While it’s nice to have room in your shop’s schedule to handle walk-ins and other unexpected work, a service lane no-show isn’t the ideal way to get that extra time. Rather, no-shows throw everyone off and can take quite a toll on both your shop’s workflow and your bottom line.

Here are two holistic approaches to reducing no-shows that focus on addressing the underlying reasons your customers might not be showing up.

Keep your scheduled customers engaged
A lot can happen in your customer’s world between booking their service and arriving for their appointment: kids, pets, last-minute plans. In a word, life. But sometimes a simple one-touch reminder text or email isn’t enough to keep you top of mind. So why not borrow a strategy from an industry that’s possibly even more invested in reducing no-shows? I’m talking about healthcare.

Think of your last doctor or dentist appointment. After scheduling your visit, you likely received an email or two, a text, and possibly even a phone call at some point to make sure you remembered your appointment. So it makes sense, then, that a few well-timed reminders via different channels can do wonders to help jog your customers’ memories, too. Where many service shops will send out one reminder, try folding in text and email touchpoints—or even a phone call for a more personal connection. It may just get you better results than the single-touch approach.

This is especially true if your reminder allows the customer to confirm their appointment within the communication. If they can click a “Confirm” button and get a quick, short response either via text or on your website, the simple fact of taking action and receiving a response will help them remember. Additional ideas to help customers remember their appointment:

* Combine an action with a reminder by offering directions to your shop through their mobile map application or Google Maps webpage.

* If your scheduler notifies you when a customer confirms, that gives you the perfect opportunity to follow up with a quick call to say “got it” and make sure they have everything they need.

* If customers have a schedule conflict (that is, if they were planning on ditching you!), giving them the opportunity to reschedule right then and there could save you a no-show.

* If you’re using automated email workflows or triggered communications, try scheduling them to go out a few days sooner than you currently do, then send a quick, actionable follow-up the day before or the day of their appointment.

Cater to customers’ needs by doing business on their time
Another way to combat no-shows is to update your business model. Of course, this is a much more all-encompassing solution that isn’t nearly as simple or immediate as tailoring your customer communications. That being said, taking a more modern approach to assisting service customers is paying off for some dealers bold enough to break the mold. Leading the pack in this arena is Paragon Honda in New York. They’ve adapted a customer-centric approach to service with free vehicle drop-off and pick-up for service customers, eliminating the need for customers to visit the dealership at all. This nips the entire concept of the no-show in the bud!

Summary
Regardless of the solution you choose, one thing is key: give the customer something they need. By providing a missing piece of the puzzle, whether it be an actionable reminder text message or an entire service experience that caters to their busy schedule, you can help eliminate barriers and turn no-shows into reliable repeat business.

If your dealership is like most, the sales and service side of the house feel like two disconnected islands most of the time. The teams rarely come together unless handling reconditioning or aftermarket accessory installation. But consider this: if sales and service are islands, then the sales-to-service handoff is the trustworthy bridge that connects them. Or at least it should be. Unfortunately, many dealers don’t have a solid plan for this crucial step in the sales process. Or, if they do, it’s followed by some members of the team and ignored by others. Here’s why it’s so important, and how you can start making it a habit for everyone in your dealership.

Why it’s important:

Loyalty requires a long-game mentality
As I’ve mentioned before, attracting and retaining service customers has never been more important than it is today. That’s why your aim should be to turn every customer who purchases a vehicle from your store into a loyal service customer. With all the competition out there, you simply can’t afford not to.

Familiarity leads to loyalty
According to a recent AutoLoop study, almost half of a dealership’s sales customers never return for service. While nobody likes to look at numbers like these, knowing the truth should inspire you to act. Using the sales-to-service handoff as a way to familiarize every sales customer with your service team is a crucial step in turning the numbers in your favor. Once they shake hands with your Service Advisor, chat about what to expect, and put a name to a face, returning for service down the road suddenly makes much more sense.

How to do it:

1. Master assumptive selling—it works for service, too!
Chances are, your sales team already knows and understands the power of assumptive selling. That is––to put it simply––the practice of talking with the customer in a friendly, open way that leads them naturally to vehicle purchase. Well, this classic tactic works just as well when it comes to discussing the first service appointment. Introducing sales customers to your service staff and helping them schedule their first appointment is really just the natural extension of assumptive selling from the sales side of the house to the service side.

You can easily incentivize your staff to do this, too. I used to push my sales team to introduce their new customer to a Service Advisor with each sale. After the walk through the Service Department and a run-through of available amenities, I’d have the Salesperson, Service Advisor, and customer write their name on a card, and then they’d be entered in a weekly drawing. For those who won, the Service Advisor would get $20, the Salesperson would get $20, and the customer would receive a complimentary car wash, vacuum, and cleaning. It really worked! Together, we were able to drive our first service appointment completion rates up from about 50% to 90%+ because service introductions went through the roof, and customers got invested, too.

2. Deliver one great experience from both departments
I truly believe that a great customer experience—one that cements the relationship and future business—is one where all departments work together. But as you know, not every member of your sales team will be comfortable visiting the Service Department with every sale they make. Like I mentioned above, dealership culture often dictates the two departments operate like separate entities. So, to further “encourage” reluctant team members, you might consider making the customer handoff a requirement (unless the customer declines the offer, of course). Or, since some OEMs require you to set the first service appointment with every new-vehicle purchase anyway, you could implement a software tool that helps automate the process for you. Some online schedulers integrate directly with your CRM, so whenever a sale is made, a window to schedule the first service appointment pops up with the customer’s details filled in, meaning you just have to select the date and time, and you’re good to go.

3. Give customers a nudge
Even if your teams are doing the best they can to ensure a better customer experience, you’re not able to call every customer to remind them of an upcoming appointment. That’s where the right software tools can help you, too. Many online schedulers send automated appointment reminders to customers prior to their appointment. But even if you want to go beyond that, most marketing platforms offer a range of service templates with multiple coupon slots so you can send incentives before they come in. What better way to remind them of their upcoming appointment than by delivering special offers for some other services they may need while they’re there?

To summarize, lasting customer loyalty takes ongoing effort from both your sales and service teams. A positive sales experience should naturally extend to a positive service experience, and vice versa. Because, at the end of the day, it all contributes to the success of one business.

Director of Professional Services Stephen Coambes shares how following the basics in the service drive will lead to a better customer experience.

Director of Professional Services Stephen Coambes shares how technology can speed up the process for customers providing a better customer experience.

AutoLoop's Director of Professional Services Stephen Coambes shares innovative technologies that dealers can use in the service drive.

I've worked in customer service my entire life and I've seen first-hand how powerful a good check-in process can be at generating results. Well, at one dealership we received feedback from some customers that the check-in process was just too slow. At the time there wasn't a lot we could do to speed up the process (this was long before today’s technology-based tools), so we decided to hire a greeter.

The gentleman we hired was retired and happy to work for slightly more than minimum wage. He loved people and he loved to talk. His job was to greet every customer, act as a buffer between them and the advisors, and basically ensure that every customer felt valued until an advisor got a chance to come over to them.

Our greeter did his job well, the customers were happy, our CSI scores improved and you'll never guess what happened. This dealership's sales department started selling more cars. Over time we went from 80 units per month to over 200 units per month.

The moral of the story? Never underestimate the power of a simple hello!

Fortunately, today’s technology can speed up the service lane check-in process and even help to improve communications. RFIDs with welcome boards, mobile tablets and texting programs are all designed to improve the customer experience through better communication.

However, when using these communication tools, remember that they were not designed to replace real, face-to-face communication. In today’s society, I feel like communication is a lost art. Have you ever seen a family sitting around a table at a restaurant, all looking at their smartphones and not talking to each other? For some people, basic communication skills are a challenge.

When you onboard a new service employee, you may not think about teaching communication skills. But as you explain your processes and train them how to use the various technologies, it's important to demonstrate the importance of communication through every process.

There are specific ways to communicate that make customers feel valued, reduce frustration, and help boost CSI. Let's review a few basics.

1) Say Hello. Have you ever been seated at a restaurant table only to have waiters and waitresses walk by you without ever acknowledging that you're there? How did that make you feel? When your customers drive into your service lane, it's very important that their presence is immediately acknowledged. It's okay to acknowledge a customer even if you're with another customer. If your service lane is so busy that your employees don't even have time to say hello, then something is seriously wrong. A customer should always be acknowledged immediately and receive personal attention within five minutes.

2) Pay Attention to Your Body Language. Stand straight. Smile. Shake your customers' hands and look them in the eye. When you greet your customer, do it as though you are welcoming them into your home, which in essence you are. Your customers are your guests. When your customer is talking, give them your full attention. If you're looking around, fidgeting, or trying to rush the process, your customers will pick up these cues and it affects the level of their experience.

3) Ask and Listen. Your RO indicates that a customer came in for an oil change. Validate this with the customer but don't forget to ask follow-up questions. "I see you've brought in your car today for an oil change. Are you having any other issues or is everything running smoothly? Last time you were here, we recommended a new air filter. Would you like to get that taken care of?”

When your customer replies, listen to what they say. I mean really listen. You may be eager to try to upsell them, and you may have a word track in front of you that you're going to try. That is all okay, but if you aren't having a real conversation, everything you say sounds rehearsed and the customer will notice.

4) Observe. Observation requires a person to be in the moment and is one of the more challenging aspects of communication. Of course, observe the vehicle closely when you do your vehicle inspection. Also observe the customer and pay attention to their body language. Are they stressed or do they seem in a hurry to get out of there? If so, you may have to explain why each step of the check-in process is to their benefit.

If the customer wants to gripe about something, don't take it personally. Maybe they just feel like griping. Acknowledge them and be sympathetic. If a customer likes to talk, try to give them a few extra minutes of your time.

5) Record. It's important to take the time to write notes for each customer conversation during or immediately after your conversation. There's no way you'll remember a special request after you check in ten more customers. If you forget a special request, the customer will only remember that it was forgotten.

6) Reference. The next time you talk to your customer, whether later that day on the phone or the next time they come into the shop, reference something the customer said in a previous conversation. This lets them know that you were listening and that what they said was important enough that you remembered it.

The best way to teach communication skills is by example. Explain not just the process and the technology, but also how you plan to communicate with the customer. Let the employee observe and then reiterate everything you did. "Did you notice that I looked her in the eye? Did you remember what she said when I asked her about her kids?"

As a new employee goes through the check-in process. watch and offer positive critique. "Next time, don't forget to shake their hand," or "Try to make more eye contact."

This critical skill can and must be learned. Process and technology are both important contributors to service department success, but their powers are magnified when you add the effects of positive communication.