At first this may seem like it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The flow of a customer through your dealership after all, is that first they go to your sales department and (hopefully) buy a car. Then they go to your service department for a trickle of added, continuous revenue, right? So how can improving your service department make such a huge impact in your entire dealership’s performance, including New and Used Vehicle Sales?

CUSTOMER PERCEPTION IS BASED ON SERVICE EXPERIENCE

Seem surprising? Consider your internet provider as an analogy. When you think back on your time with your ISP in order to recommend it to a friend, or warn them away with horror stories, would you ever say “Wow, their sales agent was just amazing! Best sales pitch I’ve ever heard?” No, of course not. Instead you’d say, “Wow, their service is fast and consistent, I hardly ever have any problems, and when I do, their tech support is friendly, helpful, available right away on the phone, and always lets me know what’s going on, and when I can expect service to be restored!”

Your dealership is no different, except for the fact that while most homes in America only have one or two choices of internet provider, you probably have dozens of competitors all around you, waiting to claim the sales you miss.

THE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP IS WON OR LOST IN THE SERVICE DRIVE, NOT THE SALES FLOOR

Did you know that a typical dealership customer sees their Service Advisor an average of 16 times, for every one time they see their sales associate? Sixteen times! That means that the real perception, the real experience that your customers have, and the opinion they form in their minds about your dealership, is almost entirely based on their experiences – good or bad – in your Service Department.

Let’s get real. Your customers are not a captive audience. They have choices, not just among other dealerships, but at aftermarket repair shops as well. Once you lose the continuity of interaction that your service department offers a customer, they’re gone. When they need their next car, you may as well just roll the dice on whether they’ll come back to you or go to a competitor who’s running a flashier ad. Ads cost money by the way, so that makes acquiring – or in this case reacquiring – your customers, very expensive! But what if instead of paying expensive marketing costs for a mere chance at retaining a customer’s business, you could virtually guarantee it, and make money while you do so?

CHRIS COLLINS INC. TRAINING FOCUSES ON THE RELATIONSHIP

My Service Manager and Service Advisor Training is focused around maintaining the long-term customer relationship. I will teach your service drive professionals – and remember, they see your customers sixteen times for every time your sales associates do – how to make sure that every single customer has a fantastic experience, every single time.

When that happens, rather than rolling the dice, the next time your customer needs a new vehicle, to say nothing of their friends, family, and co-workers, they are more than 15 times as likely to choose your dealership for that sale, compared to a random new customer. Not bad, considering that rather than costing them money like their marketing strategies do, my clients’ service departments form the foundation of their profits as well, generating 50% or more of their total net profitability!

Click here to start boosting your profits now.