MASTERING MANAGEMENT
Don't Crash Land Your Service DepartmentBUTLER, NJ (Sept. 24, 2007) - According to research by AutoUniversity.com, true profitability at a shop comes in the form of retaining repeat and referral business. Lose your service customer base and you'll never find real success. One of the best ways to guarantee that customers won't come back is to operate on autopilot, meaning that you are indifferent to a customer's
needs. So how do you show your customers that you care about them when you see the same problems from the same people day in and day
out? Attitude is where it all begins. Ask yourself these three questions: 1.
Can you hear me or are you listening? Hearing is an autopilot behavior because it is biological. It involves only the ear and the brain. But listening is what a customer really wants and needs. That involves the mind and your time. You must decide to listen. It is a choice you make every day. Once customers know you are listening, they will begin to know that you care. 2.
Will you be keep me informed? Reacting is an autopilot behavior. Waiting for the customer to call you for an update is the first step toward crash landing the relationship. Planning specific times for follow-up is proactive and shows you care about the customer. Too many times customers have arrived to find their car isn't ready as promised or that more repairs were needed. That's akin to a customer service crash landing. 3.
How can I get the most out of my ownership experience? Most customers will never ask you this question, but most would love to know the answer to it. That is why you need to keep customers informed about their maintenance schedules, recalls, and recommendations about their cars. Be sure to contact them quarterly, at minimum, to maintain the relationship. An autopilot system doesn't do that.
(Source: Auto University
Inc.) 
