• DD-Square-Logo_resized
  • ATTEND LAS VEGAS
    • Attendee
      • Registration & Pricing
      • Agenda At-A-Glance
      • Exhibitor List/Floor Plan
      • Sponsor List
      • Hotel & Travel
      • Hosted Dealer Program
      • FAQ
      • Mobile App
    • Exhibitor
      • Exhibit/Sponsor
      • Advertising Opportunities
      • Exhibitor Resources
      • Exhibitor Tips
    • Education
      • Overview
      • Show Schedule
  • ABOUT
    • Conference Overview
    • Best Of Awards
    • Become a Speaker
    • Press Inquiries
    • Partnership Programs
    • Health & Safety
    • Contact Us
    • Get Updates
  • RESOURCES
    • Webinars
    • Downloads
  • NEWS
    • Auto Retail News
    • Digital Editions
    • Press Releases
    • Submit Editorial
    • Subscribe
  • .
  • ATTEND LAS VEGAS
    • Attendee
      • Registration & Pricing
      • Agenda At-A-Glance
      • Exhibitor List/Floor Plan
      • Sponsor List
      • Hotel & Travel
      • Hosted Dealer Program
      • FAQ
      • Mobile App
    • Exhibitor
      • Exhibit/Sponsor
      • Advertising Opportunities
      • Exhibitor Resources
      • Exhibitor Tips
    • Education
      • Overview
      • Show Schedule
  • RESOURCES
    • Webinars
    • Downloads
  • ABOUT
    • Conference Overview
    • Best Of Awards
    • Become a Speaker
    • Press Inquiries
    • Partnership Programs
    • Health & Safety
    • Get Updates
  • NEWS
    • AUTO RETAIL NEWS
    • PRESS RELEASES
    • DIGITAL EDITIIONS
    • SUBMIT EDITORIAL
    • SUBSCRIBE

Las Vegas: Oct 17-19, 2023

REGISTER NOW EXHIBIT / INQUIRE
Q

NEWS:

Dealer/GM News | Sales Strategies | Trending Industry News
September 1, 2016

Stay out of the Trash by Training Your Customers

Posts:
Dealer/GM News | Sales Strategies | Trending Industry News
September 1, 2016

Stay out of the Trash by Training Your Customers

When I consult with dealers about service mailers, I often find that their approach contradicts what they’re looking to achieve.

On one hand, dealers know how incredibly competitive the market is, so they send out service coupons to ensure customers don’t defect due to a competitor’s offer. But on the other hand, they don’t want to send service offers too often. The biggest concern I hear is: “I don’t want to train my good, loyal customers to delay service until they get a discount.”

This never makes any sense to me. Why wouldn’t you want to train your customers to anticipate an offer? Don’t you want them to open every communication you send and believe that you will give them the best price and reward them for being an AWESOME, outstanding customer? Isn’t that the whole idea: sell your customers on your service facilities, build loyalty and prevent them from defecting in the first place?

In my last blog, I talked about how to create more impact with your sales mailers by making sales events truly special. Well, the same concept applies to your service mailers: train your staff to make a big deal about any service coupons and offers. In turn, this will train your customers to open all your mailers and use the coupons you have spent good money to send (that IS what you want them to do, right?).

I’ve never walked into a dealership’s service department and been asked if I had a coupon. And that is six vehicles later: after a Camry, a Volkswagen, four BMWs and an Acura.

However, whenever I walk into a large chain store, they always ask me if I have a coupon. Some even go as far as printing out coupons for me to use on my next visit! I will be the first to tell you that I go back to the same store to use that coupon. I will also be the first to admit that I spend way more than I should every time I go back. So if that is considered training your customers to wait for an offer, then I say let the training begin.

It’s a simple process to implement at your dealership: have your advisors ask each and every customer if they have a coupon for their service. Just mentioning a coupon will train your regular customers to open your mailers in search of offers, rather than tossing them blindly into the trash. This will increase your service mailer open rates AND your marketing ROI. In addition, you’ll show your loyal customers that you truly appreciate their business.

So what happens if a good, loyal customer doesn’t have a coupon? They’ll probably say, “Can I get a discount anyway? I’m here all the time.” This is another good opportunity to go above and beyond for your customer and make them feel special. Give them a $5 or $10 discount on the spot, or perhaps $25 off if they have an additional service done on that day. Be creative and encourage them to watch their mail for future offers.

Frequency is another key to keeping your service customers engaged. In my opinion, a new offer should go out every 60 to 90 days at the very least, and it shouldn’t expire for another 60 to 90 days.

In the end, you’ll find that rewarding loyal customers is much better for business than constantly chasing down the ones in danger of defecting. Don’t get me wrong: marketing to both is equally important. If you’re not in front of any customer at the right time, they can defect in a matter of seconds—that’s why it’s so important to reward loyalty. Training your loyal customers to watch for discounts gives them a reason to open your mailers. And sending service coupons gives them the incentive to keep coming back.

Dealer/GM News•Sales Strategies•Trending Industry News

SHARE

Share on Email
Share on Linkedin
Share on Facebook
Share on Pinterest
Share on Twitter
← Previous Article Next Article →
Posts Industry Press Releases

One View Integrates with Autosoft to Enhance Document Digitization for Auto Dealerships

One View becomes certified partner of Autosoft’s Partner Program – providing seamless integration between both systems One View, an auto industry-specific data solution specialist, announced the integration of its document management system with
Posts Marketing & AdvertisingTrending Industry News

How Does Google Analytics 4 Impact Call Monitoring?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is here, and Universal Analytics (UA) is a thing of the past. So, what is the big difference between GA4 and UA, and what does it mean for dealerships and their automotive call monitoring solutions? Universal Analytics (UA) o
Posts Industry Press Releases

One View Integrates with Autosoft to Enhance Document Digitization for Auto Dealerships

One View becomes certified partner of Autosoft’s Partner Program – providing seamless integration between both systems One View, an auto industry-specific data solution specialist, announced the integration of its document management system with
Posts Dealer Ops & LeadershipTrending Industry News

Three Key Areas to Focus on for Fixed Ops Success

A well-managed BDC can significantly impact sales, raise service profits, and increase retention, but achieving success in this field requires three key ingredients: Focus, People, and Consistency. Without these elements working in tandem, even the m
Posts Dealer Ops & LeadershipTrending Industry News

Astroturfing: What it is and Why Your Dealership Should Avoid it

Astroturfing is organized activity that is intended to create a false impression of a widespread, spontaneously arising, grassroots movement in support of…something…that is in reality initiated and controlled by a concealed group…or corpora
Posts Uncategorized

Cracking the Code: Driving Team Action Post 1-on-1s

Ever left a meeting whether it’s with your team or a 1-on-1, on cloud nine, believing your team was all set to conquer the world, only to find their enthusiasm fizzling out days later? The challenge lies in converting intentions into actions amidst
Posts Sales & Variable OpsTrending Industry News

How End-Of-Year-Sales May Impact Auto Finance Digital Transformation Strategies

Following a challenging sales environment in 2022, a noticeable recovery in the automotive sector has stabilized in 2023. This year, even as supply chain problems subsided, new challenges emerged, such as the persistent risk of a potential recession,
Posts Industry Press Releases

Mopar and Petra Automotive Products Partner to Launch New Maintenance Products to Dealers Across North America

Petra Automotive Products, the fastest growing premium automotive products manufacturer in the world, is proud to announce 11 of their best-in-class products will be launched under the Mopar® brand for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram and FIAT® dealers

NEWSLETTER

SUBSCRIBE

DEALER MAGAZINE

Dealer Magazine March/April 2023 Issue Featuring an Interview with NADA 2023 Chairman
MAGAZINE
Digital Dealer Logo White
FOLLOW US ON
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
ABOUT    CAREERS    AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS   DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION   TERMS OF USE   PRIVACY POLICY