So, I’m asked to work with a caring and aggressive client suffering a service process failure rate the original New York Mets would have been proud of. Not bad people, not uncaring people, just one unfortunate situation after another driven by lick-a-finger decision-making and zero follow-throughs. Basically, the evermore management proclamation of “I told them to do it” was proving to be a complete flop. Recognize this condition?
Specifically, the service reception process was one I really needed to tackle first. As in too many dealer circumstances, the drive-on-the-lot flow began with the discerning “Where the hell is the service entrance?”, followed by “Guess I’ll park here and take the keys,” further spiced up with “Who do I see, where is everybody, do you work here?” once a body made it through the walk-in door (which, ironically had the incorrect service hours posted on it).
Training For Not
It’s not uncommon for basic service writer training/ grooming to be a complete waste of time (bet you have already experienced that). Until the surrounding and applicable environment is choreographed into a highly controlled ballet, the reception boogie-woogie will remain, let’s say, out of anyone’s fix. An uncontrollable environment creates only victims – day in and day out – no winners, no matter the training and skill level of anyone.
It’s sort of like this: I can teach you to drive a race car, but if the car has two spark plugs missing and a flat tire, you ain’t goin’ nowhere, even wearing the classiest Simpson racing suit and expensive Puma racing slippers. Unfortunately, this is the analogous situation for far too many frenzied writers and their weary patrons, and any additional training just compounds their justified frustration levels.
Where U B?
When I witness that a dealer isn’t getting the CSI, retention, fix-it-right, and sales results, the service reception environment is the first place I scrutinize. I simulate that I am a new customer arriving for the first time, and then study the step-by-step actions and interactions currently carried out through to dispatch. For example, just watching the above circumstance, I noticed customers walking around the building seeking the service entrance. A few queries later I learned that the service drive was on the other side of the building until a year or so ago. Duh, no direction/instruction signage; hence lost puppies created first thing. Fix number uno.
And what’s up with constructing a costly attractive enclosed drive-in service area, and no one utilizes it (maybe raise your hand here)? Gee, perhaps no one knows what to do, or maybe they’re just stupid and love trudging through the rain or whatever else is leaking from above. Or maybe we never bothered to provide proper signage and a competent greeter/traffic controller to instruct the peeps who pay us all (hugs for them here). Hey, how about utilizing the new salesperson to work in service during the AM to begin building his or her book-of-business, rather than staring at the sales coffee machine for two hours first thing, waiting to greet their one-point-two prospects a day. Hey, we have 40 to 50 potentials in the back every morning dude. Well, could be this concept just makes way too much sense for selling more vehicles – meeting more public could be just too difficult to handle, and besides it cuts into the morning BS time.
Of course, what could be better than a line of peeps (one or two pissed off) standing around a writer’s desk. What fun it is for the consumer to overhear everyone else – “Hey, I might pick up some ideas I can use to beat up that writer too.” Then there’s the inevitable cry: “Who’s next?” (Whoops, better take the big ugly guy with the white foam on his mustache).
Details “R” Us
On the surface, the reception process doesn’t seem that complicated to a novice, especially if you never took the time to consider every little piece of this intricate puzzle. Start with the support staff for the writers. Most of the intense reception action occurs in the first third of the day. This includes numerous phone calls, “Hey, ya’ll there yet? – No Dumbo, I’m the answering machine”; the inevitable “You said no appointment needed, it will be 30 minutes right, I have an important meeting at my divorce lawyer’s office at 8” show-ups; the so-called planned appointments, “Hey, why are those people before me”; hungry techs with the clock ticking, “Gimme, gimme, gimme – no, not that one”; and even last night’s pickups, “Sorry I asked you to stay and didn’t show up last night. They made me have one more beer, it wasn’t my fault.” Oh, don’t forget the “I need a ride right now. I’m late for my facial cellulitis treatment”; and don’t forget the ever growing, “The salesman said I would always get a car. But I really need a ¾ ton pickup today.”
Is there any wonder why the average dealer writer turns over about every two years? Uh, I forgot to also mention the 27 panic-stricken b-busters showing up with the latest recall notice that pretty much states they will die without the latest cruise control update, “And I gotta have something to drive that will fit at least two bodies in the trunk.” Well, I could go on, but you could probably write the rest yourself as well or better than me. I got the scars and so have you. Let’s talk about the fix.
Reputation Mutation
Consider that a dealer’s good, bad, or indifferent reputation is created from word-of-mouth in-dealer experiences, and consider that a measly two writers (for example) may deal with twenty-some needy regulars before 10:30 a.m. – every day. Now, there are key reputation moments and opportunities in action here, both good and bad. Before any so-called plan for improving the reception process, study the need for sufficient support personnel in the AM (sometimes part-timers are fine). If you think I’m exaggerating about this everyday melee, spend a sunrise monitoring your own reception process, especially on a Monday or Saturday, get in early even if you are an owner or general manager who thinks 9 a.m. is getting to work before dawn. If you don’t get it from this experience, that’s ok, just stick to vending autos because service appreciates each and every one, new or pre-owned (unless it’s a ticked off used vehicle owner whining because you refused to fix the obvious before foisting it on them).
Fer Ya
How about this strategy mio amico? I have a designed a very detailed reception process customized for the aforementioned problem-child reception program. It served as both the starting point for a design which included all party’s input, as well as for our rehearsals, paper in hand until all were comfortable. While it probably won’t be perfect for your unique situation, it would make a great template to place your motivated thoughts into – like a transcribed brain stimulant, which will go quite well with a strong black caffè and a well-preserved Biscotti. With a little effort, you can recreate your own detailed reception plan. It isn’t that tough, and it will be revealing – dealing with the ninth pissed off “recall” customer in two hours, now that’s tough.
All you have to do is write an email to [email protected] and put on the subject line: “My reception process gotta get better cause I’m gettin’ a twitch,” that way I will know what to send ya. If nothing else any four-year-old will get a kick out of coloring it in, or maybe you will. I won’t tell anybody if you do, I promise.
