Rules for wowing your customers and customer service pitfalls to avoid.
Let’s take a few minutes and set aside all that we’ve learned about growing a business through newspaper or radio ads. Instead, let’s focus on the power of unbelievable, out-of-this-world customer service.
In this business, it’s as much about returning the vehicle to pre-loss condition as it is taking care of the customer. That is challenging in collision repair because your customers aren’t coming to you because they want to. They’re coming to you because they have to, and they’re stressed, worried, angry, traumatized or any combination of the four.
But within that challenge lies a prime opportunity to do what so few service businesses do: Bend over backwards to take care of that customer. If you can take a distressing experience like a collision and turn the repair into a positive experience, you’ll win a customer for life. You’re also likely to gain that person’s friends, family members and coworkers as customers.
And which sounds like a better business plan to you? Building a base of repeat customers who love you and who won’t be swayed by insurance company strong-arm tactics or basing your business on DRP referrals alone?
Customer Service Clinchers
So how do you go about delivering that extraordinary customer service experience? Here are some guaranteed ways to leave them smiling in spite of the circumstances:
Be genuine in your efforts. First and foremost, customer service can’t be lip service. You and all of your employees have to be truly, completely dedicated to taking care of the customer—to the point where you’re almost eating, sleeping and breathing customer service. If your effort is insincere, the customer will see right through it, and the effects could be worse than doing nothing at all.
Be proactive. Guide your customers through the repair process by anticipating their needs every step of the way and taking care of those needs. For example, do you know if they’ll need a rental car while theirs is being repaired? Provide them with their options and necessary information before they have a chance to ask you about it. If you do this consistently, you’ll send three important messages: You know exactly what you’re doing, you care, and you truly understand the customer’s needs.
Communicate thoroughly and frequently. Don’t give your customers the chance to call and ask when their vehicle will be done. Be the first to communicate with them, whether by phone or e-mail, throughout the repair process. It will ease their minds, and it will further establish you as a service provider who cares and who knows exactly what’s going on. That speaks volumes.
Go the extra mile to do what’s not expected. Unfortunately, consumers are a pretty jaded bunch. They don’t expect much in the way of customer service, particularly in the automotive industry. If you go above and beyond to offer what they need but least expect, you’re sure to gain many, many fans. Let’s take the rental car example from above to the next level. Instead of just offering them the information they need, offer to make all arrangements for them. Have the rental car at your shop waiting and ready to go, or have it dropped off to them. That’s one less hassle they’ll have to deal with, and one more point in your favor.
Create a memorable experience. This can take on many forms—from decorating your customer service area with a theme (and carrying that throughout the repair process) or placing a homemade, scrumptious muffin in their vehicle when they pick it up. The idea is to create such a memorable experience that they talk about it after they leave your shop. You want to offer them something so exciting (something they won’t find anywhere else) that they’ll go home and tell all of their friends, family and coworkers about this great collision repair place they know. In today’s business climate, “good” is as good as dead. You have to be the best to succeed, so you have to do whatever you can to leave an impression in your customers’ minds.
Take a genuine interest in the customer.Look past the immediate repair needs and focus on establishing a long-term relationship with the customer. Take time to answer all of their questions and to reassure them that their vehicle is in good hands. And while you’re doing this, learn about them as a person. The more personal attention you give and the more you make them feel like No. 1, the more they’re going to be loyal to you—and thrilled with the experience.
Accept responsibility for your actions. If there’s a delay in the repair, be upfront and candid with the customer. Inform them immediately, apologize and offer solutions if the customer is inconvenienced at all. For example, if they were banking on a set completion date to take the vehicle on vacation, rent them the same make and model and let them use it. If a vehicle comes back, don’t waste a second making excuses. The customer doesn’t care. They just want the problem resolved, and you should make that your only priority. Even in a case where it’s unclear if you’re responsible, take care of the problem. Your customers will love you for it. They’re accustomed to opposition and confrontations in these situations. If you make coming back pleasant, your customers will love—and respect you—for it.
Keep in touch. Don’t give your customers a chance to get bogged down with their busy schedules and forget about you after the repair. Communicate with them several times throughout the year, whether it’s by sending a newsletter (or e-newsletter), mailing a letter announcing something newsworthy about your company, sending holiday cards, holding an open house, or throwing a customer appreciation event. Look for ways to further establish in their minds that you are the only choice when it comes to collision repair, and take steps to further solidify that customer relationship.
Follow up after the repair. It’s one thing to pass out a CSI survey on vehicle delivery day or use a third-party phone call CSI tracking service. They’re both good measures. But go one step farther and personally call the customer a few days or a week after they pick up the vehicle just to make sure everything was repaired to their satisfaction. This tells them one more time that you care and that you truly want to make sure the job was done right.
Be professional. Offer a clean, comfortable, bright environment. Make sure your customer service area is friendly and inviting to all customers. Keep the shop neat and clean as well. Your employees deserve it, and even if customers don’t walk through the shop often, you want a consistent image. You don’t want a sparkling waiting area and then a dingy, dirty shop. It sends conflicting messages. In addition, all of your employees should be in clean, neat uniforms. An untucked shirt looks as sloppy as baggy, stained blue jeans. Being professional in every aspect of your operation will earn your customer’s respect, and it will show them that you take your work seriously.
Customer Service Killers
Just as there are proven methods of winning a life-long customer, there are ways of ensuring a customer never does business with you again. Not only do you lose that customer, but you also lose everyone they tell about the experience. Dissatisfied customers don’t go away quietly. Here are pitfalls to avoid:
Poor quality control. While we’re only human and mistakes are unavoidable, we can’t make them a habit. There’s no excuse for a vehicle leaving the shop with mismatched paint or body lines so obviously misaligned that the customer’s untrained eye can detect it. Any number of the customer service clinchers above will be meaningless if you can’t properly repair the customer’s vehicle. Your goal should be to minimize comebacks, and when a comeback leaves that second time, you had better be absolutely certain it’s not coming back a third time.
Be arrogant, patronizing, rude, etc., to the customer. This should go without saying. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Your customers demand—and deserve—to be treated with respect by courteous, friendly employees. And never become confrontational with the customer or insist they’re wrong. You’ll win the battle but lose the war. Finally, remember, it takes contact with just one employee who doesn’t grasp the value of customer service to turn a good service experience into a poor one.
Failure to communicate. Whether it’s when they first walk in the door for an estimate or when they leave with final invoice in hand, your customer will be confused and resentful if communications from your staff are not clear or thorough. Unfortunately, you won’t always know if your customers don’t understand something. They often won’t ask because they don’t want to look foolish. Your customer service personnel must do their best to take their time with customers, explaining what needs to be explained and asking the customer if there are any questions. They must also have an attitude that is open to questions and answers from customers.
Slow response time to inquiries and problems. Yes, it gets very busy during the day. But the customer’s time is just as important as yours. If they call with a question, return their call promptly. If you don’t and they have to call again, they’re going to be aggravated.
Poor organization. If you’re not organized, you won’t be able to answer any of the customer’s questions about when you can schedule his or her repairs, how long they will take, or the status of an existing repair. If a customer asks you these basic questions, you lose all credibility if you can’t answer them almost immediately. It makes you look less than qualified, and it leaves customers believing their needs aren’t being attended to. What impression do you think customers walk away with if you’re scrambling to find their paperwork or car keys when they come to pick up a vehicle?
Make excuses for any mistakes or delays. Getting defensive or trying to displace blame also falls into this category. If there’s a problem, it’s not about whose responsible. It’s about getting the problem resolved. Nothing is more infuriating to a customer than a service provider who won’t take responsibility for the company’s actions. This is a surefire way to lose a customer for life.
Refuse to “upgrade” problems. There are going to be occasions when a customer has a concern or issue that your front office employees don’t know how to address or don’t have the authority to handle. In these cases, your employees should not hesitate a bit to move it up the chain of command to a manager or owner. Customers are often very forgiving if a problem is resolved promptly and to their satisfaction. Do not make them fight for that resolution.
Don’t give the customer the time and energy they deserve. Customers are the lifeblood of your business. Some are easier to take care of than others because they have fewer questions, are more in tune with collision repair or because they only care about the finished product. Others require a lot of time and handholding. And that’s OK. They deserve it. If you don’t give it to them, they’ll find someone who will. And particularly time-consuming customers are often the most loyal because they do appreciate your time and because so few other businesses will help them.
Compromise integrity, honesty or your company values. You’re operating a professional, ethical business. Do not tamper with that, and do not give the customer any reason to believe you’re anything but honest and on the level. They’ll lose all respect and trust for you, and you’ll lose their business. At the extreme end of this, look how compromising their values took down Arthur Anderson.
Lack of attention to detail. This goes hand in hand with organization. Get the customer’s problems and concerns straight. Write down the details if you need to and go back over them with the customer so you don’t miss anything. This applies to the repair process, too, and a weakness in this area often leads to quality issues.
Implement and practice these customer service clinchers, rid your business of the killers, and then discover how much more enjoyable this business can be when you are working with loyal customers and referred customers. It’s definitely more rewarding—and easier—than starting new with customers who are only in your shop because the insurance company sent them
