You never get a second chance to make a first impression—and a recent survey shows what dealers and customer are looking for from each other when it comes to this all-important initial interaction when it comes to the drop off for vehicle service.
Reynolds and Reynolds on May 13 released its newest study Enhancing Service from Hello: A Deep Dive into the Service Check-In Process that examines dealer’s perspectives on the check-in process versus how customers feel about that process. The study surveyed personnel at more than 150 dealerships across North America, and nearly 700
For dealers, 96 percent would prefer a standardized check-in procedure. When asked how important several different attributes were to the check-in process, the top given answers included gathering accurate customer information, offering upsells, check-in speed, and providing a trade valuation opportunity.
Accurate Customer Information
With a 100 percent response, dealers indicated it was important to get accurate customer information during the check-in process. The report noted there a lot of room for manual errors if customers verbally dictate names, addresses, emails, and more to your advisor, who then has to type it. Small monitors and keypads physically turned towards customers to fact-check aren’t a much better option.
When it comes to upselling, there is a significant of what is wanted and what is happening. Ninety-eight percent indicated it was important to offer upsells during the check-in process but only 26 percent of dealers say their advisors offer upsells to every customer. The number one reason for not doing so was because the advisors were too busy with other customers.
How long it takes was a dividing line when it comes to dealers and customers as 90 percent of dealers say they have a check-in speed of seven minutes or less compared with 55 percent of customers report the process has taken seven minutes or less.
Self-Service Options
Reynolds in its survey offered away to overcome some of the obstacles is a self-service option which handle check-ins, key drops, and payments to name a few functions.
To that end, 90 percent of customers are willing to use a self-service kiosk to check in and for other tasks—including after-hours drop-off, pick-up, and mobile payments. Seventy percent of respondents said would use it every or almost every time.
As for why they would use it, 30 percent of customers responded they would use it so they can get in and out of the dealership faster on their own and 29 percent to avoid feeling pressured into a purchase by an employee.
Keys to Successful Appointment
The survey summarized customers care about the time spent before and during their appointments, and that they crave self-service technology to make the process feel faster.
It’s clear the presence of self-service technology in other parts of their lives (stores, restaurants, movie theaters, airports, etc.) as well as the convenience and speed it offers, has conditioned or convinced many people to use them when they are presented as an option.