If your clients aren’t happy with your services, you won’t be able to keep up with the other Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are essential for your service center’s success and profitability. Consider customer satisfaction the foundation on which everything else should be built. With these simple ways to improve client retention and satisfaction, you can keep customers happy while focusing on other growth tactics.
Why customer retention is important
According to Harris Interactive, 89% of customers have previously switched to doing business with a competitor after a bad customer experience. One small mistake with the way you deal with your clients can lead to them jumping ship and visiting a new service center. You can’t afford to lose these customers, so every effort must be made to ensure their happiness.
Simple ways to retain service center customers
1. Encourage regular maintenance
The best way to build a relationship with your customers is to have the clients in the service center regularly. With the recommended maintenance schedule, your customers should be visiting often. Send out automated reminders when service is due and offer flexible scheduling to accommodate their busy lifestyles. You can also offer specials for your regular maintenance customers.
2. Send out non-business communications
It’s important to remind customers when it’s time for service, but don’t let this be the only time you reach out. There are plenty of other reasons to send communication that helps you stay in front of the customer. For example, you can send a birthday card with a special offer when the time is right. You also want to send holiday communications and invite the customers to community events. Show them that you care more about them than simply the business that they bring.
3. Address poor customer service
There will be times when your team doesn’t respond the appropriate way. Everyone is human and there needs to be some room for error. However, when a team member harms the relationship with a customer, it’s important that you have the right response. Reach out to the customer and do everything in your power to make it right. Even after the resolution, follow up with the customer, so they know you care.
4. Work on the dealership’s reputation
You should always be looking at the reputation of your dealership. If there are negative reviews online, you must respond to them. It’s also possible to have negative reviews removed from third-party sites if review bombing is occurring. If trying to keep up with the reputation is overwhelming to your team, reach out to a reputation manager for additional help.
5. Implement a VIP program
Everyone wants to feel important and you can make that possible with a new VIP program. Reward your most loyal customers with special events, bigger savings and perks, such as free rental cars. It’s hard for customers to go somewhere else when you are constantly rewarding them.
Baby steps start today
It doesn’t take long to build customer satisfaction if you take a few baby steps. Implement as many of these as possible and show your customers how much your department cares. It won’t take long before that satisfaction turns into more profit and increased sales.
