| Each month I put almost 3000 miles on my car and | | | | or an available Advisor is all that is required to hedge |
| usually change my oil that same month at my local | | | | the odds and increase your chances for them to |
| dealership. There is a list of things that I've noticed | | | | return for future service. |
| dealerships could do to improve a customer | | | | The second disconnect I've observed is that Service |
| experience in both sales and service but I wanted to | | | | Advisors often fail to move a customer to the vehicle |
| address one that is very apparent. I've never | | | | sales department when the time is right. Here, the trust |
| understood why a dealership seems divided into two | | | | between the customer and the Service Advisor is not |
| different divisions; sales and service. It's almost as if | | | | being exploited to its full potential. A good relationship |
| there is a civil war between the two and sending | | | | between the two is a perfect opportunity to sell not |
| customers across the battle lines is something of the | | | | just more service but additional vehicles. The Advisors |
| past. When did this begin to happen - when was it that | | | | need to listen for what I call buying whispers - "I really |
| a Dealer sat back with his management team and said | | | | want that new ---" or "It's about time for me to trade" |
| "Let's divide?" I don't believe that was ever the case, | | | | and move the customer (if willing of course) to sales |
| but the fact is that most dealerships are divided and | | | | quickly and safely. This problem is very similar to what I |
| customers know and experience this on a daily basis. | | | | discovered in sales; the service people don't want to |
| In today's industry it is imperative that we work | | | | send the customer to the front, they're afraid to! To an |
| together and ensure that our customers remain our | | | | Advisor, sales appears (key word - appears) to be |
| customers. You've heard it before- united we stand, | | | | focused on one thing and that is getting the customer |
| divided we fall. | | | | into a vehicle and out the door as quickly as possible - |
| We all know that warranty work is going away and | | | | regardless if it's true or not. They just don't want to |
| that maintenance intervals are stretched. The figure | | | | jeopardize their relationship with the customer. |
| that shocks me the most I found in a recent NADA | | | | You can help correct this and shift the appearance by |
| report stating that on average after one year less than | | | | doing something very similar to what I mentioned |
| 30 percent of buyers don't return for customer pay | | | | before. Sit the sales and service staff down together |
| maintenance and service. That means they've strayed | | | | and talk about moving a customer between the two. |
| to one of the 81,533 independents that survive solely | | | | Maybe the sales staff can help teach the advisors to |
| on your lost customers. I think you could also safely | | | | listen for some of those "buying whispers" or maybe |
| assume that service may not encourage customers to | | | | you can show both teams the process and benefits |
| visit the sales department. So, there are two clear | | | | of delivering the customers from service to sales and |
| disconnects that I've observed at dealerships that | | | | then back to service again. Both departments need to |
| harm the new/used car customer transition into | | | | think positively about every customer and about each |
| service and the regular service customer into sales. | | | | other, regardless of appearance throughout the entire |
| The first disconnect is the failure to introduce the buyer | | | | transition. If the service customer does buy a new |
| to service. When a customer signs on the dotted line | | | | used vehicle after moving from service to sales, |
| after hours of test drives, debating the price and | | | | you've completed the buying circle and the chances of |
| working on financing - the salesperson is exhausted or | | | | them returning for regular maintenance and |
| the service department is already closed. The likelihood | | | | recommending you to family and friends are much |
| of him walking the customer to the service drive for | | | | higher! |
| an introduction is very slim anyway, and he knows | | | | Most likely you spend thousands of dollars on |
| from appearance that the service department is | | | | advertising and marketing each month to bring the |
| already very busy (key word - appearance) and may | | | | customers in, but if they don't stay at your dealership |
| not have time to really spend properly meeting the | | | | you've not only lost them forever - you've wasted a |
| new customer - so the transition was never made. | | | | great deal of money. You need to play the game and |
| Even if he or she had a great buying experience they | | | | improve owner loyalty, complete the buying circle and |
| never made it to service and may not even know if | | | | form a unity between sales and service now. It |
| your dealership has a service department or if it's | | | | requires the cooperation of the entire dealership to |
| where they should service their new vehicle! I am sure | | | | provide a customer with an experience that will ensure |
| this isn't what you want to happen. | | | | their return. The times are tough and now more than |
| Here is how to correct that. The best thing you can do | | | | ever we need to form a truce between both |
| is to remember one of the first rules of running a | | | | departments. Today, dealerships are forced to rethink |
| Service Department - don't appear too busy. Your | | | | their methods of doing business and these are some |
| customers will see it and the sales people will see it | | | | clear problems that need addressing. Regardless of |
| too. If the sales people think service is too busy, they | | | | what the newspapers say, you can still operate a very |
| won't even consider attempting to introduce the | | | | profitable business. The real key is to not think of how |
| customer and so forms the division. The next best | | | | terrible business is, but to instead think of how much |
| thing you can do is sit both the sales and service staff | | | | more business you can generate as the competition |
| down and talk about the process of a vehicle delivery. | | | | around you falls and you stand united and strong. |
| Ensure that every salesperson knows that they are | | | | Teach your dealership how the two divisions can |
| required to walk a customer to service after purchase | | | | become one and work together to mutually benefit |
| (or even during the process) and ask your Advisors to | | | | one another. A dealership can either stay divided and |
| keep an eye out for a customer walking into service | | | | die or come together and prosper. Where does your |
| with a salesperson - its what I call opportunity walking! | | | | dealership stand? |
| A polite introduction to preferably the Service Manager | | | | |