A rising number of service lanes use car dealership videos to illustrate to customers what vehicle repairs are necessary and why. Providing visuals is a much more effective strategy for convincing customers to approve repair orders than words alone, backed by reports of increased service income and customer repair approval rates. 

However, not all dealerships understand how video communications can help the dealership, both operationally and concerning customer relationships. This article discusses some of the advantages of offering customers video recordings from the service lane. 

5 Service Lane Benefits of Car Dealership Videos 

1. They Build Trust 

While inspecting the vehicle, dealers can record a virtual walk-around to establish a rapport with the owner and develop trust. Service lane customers are often hesitant to take recommendations at face value without visual proof, and simply listing those repairs can be unconvincing. 

Instead, service technicians can involve the customer in the inspection process by video recording the walk-around. This strategy lets customers view the issues with their own eyes, encouraging them to take repair recommendations more seriously. 

Service teams might also review the customer’s details at the end of the video, demonstrating specific knowledge about the customer and building more trust. Those details should include the following: 

• Reiterating the original reason for the appointment 
• Discussing the vehicle’s repair history 
• Reviewing previously declined services 
• Noting possible future repairs 
  
  

2. They Boost ROI 

By fostering that sense of trust and compelling customers to authorize more repairs, dealers can raise ROI organically without investing more resources into service lane marketing. 

So long as dealers employ the right digital solutions, they can easily integrate video features into their existing service lane technology, which provides added value while remaining consistent with current processes. 

3. They Educate the Customer 

“How to” films from the service department are a terrific means to educate customers and assure them that they are choosing the right dealership for their repair needs.  

Service managers can choose a few of the most popular and lucrative services the dealership offers and produce videos explaining any of the following: 

• The repair’s importance to customer safety and vehicle condition  
• Estimated turnaround times 
• Repair and parts costs 
• The work needed to complete the repair (with demonstration) 
  
  

4. They Help Develop Stronger Relationships 

As already mentioned, most consumers worry that a dealership’s service department will overcharge for repairs and push unnecessary ones. One way to ease concerns is using video introductions to help those skeptical customers get to know the service team personally. 

Team members might talk about any of the following: 

• Name 
• Title and responsibilities 
• Their favorite aspects of working on cars 
• Their family (without getting too specific) 
• An interesting personal fact like favorite hobbies or food 

The dealer might also briefly promote the service lane’s prowess by highlighting accomplishments, including but not limited to: 

• The staff’s training and credentials 
• Their investments in the community 
• Any local awards they’ve received 
• Solid BBB ratings 

Lastly, dealers can post customer testimonials. Service teams might approach loyal customers and offer them an incentive bonus, such as a free oil change or tire rotation, in exchange for agreeing to record the video. 

5. They Offer Personalization 

While website video posts are terrific ways to introduce customers to the dealership, service-specific videos, particularly concerning a customer’s car, are more effective when personalized and sent directly to their mobile device. 

Customer expectations are evolving in a digital landscape where businesses can more easily tailor communications to customers regardless of the industry. And after experiencing those higher levels of personalization, customers eventually demand it as a standard service. 

Dealers risk alienating customers who can’t relate to the more generic information, and reverting to it could even be considered lazy. They can avoid this pitfall by sending personalized videos that address the customer by name and review the specifics of their vehicle’s repairs, which is paramount to staying afloat in the highly competitive auto industry. 

Creating the Best Car Dealership Videos Requires the Right Platform 

Creating car dealership videos offers customers the personal touch they expect, boosting their confidence in the dealership and minimizing declined repairs. More repair work per visit gives the bottom line a shot in the arm without investing in extra lead-generation strategies. 

However, sending these communications to customers the best way possible requires already having the industry’s premier service lane software in place. You need digital solutions that work seamlessly with these videos, providing them with the ideal platform to create impactful customer experiences. 

Contact us today and discover how Affinitiv’s Tech Video solutions can help you create and send the personalized messages necessary to encourage customers to approve more repair services.