We’ve talked in an earlier post about people who are waiting in your dealership for their service to be completed, or to get their paperwork. One thing that you can do with the time that you have customers inside your dealership not actively shopping or participating, is hand them a survey. Waiting gives you an ideal opportunity to ask them to fill something out. Does this work, and how should you proceed? Check out our tips blow:

1. Charj has found that giving a survey to a customer while they wait can get you an 80% response rate. People in the dealerships are waiting for something to occupy their time. They may not seem excited about doing a survey at home, but if they’re just waiting for their car to get done, they’re much more likely to fill out the survey to pass the time.


2. If a customer can answer a survey with a device that isn’t their own, they are more likely to engage. If you ask customers to fill something out on their own phone, they don’t feel any immediacy to get it done. They’ll keep scrolling Facebook or texting their friends. If you give them a device with a survey already pulled up, they’re much more likely to take it seriously and respond instantly.


3. This instant survey response by the customer can lead to proactive containment of any negative feedback they could make online. If they’re not happy with something, they can fill out the survey to express frustration. Your team can then instantly look at the survey and try to address and fix the problem with the customer before they even leave.


4. Some dealerships reported to Charj that they have seen a 6% improvement in CSI when presenting customers with surveys in the lounge. This improvement comes from customers getting to vent, but still giving your dealership a chance to fix the problem or at least talk to the customer about it, face to face. People are more likely to relax when they see an actual person in front of them, who truly seems apologetic and eager to make things right. This is a better option than getting a survey after the customer has left, or seeing a bad review online.

Utilizing waiting rooms to benefit your customer experiences, and thereby making your dealership a better place for customers, will help your dealership succeed. Customers will be more satisfied, and you will be able to nip problems in the bud.