By Dan Beres, Managing Partner, Recall Masters
The Coronavirus is disrupting businesses across the globe, and its full impact is yet to be seen. Dealers have been contacting us to see if we have any advice as far as what can be done in their service departments to limit risks to employees and customers.
Due to a lack of widespread testing and the absence of physical symptoms in many individuals infected with the virus, you must understand that every interaction presents a risk. When you operate with an abundance of caution, you not only greatly reduce the likelihood of exposure, you also send a reassuring message to consumers and your dealership staff. The following are a few ways to minimize workplace exposure to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) for your employees and customers.
- Send Your Sick Staff Home: Again, you may not even be aware that someone (consumer or employee) is infected with the Coronavirus. However, when symptoms are present, do not allow sick employees on the premises. Most CRM programs are accessible from mobile phones and home computers. So, if they are not too sick to work, employees can still call, email, and text customers and set up appointments without being at the dealership.
- Clean! Clean! Clean! Place a major priority on cleanliness. For consumers to feel confident about visiting your store, you must ensure all areas where they interact with you and other customers are free of potential exposure to the virus. Normally, janitorial staff shuffles around after hours. However, it’s a good idea to have them sanitizing during business hours as well. Let your customers see you are making sanitation a priority. Also, have a liberal supply of hand sanitizer available in all public areas for employee and customer use.
- No More Waiting: While the CDC has announced that public gatherings present a threat to exposure, no consumer wants to sit in your waiting room. During the appointment scheduling process, while on the phone, offer customers the option to drop their vehicle off rather than having them wait around at the dealership.
- Expedite Vehicle Drop Off/Pick Up: To minimize health risks, your staff must check-in cars promptly at the service drive to get those customers on their way with just a single-point interaction. The same goes for vehicle pick up when the service is complete. All staff should wear gloves and use disinfectant wipes to clean service lane tablet screens, POS machines, and any other equipment that your customers or staff use.
- Wipe Down Your Loaners/Shuttles Often: Ensure that your customers are confident that your vehicles are clean and sanitary and that they have confidence in the cleanliness practices of your shuttle drivers. Customers can be afraid to let anyone touch their car or climb inside an Uber or dealer shuttle. It’s panic mode out there, so understand that even pick up/delivery isn’t going to be a slam dunk. A lot of dealers are looking at BioPledge, an odorless, residue-less car interior fogger that kills bacteria and offers a three-month barrier of protection. Dealers can use this at pickup to show the consumer they are protected for the next few months. It’s much faster than wiping down the car too.
- Mobile Service/Vehicle Pick-Up Services: Some consumers are anxious about stepping out of their homes. So, if you have the resources, consider providing a pickup and delivery service so that the customer does not have to leave their home.
- Service Confirmation/Missed Appointment Call Scripts: Does your staff know what to say to instill confidence in the safety and cleanliness of your dealership? Do they know what to say to a customer who missed a scheduled appointment? To help with this, you can put some talk tracks together.
- Vehicle Wipe Down: To protect employees, vehicles should get wiped down immediately before and after a service or repair to reduce the chance of exposure. You should also make sure that you’re using disinfectant wipes during clean up.
- Home Delivery & Test Drives: This is more on the sales side. But, if you want to sell cars, you might have to perform the test drive at the consumer’s front door. Get a jump on the competition by taking the whole process to them.
For guidance on how to prevent workplace exposure to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, follow CDC Guidelines for Business Operations.
ARTICLE BY Dan Beres
Dan Beres, Managing Partner of Recall Masters, Inc., oversees the Enterprise Services Division, which includes OEM relations and strategic partnerships.
