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How To Improve The Automotive Customer Experience

06-05-2016
Industry news

In this day and age customer service is paramount for both manufacturers and the retail outlets that represent the manufacturers within the automotive industry. I recently took my wife’s car for a service and having received the customer feedback form, and it got me thinking. What leads to the best possible customer service and what makes the difference?

Having worked in motor trade recruitment for a long time, I know how important the CSI scores are to not only the car dealership but to the individual that served me. Car manufacturers and retailers both offer incentives for excellent customer service but do we genuinely receive it and what makes exceptional customer service?

Take service for example. Customers take cars into service departments to spend money on their vehicles when they probably do not want to. Often the customer does not want to be spending their money on fixing a broken car. So, as a result, what makes excellent service? The Service Advisor being polite and after haggling giving a small discount? The offer of a courtesy car or a cup of coffee while they wait? What else can be done? Where is the customer experience? Why are customers being surveyed after this?

Sales are different. You are leading the customer on a journey in the hope that the result will be them committing to buying a car. Therefore customer service should be paramount in the mind of not only the business but the Sales Executive and Sales Manager as well. It is in everyone’s best interest is it not? Does there need to be any other incentive to want to sell a car than the sale itself and the profit for the dealership and sales person’s commission?

Well sadly this is not always the case, hence the emergence of vehicle manufacturers monitoring CSI so heavily. Customers will always be critical, and the customer is always right. Bad news gets around a lot quicker than good news, and in this day and age with social media being so prevalent car manufacturers need to ensure that they do offer extra incentives to make sure everyone is doing as they should. That is treating each customer to the very best experience they can. The sales process is put in place to ensure that the customer is receiving the best experience they can, while still trying to achieve the end goal of a sale. Motor trade retailers can be penalised for poor customer service to ensure that they keep the focus on the customer experience.

From a customer’s point of view this is fantastic, and hopefully, services within dealerships will continue to get better. With regular league tables coming out comparing vehicle manufacturers can you afford not to be measuring, monitoring and ensuring the best possible customer experience?