Jim Flint

Company: Local Search Group

Jim Flint

Local Search Group

Mar 3, 2019

Three Tips in Three Seconds: Speed Matters

The biggest driver of customer satisfaction today is speed.

As many have heard by now, the attention span of goldfish is 9 seconds. Human beings are down to 8 seconds. With smart phones and the associated instant gratification, attention spans are decreasing.

According to Google, customers leave a website if the page does not load within 3 seconds. Facebook advises us to tell our Facebook stories within 3 seconds, without sound, in a vertical orientation to capture the customer’s attention. That’s a lot to do without much time to do it.

The saying used to be "only the strong survive.” When did fast become the new strong?

The longer the wait, the greater the dissatisfaction. Delayed gratification exited stage left, and fast smartphones sit front and center.

What are you to do with this as consumers wait on your showroom floor or sit on your service drive? At the dealer level there are at least three things you could consider doing to speed up your customer experience:

1. Feed the speed monster. Give your customers a clean Wi-Fi experience. No secret passwords. Then routinely test the download and upload speeds via a free app like Speedtest by Ookla to ensure they are working. Post the scores. Keep pace with your bandwidth utilization.  Entertaining their children with iPads and streaming movies is a big win for parents.

2. Manage expectations without lowering them. If the customer thinks the oil change will be done in 30 minutes and it takes 45, the experience will be a poor one. CSI surveys as well as reviews will reflect the disconnect.

Just this morning on a flight from San Francisco, the Starbucks’ barista advised the customer behind me, “The food order could take 9 or 10 minutes.” When the customer got the food back in 5 minutes, he was ecstatic, “Great job! You got the food to me in five minutes!” At first, the barista didn’t understand the customer’s reaction until he repeated, “The food order could take 9 or 10 minutes” and continued expressing his appreciation. Editor’s Note: No! Jim was not the customer.

3. Track the time. Automotive retailers are operational masterminds, but when was the last time their service drive tracked the time it took for same day repairs? Somewhere short of handing customers stopwatches, we can know better by measuring and then shifting the amount of time it takes.

Start by knowing your daily repair order counts, express and main lane, and sales numbers for used and new. Then look into the hourly impact. Connect this with a quick staffing level assessment to determine if you have the highest staffing levels at peak customer times. You’ll likely find some opportunities for better deployment of your staff, which will help speed your customer through your sales process.

Even after implementing these recommendations for your dealership you’re still likely not moving fast enough for today’s consumer.

Jim Flint

Local Search Group

Founder & CEO

736

No Comments

Recommended Posts

Function + Form

Function + Form builds coilover kits that blend aggressive looks with smooth, responsive ride quality. Since 2005, our team has engineered performance coilovers that handle daily driving without sacrificing comfort or control. Whether you're afte…

Functionand Form

Function + Form

62
May 27th

Chrome Hearts Ring: A Timeless Symbol of Luxury and Rebellion

Chrome Hearts is a name synonymous with luxury, rock 'n' roll attitude, and bold design. Founded in 1988 by Richard Stark in Los Angeles, the brand has carved a unique space in high-end fashion and accessories. Among its most coveted pieces, …

chrome hearts riing

36
May 5th

How a Healthcare Marketing Agency in AZ Is Driving Real Results for Local Medical Clinics

      When I first started working with a local clinic in Arizona, I realized something important: even the best medical care can go unnoticed if patients don’t know about it. That’s where a skilled healthcare …

james mark

physicians digital services

56
April 30th

Find the Perfect Bike for Sale: A Complete Guide to Buying Your Next Ride

Are you in the market for a new bike? Whether you're looking for a road bike, mountain bike, hybrid, or something in between, buying a bike can be both exciting and overwhelming. With so many options available, finding the perfect one can feel like a…

s6x india

s6xindia

23
April 26th

Renewable Energy’s Silent Partner: Multi Plug Boxes for Solar/Wind Integration

As industries accelerate digital transformation, the backbone of resilient IoT infrastructure lies in an unexpected hero: the Plastic Waterproof industrial multi plug box . From hurricane-battered coastal factories to solar farms in arid deserts…

Lars xinnyi

xxxxxyy123

83
April 25th