Partnership enhances customer interaction with auto dealer service customers, boosting sales and retention

 LONG BEACH, Calif., and ATLANTA, GA -- November 22, 2016 -- myKaarma, the cloud based conversational commerce software that’s revolutionizing the auto service industry and MDL autoMation (MDL – formerly MyDealerLot), a leader in RFID and License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology, today announced a partnership and integration to help streamline and improve the auto service customer’s experience. The integration pairs myKaarma’s internal and customer-facing messaging with MDL’s automated arrival technology to help auto dealers further improve communication and interaction with service customers.

“MDL continues to partner with leading companies that provide high-value technologies to auto dealer sales and service operations. Our integration with myKaarma uses our award-winning Service Drive Concierge™ platform to message a variety of events (customer arrival, vehicle wash, loaner returns) using RFID or License Plate Recognition Technology directly to myKaarma to enhance the service customer’s experience to increase sales and retention,” said George Cresto, MDL Founder and CEO.

As soon as a customer pulls into the service drive MDL transmits the VIN to the myKaarma system and a message is immediately sent to the assigned service advisor, notifying them that a customer has arrived. If desired, a message can also be texted to the customer welcoming them to the dealership. myKaarma can also send a message to the customer when their vehicle is completed in the car wash. Additionally, a message can be sent to the service department when a customer returns with their loaner. This improves communication and interaction with service customers as well as the overall speed and efficiency of the service transaction, resulting in happier customers.

“Responsiveness, helpfulness and engagement are more important than ever in retaining today’s customers. If it is not a fast, pleasant and easy experience for service customers when interacting with your dealership, the customer will go elsewhere,” said Ujj Nath, CEO of myKaarma. “We designed our platform to be the cleanest channel that connects customers with the dealer. Our integration with MDL further improves how dealers can interact with and maintain good communication with their customers, ensuring improved CSI and higher profits, Nath added.

For more information, or to schedule a product demonstration, visit www.mdlautomation.com or www.mykaarma.com

 # # # # #

About MDL autoMation: (MDL)

Formerly known as MyDealerLot, MDL is the country's leader in providing process improvement through Instant Guest Recognition & Messaging using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies and now LPR technologies. MDL systems are installed in leading U.S. dealerships enabling a 'Ritz Carlton' level of service, increased customer retention, improved CSI, and sales opportunities. MDL's Bluetooth beacon solution Bloodhound™ and RFID Zonal Tracking enable complete asset tracking of both Service and Inventory vehicles. MDL's web-based Dispatch Master effectively manages the movement operation of guest or inventory vehicles. See www.mdlautomation.com for more information.

MDL Media Contact:

Jennifer Breza
jbreza@mdlautomation.com
888-635-7343

About myKaarma:

myKaarma is a conversational commerce software company for automotive dealerships that focuses on enhancing the retail service department experience. myKaarma's platform gives dealers the ability to offer their customers 21st Century technology  through digital conversations and smart payment systems. myKaarma was named as an official communications and payments partner for Mercedes-Benz USA.

myKaarma Media Contact:
Thomas Ross 
tom.ross@mykaarma.com

562.349.1356 

An Insight into Human-Centric Design

One click ordering. Buy it now. Same day delivery. Dash buttons where all you have to do is press a button and the item is shipped. You can even place orders through Amazon’s Alexa with a voice command.

Businesses like Amazon have grown into hugely popular industry giants because they understand what customers want and when they want it. And, for the most part, they want it NOW!

Design For Change

Our society has transitioned to a self-service customer service model. Before that, customer service was handled in a human-only model, with bank tellers, cashiers, travel agents, and other similar service positions. Now, we can do all of our banking online: pay our bills, arrange for travel, and even go grocery shopping, completing the entire transaction with no need for human assistance. The reason these self-service opportunities exist is two-fold.  Firstly, it’s convenient for the customer and cost efficient for the business. Secondly, if a customer can accomplish all they need without an employee, that’s potentially one less employee on the payroll.

However, occasionally the customer cannot accomplish all they need without some assistance. Despite the desire for instant gratification and self-service convenience, occasionally most customers will encounter a roadblock which cannot be handled with digital technology. They will need the help of an actual human being.

When those occasions arise, this transfer needs to be seamless for the customer, as they will probably be short on patience and get quickly fed up. I’m sure many of you have been there – forced to endure endless phone trees, explaining the problem to several different representatives before finally getting someone who can actually help solve the problem.

Today’s consumers want help immediately and efficiently, with zero inconvenience. Anything short of that will potentially cause the customer to defect to another retailer who can quickly and conveniently help them. Who can blame them? Inconvenience is irritating.

Humans Have Adapted

As technology has evolved, consumers have learned that they don’t need a live person to help them, most of the time. Technology has also trained consumers to have little patience with a poor customer experience, such as excessive hold times, imperfect communication skills, and any lack of helpfulness. Today’s customers feel that the world is at their fingertips and they no longer have to do business with any specific company.

This is how the world is evolving. Knowing that, it would be a wise move to carefully examine how easy it is for customers to do business with your dealership. Responsiveness, helpfulness, and engagement are more important than ever. Make it easy and convenient for all customers to interact with your dealership. Ensure that when they need you, you are there and can help – right then, with no delay – in whatever way the customer wishes to interact with you.

Anything less than that and you may just find your customer moving on to your competition.

How many times per day do you decline to answer your phone because you don’t know who is calling? How many pieces of mail do you throw away unopened on a daily basis? Are all the promotional mail pieces going straight into the trash can once a week?

Well, do you think your customers act any differently?

Sure, you get some bites on the line here and there and, for some, it’s worth it because perhaps you sell more cars and make more gross than the cost of the phone calls or direct mail. Or perhaps you think it is the result of a salesperson pounding the phones completing some “to-do” list that they really aren’t invested in.

As technology has advanced many people don’t leave voicemails anymore. In fact, they don’t even listen to voicemails. And the emails that happen to sneak through a spam filter into an in-box get trashed as fast as a person can click delete – mostly before it is even read. Especially when a customer didn’t request the information in the first place. And, with the sheer volume of emails, if the customer is distracted when your email arrives in the inbox your message may well be on the second screen, out of view, by the time they are ready to view it. However, dealers keep sending thousands of emails and keep leaving those voicemails … and they keep being ignored by your customers!

If emails and voicemails are no longer effective, how are you supposed to communicate with your customers?

As a society, we have been conditioned to expect spam – both via voice and email – but many, especially millennials, still pay attention to one thing – text messages. In fact, over 98% of them are read – and 90% are read within 30 seconds! If they’re relevant, they get a response. Texts are typically short, can be responded to quickly and without much interruption – they are convenient and less intrusive.

If you want to sell a vehicle or get through to a customer to recommend additional service or get their approval for your service recommendations, I guarantee that calling someone while at work or enjoying dinner will get you a voicemail. And, in most cases, that templated email will only be read by the customer’s spam filter.

Is it all about the process? Or should we be more concerned about making sure customer interaction actually occurs – that the communication is something the customer will actually respond to so a conversation can occur? I know which one is more profitable.

CRM as we know it is dead. Its sole purpose was to replace index cards and rolodexes with a more organized digital solution – one which helped salespeople more efficiently follow-up, track and manage conversations. However, in most cases, the ultimate beneficiary is the user, not the customer.

In terms of communication, today’s world is filled with noise. So many businesses compete to communicate with and attract the attention of consumers. Ultimately none of these messages are received. Why? People have stopped listening. We are all tired of those unsolicited phone calls, email solicitations and direct mail. I am sure you throw them away, just like me. If the primary functionality of a CRM is to communicate with people, and those people have stopped listening to you, then it no longer serves much purpose. Yet an average dealer will spend north of $3K per month on this futile exercise. The people have voted and businesses are blocked from their digital and physical lives! They are fed up with intrusions upon their limited time.

However, technology now provides a far superior way to communicate with people. Just like we evolved from note cards and rolodexes to CRMs, the next evolution is happening -- and the companies that pay attention are winning. Today’s consumers interact with and do business with companies that pay attention to their needs. Businesses that listen to and make it convenient for customers to do business will win. If you doubt this, simply consider how easy it is to spend money with Amazon. From “one-click” to “Dash” buttons – and now you can simply verbally tell Amazon Echo what you want -- you don’t even need to touch a computer, get up from the couch, or go anywhere. You can order a Hyundai delivered right to your front door for a test drive. You can complete the entire car buying process online and collect the vehicle from a vending machine. No humans required.

It’s no longer about relationship management, it’s about managing interactions. Try it, improve your customer interactions by simply listening to and making it easier for your customers to do business with you. You should see increased sales and market share, along with unprecedented retention. Continue to communicate the same old way that you always have and your customers will find someone who WILL listen to them.