Putting customer service quality first

Nov. 11, 2015
Another aspect of what I believe your company needs to do to thrive and not just survive in the future is focusing on what I call the Three Cs: CSI, closing ratio and cycle time. Let’s start with CSI.

Another aspect of what I believe your company needs to do to thrive and not just survive in the future is focusing on what I call the Three Cs: CSI, closing ratio and cycle time. Let’s start with CSI.

I really believe that whether or not your shop participates in direct repair programs, CSI is an important measure for monitoring and improving your business. Here are ways I think you can improve your customer service (and thus your CSI) to outperform your competition.

Start with greeting the customer. Think about the last time you went to a nice steakhouse. I bet someone there opened the door for you upon your arrival and again when you were leaving. You were only going there for a $50 or $100 meal. A customer walking into your shop is likely to spend $2,400 or $2,500 on average. So get out of your chair, walk around the counter and shake their hand and thank them for coming.

Keep them informed. How well a customer was updated about the progress on their vehicle is a key component of CSI. If a customer says, “Oh, just call me when it’s done,” don’t believe them. You still need to keep them informed.

I recommend updating customers every day. If you’re producing a lot of cars with a lean office staff, then update those customers with an even-numbered repair order on Mondays and Wednesdays, and those with an odd-numbered repair order on Tuesday and Thursday.

Ask them how they want to be informed. Studies have shown that 63 percent of customers prefer to receive updates via text message, but that means one out of three would prefer a phone call or email. Don’t presume you know what they’d like based on their age. Ask them.

Change your word track so you always deliver vehicles when promised. We need to change the word track we use with customers. If a customer drops their car off and you say it will be ready in three or four days, all that customer heard is three days. If you tell a customer, “Wednesday or Thursday,” all they heard is “Wednesday.”

And the reality is unless you’ve done a complete tear-down of the vehicle to map out a repair plan and check on parts and OEM repair procedures, you don’t know when that car is going to be done. So stop telling them that.

One of the great suggestions Cheryl Hart from 3M has shared in some of her seminars is to tell customers dropping off their vehicle this: “Mrs. Jones, once we get your vehicle disassembled and we check on parts availability and with your insurance company, we’ll call you to let you know when your vehicle will be done.” You absolutely have to do those things before you give a customer a projected delivery date.

By the way, if you tell a customer you will call them tomorrow, they are thinking you will be calling them by 10 or 11 a.m. Even if you didn’t say that. So either make sure you call them by then, or else specify when in the afternoon you will be calling them.

Make delivery of the vehicle a process. I don’t think most shops spend enough time with customers at the time of delivery. Go through the paperwork, and as you do, use the keywords they will hear during the CSI survey. “Mrs. Jones, it shows here we called you on Monday, Wednesday and Friday: did you feel like we kept you informed.” “Mrs. Jones, it shows here that on Tuesday we told your car would be done Friday, and that’s today, so I think you’ll agree we are delivering it to you on time.” That helps reinforce those things in their mind.

And once again, get up and walk them out to their car, pointing out anything you did for them for free, such as paint touch-up, bulb replacement, de-hazing of headlights, etc. Give them some Ritz-Carlton or Nordstrom service.

Follow up before they are surveyed. Lastly, I suggest calling every customer who picks up their car the next day to again thank them and ask if they have any questions or concerns. That gives you a chance to address any issues before they get the CSI survey a day or two later.

Next time I’ll explain how your cycle time and closing ratio are other two keys to thriving, not just surviving.

About the Author

Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson, a former shop owner, operates CollisionAdvice.com, a training and consulting firm. He's also a facilitator for DuPont Performance Services' Business Council 20-groups.

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