What is preventing more of your sales customers from returning for their first vehicle service? If your store is closing deals but struggling to convert those buyers to service customers, there could be more behind your customers’ rationale than you may realize.
Sales customers that responded to our recent consumer survey noted several reasons why they didn’t return to their dealership for service, with financial reasons ranking high—in fact, nearly 1/3 of consumers skip their first scheduled maintenance at the dealership due to perceived higher costs. By recognizing these hindrances and how to overcome them, your store can identify marketing opportunities that help increase conversion rates and customer retention.
How to Overcome Service Customer Retention Obstacles
1. Promote OEM Expertise That Adds Value
The independent auto repair shops in your area may offer services at a lower price, but they can’t compare to your expertise. Make sure your customers know the value of an OEM-trained team that will best help maintain the investment they made in their new vehicle.
As you craft a dealership marketing plan, be sure to promote your factory-trained technicians that know the specific needs of their model, the specialized tools that will help ensure all needed repairs are completed correctly the first time, and genuine OEM parts that will help prolong their vehicle’s performance. Up the ante with special offers that entice customers to visit your service lane instead of an aftermarket repair shop. By using customer data, you can send coupons relevant to the customer’s specific service needs that are more likely to capture their attention.
2. Offer an Exceptional Experience That’s Worth the
Drive
Distance is often a main obstacle to your dealership retaining more service customers, so it’s important to let your customers know why your service department is worth the drive.
Help bring your store closer to your customers by informing them of your online services. Feature the online service tools you offer, such as service scheduling, repair order tracking, and service advisor chat capabilities. And make sure they know if you offer vehicle pickup and delivery services, too. When your service customers arrive, help ensure their experience is memorable by providing quick check-in, transparent service updates along the way, and easy electronic bill pay options. These benefits will help your service department outshine the competition while growing customer loyalty.
When your service customers arrive, help ensure their experience is memorable by providing quick check-in, transparent service updates along the way, and easy electronic bill pay options. These benefits will help your service department outshine the competition while growing customer loyalty.
3. Provide Transparency to Ease Upsell Concerns
No one enjoys feeling pushed into a service or product they don’t need. Often, customers may simply have past negative experiences your staff can overcome by providing better transparency to help improve their perspective of your dealership.
In the service introduction after a sale and in your service reminder messaging, highlight your transparent service process and upfront pricing. Demonstrate to customers that when they visit for service, they can count on your team to inspect their vehicle and provide an in-depth overview along with visual evidence of recommended repairs at every appointment. Giving your technicians and service advisors the tools that enable them to capture video or photo proof to back up your service recommendations helps provide customers with more insight into the service process.
4. Build Trust by Addressing Negative Customer Feedback
Collecting customer feedback is crucial for your dealership, to help identify any issues, adjust your strategies, and create an authentic brand. Finding out what your sales customers experienced—and why they haven’t returned—can help your store build trust with these customers and win them back.
If one of your customers had a negative experience while purchasing their vehicle, your store should make an effort to acknowledge their feedback, address their concerns, and help them rewrite that experience by visiting for a better one. Boost your reputation by contacting the customer and inviting them personally or by offering exclusive specials to help establish a more trustworthy relationship.
Guide Purchasers Back for Service with Expert Tools
If your purchase-to-service conversion strategy needs an adjustment to boost your customer retention and revenue, we’ll help you identify the right solutions. Affinitiv Essentials allows you to remind customers of your dealership’s expertise, benefits, and offers, while Affinitiv Tech Video adds a visual element to every service experience for added trust. Contact us today to learn more.
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