By Dan Beres, Managing Partner, Recall Masters

In my last blog, I shared tips about how dealerships can help protect customers and staff in their service departments during this challenging time. In addition to having the proper precautions in place, you must know how to correctly communicate to your customers (or prospective customers with safety recalls) about these safety measures and the importance of completing any needed recall work.

Consumers are still leaving their house to make trips to the grocery store, travel to assist a family member or to their place of work as an essential worker. Outstanding safety recalls can inhibit consumers from doing these essential tasks or place them in danger.

Here are some proven tips for service departments:

1. Communicate that your service department is legally open and ready to service them. Let your customers know that your service department is considered an essential business and there to handle any service/repairs needed. They may not even know this.

2. State the safety measures you are taking. Reassure your customers that their well-being and safety are your top priority and that you understand their vehicle is a vital link to critical health services, medication, and groceries. As such, you are committed to remaining open to offer fast and safe vehicle servicing and maintenance.

Ease concerns by communicating that you are adhering to all CDC guidelines and offering additional vehicle disinfection at vehicle drop-off and return. These added measures, which will come at NO COST, are in place during the COVID-19 outbreak to ensure their health and peace of mind.

3. Develop a COVID-19 Action Plan offered free to customers to make them feel safe. Consider something along the lines of a “COVID-19 Action Plan: Free to All Service Customers.” Several service departments are using this with great success. They generally outline actions the dealership is taking such as:

• Disinfecting vehicles before and after service to ensure vehicles are returned safely
• Optional pickup and delivery to your home/office (available within a 15-mile radius) during operating hours
• Strict social distancing observed in our service drive for customers who prefer to drop off/pick up at the dealership
• Making a disinfected loaner car available to customers with extended repairs

4. Explain the potential danger of unrepaired recalls. While the coronavirus is undoubtedly a concern, so are unrepaired recalls as they can put safety at risk. More than one in four vehicles on the road today have an unrepaired safety recall, a government-mandated warning intended to safeguard consumers. If you have a recall check tool on your site, make sure it is easy to find, and include a link to it in your texts and emails. Urge your customers to tend to the recall as soon as possible.

5. Inform your customers of future increases in parts shortage. Let your customers know that disruption in the global supply chain can cause a parts shortage. It is a real possibility that in three months, replacement parts may not be readily available, which is why you should advise consumers to have their vehicle repaired now. This isn’t a marketing ploy. It’s a scenario likely to play out, especially with imported parts.

6. Offer a discount to help with expenses. Finances can be tough right now, so to assist with expenses, consider offering a discount like a $50 dealer services gift card for any additional services or parts.

7. Share contact information and hours. Include all methods of contact for your service department, as well as your updated hours, and an online scheduling link for ease.

8. Support your community. If you are doing any charitable initiatives right now to support your local community, encourage your customers to help with a message like this, “It is times like this that bring out the best in all of us.” ABC Dealer is a proud sponsor of the ‘Give Back to ABC Community Outreach’ program, which provides meals and services to seniors in our community. If you would like to help or contribute, please visit SomeTownshipHelp.com/coronavirus.”

With 33 states prohibiting the sales of vehicles in some form, now is the time to reach out to consumers for service work. Many dealerships have traditionally undermarketed their service departments, even though they account for the majority of income.

Safety is on every consumer’s mind right now. Communicating the message of safety and well-being can help your dealership gain much-needed service revenue. It can help you to bring in new service customers and to retain them once this immediate crisis is over. And it is important right now to also plan for the future.