In today’s saturated market it’s more difficult than ever to stand apart. That’s why, beyond vehicle sales or service, you should be selling unparalleled customer experience (CX). Gain a key differentiator over your competition with a few CX basics. Here’s a quick look at what nailing it looks like––and what to avoid.
Communication
In our increasingly connected world, customers expect the ability to contact you when and how they prefer. When they call your store, they’re looking to talk to a real person, not a robot. Likewise, they expect you to be reachable and responsive via email and social media. And since the average shopper is more loyal to businesses they feel emotionally connected to, it’s in your best interest to stay engaged.
Personalization
Forming meaningful connections doesn’t happen by targeting your entire customer base with the same campaign—it happens by engaging your customers with relevant communications specific to their individual needs. A well-timed, expertly segmented special offer on a previously declined service is far more likely to earn loyal customers than a “one size fits all” oil-change coupon blasted out to all your service contacts. This is especially true if they’ve just come in for an oil change! Such poorly timed communications make people feel like a cog in a wheel and not a valued and important customer.
Respect
You are probably keenly aware of the many different employees, departments, and resources it takes to run your dealership. But customers see one business rather than a complex collection of departments and people. And rightly so; cohesiveness is the foundation of great CX. So when a customer takes the time to share their information with you, their dealership, they expect it to be received and used wisely. Respect their time and the information they’ve given you by ensuring they won’t need to repeat themselves later on in the transaction. Doing so will erode trust––not to mention CSI scores––in record time.
Summary
Customers want to connect with businesses on a deeper level than ever before––and dealerships are no exception. I’ve found that if dealers want to achieve 100% customer satisfaction, they must have 100% employee satisfaction. Since outstanding CX is the cornerstone of meaningful connections, the dealership with the reputation for consistently delivering the best overall experience wins.
Stephen Coambes
Director of Professional Services