their vehicles, don’t make it about their last name. All too often, service advisors, cashiers, and call center personnel say, “Can I get your last name?” While it may be helpful, why not try something more personal? How about this: “Can I get your name? Thanks Janine, and to make sure I have the right person, what’s your last name? Alright, Janine Baker, let me take a look.”

Document It Differently

If your store is writing or typing out estimates or emails, or even for writing notes on the hardcopy or invoice, give it a name before a number. It’s a simple shift but it’s big in the customer’s eyes. When they see their name, it adds personalization and value. You might need to reprint forms that are handwritten such as multi-point inspection sheets and estimate sheets to predominantly display the name. And there’s still a place for the RO number on it. Just don’t put it ahead of the customer’s name…and use the full name, not just the last name.

It might not seem like an important detail – one that you’ll have to take pains to make a routine among your staff. And it shouldn’t be put in priority over excellent customer service and fixed first visit. But to make customers feel more valued, it’s worth it.

DealerRater recently polled over 16,000 new car buyers on behalf of Fixed Ops Journal. The question was straightforward:

"The last time you bought a car or truck at a dealership, did the salesperson introduce you to the service department when the vehicle was delivered?”

And because dealerships across the United States know the value in the sales-to-service introduction, the responses were almost unanimously “YES”… right?

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. In fact, the survey respondents revealed a continuous pain point for dealers, and one that is inexcusable in the industry today.

The Breakdown

A Quarter of Respondents Said No

Outright, one in four new car sales customers said they weren’t introduced to the service team when they received delivery of their new car. Their salesperson or the delivery coordinator likely sat with them in their new vehicle, set up their Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay, helped them set the seat memory and mirrors, and sent them out the door with the plea, “Don’t forget to give me five stars on the sales survey!”

No introduction to the service department. It suggests the dealership tour was neglected as well.

42 Percent Replied Yes

The silver lining is that more than four in ten new car buyers were introduced to the team that will service their vehicle after the sale. When the shine wears off the sale and it becomes a routine mode of transportation, two in five customers will they’ll know where they can turn for their maintenance, warranty repairs, and after-sales accessory purchases.

One Third Don’t Recall

How unremarkable does the delivery process have to be for a customer to not recall whether they were introduced to the service department? Did they forget the massive overhead doors, the hearty, grin-accompanied handshake from one of the service advisors, and the bustle of the service drive? Yet, an astounding one in three new car buyers can’t recall if the sales-to-service handoff was part of their delivery process.

It’s Still As Important As Ever

It seems that there’s a huge opportunity for improvement in the sales-to-service handoff process, as well as its enforcement. As a reminder, these are a few of its benefits.

Loyalty

Relationships are what drive customer loyalty. The service department is a customer’s connection to your store after the sale. Without that point of connection every few months, or at least annually, there’s an extremely high possibility they’ll defect to another dealership for their next vehicle purchase.

After-Sales Revenue

In the meantime, the revenue generated by the service department between vehicle purchases is typically much higher than the sales revenue (unless you hit a homerun on the deal). And besides the actual dollars and cents that keep the doors open and the lights on, the service revenue helps keep service advisors, technicians, lot attendants, cashiers, managers, and parts people employed. There’s an unspoken responsibility that front-end staff have to the rest of their colleagues that centers around the sales-to-service handoff.

Referrals

The customer takes delivery (absent the handoff) and drives away. At their first service or repair, they’re unsure how to deal with the appointment and where to go when they arrive. It doesn’t seem like a big deal at delivery, but it opens the door for a negative visit the next time.

But if the customer is confident when it’s time for the first service and knows what to do and who to see, it reinforces their bond with the dealership and their salesperson.

We all know the result of a strong customer-salesperson bond: referrals. Even if the referrals aren’t volunteered, it opens the door for the salesperson to ask for referrals. That same opportunity doesn’t exist if the customer has a less-than-stellar experience.

Sales and service managers, if it’s been a while since your team has reviewed the expectations at delivery, do it soon. Role play the sales-to-service handoff to make sure everyone knows how to do it well.

A couple of years ago, there was no such thing as the abbreviation (CX) or the buzzword it represents: Customer eXperience. And now, you can’t scroll down a blog without seeing CX in at least a couple titles. Eventually, it will lose its impact when it achieves the same status as ‘uber’-everything. But while the industry currently thinks the customer experience is most important, there are problems with it.

Don’t get me wrong – CX is a determining factor and one that certainly needs to be kept in check. But for the service department – fixed operations in general – it’s not the be-all end-all.

CX is About Achieving the Minimum Standard

An anecdote: I have a client with whom I’ve worked for more than three years. Every month, I have a project that needs to be completed, and sometimes two. Glowing review after heartfelt praise comes in from this client…along with a 4.8-star rating. Their reasoning: “Of course, you do great work. But I believe there’s always something that can be improved.”

The same theory applies to the customer experience. It leaves your service staff with the unspoken impression that they need to do enough to achieve excellent customer service by your store’s standards, and that’s enough. If you measure your service advisors’ success with their CSI scores, for example, and 4.6 out of a 5-point scale is enough for their top bonus level, that’s where they’ll stop. There’s no need to aim for a perfect 5 or to exceed measurable CX. The minimum standard for an ‘excellent’ score is enough.

Real CX is Hard to Measure Accurately

A bad day for one customer could reflect on a phone call, an interaction at the service desk, or the dreaded CSI survey. It could’ve been no fault at all by anyone in your store, but the customer’s feedback is unduly harsh or the score is lower than deserved.

But what you don’t see is what could’ve been the case before the customer’s interaction with the service staff. Maybe the valet holding the door and smiling took the edge off, or the warm handshake from the service advisor shifted a 2-star score into 3-star territory. Since CX is based on subjective emotional response, it often isn’t accurately measured. And that’s not fair to your staff if their benchmark is solely on the customer experience.

Give the Customer What They Want the Most

We all have hoops to jump through, particularly where the OEM is involved. CSI scores aren’t going away and it’s a major part to achieve the standard set before the fixed ops departments, particularly where survey responses are concerned.

However, there’s something more important to a customer than the warm greeting, complimentary waiting room snacks, fresh coffee, and loaner cars. The primary goal for every customer is – and always will be – reliable vehicle repairs. If your store struggled with Fixed First Visit or comeback repairs, that’s something that needs attention before you can ever expect a perfect score for CX.