Fifty-three percent of gross profit for the average dealership is generated through the service department1. While this number may differ for your business, no doubt you are well aware of the crucial role your service department plays in your revenue. While independent auto businesses have been plagued with uncertainty over the last several months, we continue to see a demand for automotive services and products, which means that busy seasons will continue to roll in.
To ensure your business is prepared for future busy seasons, we encourage you to future-proof your service departments by employing digital solutions that help you keep pace with customer demand without sacrificing your quality of work or your peace of mind.
Offer Digital Customer Service Outlets
Shoppers connect with your business long before they set foot in your store. Providing digital communication channels creates sustainable communication that begins the moment a prospect interacts with your business and continues through the entirety of the shopping journey.
We recommend providing a variety of digital communication tools for two reasons: (1) so that shoppers can use their preferred channel and (2) to ensure that, no matter where they are in the buying journey, shoppers have an easy way to contact your business. Some of our favorite digital communication channels include:
- Texting is the most versatile communication channel because shoppers and business owners alike can leverage it anytime and for anything. New prospects can submit questions or request an appointment; customers can ask post-sale questions and you can follow up with recent buyers, send appointment reminders and request feedback.
- Live chat lives on your website as an instant connection to your support team. Imagine a new or returning customer has a question and visits your website – right away, they can message your team by clicking the live chat module. Unlike phone and email, the nature of live chat promises a rapid response to messages sent during your hours of operation.
- Direct messaging on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is popular among younger generations of consumers, who often use social media instead of visiting the business website. Make sure you’re reaching these shoppers by actively monitoring your direct messaging platforms and replying quickly to any messages, as you would for a phone call, email or text.
Invest in a Dynamic Service Scheduling Tool
Even if your business thrives on phone calls and drop-ins, we recommend implementing an online service schedule tool to accommodate the increasing number of shoppers who conduct the majority of their interactions online. By integrate a digital service schedule tool with your website, you can capture a higher number of leads and receive their information directly in your system. Furthermore, a dynamic service schedule tool will allow you to send appointment reminders by text and email so that you can boost customer retention and be notified if their plans change.
Create Clarifying Content
Studies show that customers perceive automotive service centers as expensive. However, when customers are provided with sufficient information about price range and quality of work, they are willing to pay 10-15% more2. Clear up misconceptions for your customers by creating content such as blogs, social media posts and videos that demonstrates your dealership’s expertise, quality guarantees and pricing structures. Transparency is a valuable sales tactic, and giving your shoppers a 360-degree view of your service process can save you trouble down the road.
Provide Seamless Payment Options
Consumers want and expect flexibility when it comes to making a payment. Improve customer satisfaction by providing a seamless, user-friendly payment system that allows shoppers to submit payment naturally without needing to wait in long lines or, in some cases, even set foot in the store. Depending on the preferences of you and your shoppers, your payment options may include online pre-payments, paying through an app or third-party transaction or using a link sent via text.
Send Out Feedback Surveys
Don’t just take our advice – get feedback straight from the source by sending surveys to recent customers. These surveys don’t have to be long and in-depth. They can comprise of a short list of valuable questions, such as:
- What did you like about your experience?
- What did you NOT like about your experience?
- How can we improve your next appointment?
- Would you recommend us to a friend/colleague? Why or why not?
In order to improve your service department and implement a proactive strategy, it’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses in how well you meet customers’ needs.
Drive Awareness of Your Service Center
Before they can even interact with your service team, shoppers need to be aware that your service department exists. With powerful social media tools or by partnering with a team of social media experts, you can employ a social listening strategy to identify shoppers who are in need of service or who are dissatisfied with previous service departments. With that, you can launch targeted ads to notify these shoppers that your business carries the services and quality care that they need.
All across the spectrum of business, we will continue to see a steady progression toward digital. Not only will digital services help your business stay relevant, you may also find these streamlined, automated systems to be life-saving during busy seasons, when your team is stretched thin to meet demand. Digital systems help prevent small but important customer touchpoints from falling through the cracks – helping you retain customers and sales opportunities.
If you have questions about the types of digital tools that can help future-proof your service departments, our experts are happy to provide assistance. Connect with Net Driven today.