When it comes to customer retention, servicing is one of the primary tools dealerships can use to keep customers coming back after they have purchased their vehicle. However, it is not always easy to engage customers in the repair and maintenance process. According to an Xtime Research Market study, 64 percent of dealerships said their primary concern was customer retention.
Jim Roche, vice president of marketing and managed services for Xtime, touched on this in a presentation at the 2016 National Automobile Dealers Association Convention. He noted that during Xtime’s market study, consumer expectation had a significant impact on service operations.
The consumers were looking for personal touches, and most of all, transparency. So, how can auto technicians bring a greater level of trust into the servicing process? Video might be the answer. A Volkswagen dealership in South Jordan, UT has already started to incorporate video into their servicing process and have seen success. Read on for five benefits for using video to walk your customers through service appointments.
Increases Transparency
While many dealerships make it easy for customers to see inside the servicing center through large windows in waiting rooms, it is still difficult to see the actual work done on a particular car. There is no explanation of what is being done, and some customers might not be able to stay to watch the maintenance of their vehicle. Adding a video to the process allows customers to see what exactly is being done to their car, and lets the auto technician explain what they did, and why they did it. Customers do not have to wonder if the technician is doing what they are supposed to since they have video evidence of the maintenance or repair.
Makes Service Recommendations More Effective
Video not only gives a window into what has been done, but it can also help technicians make the case for what should be fixed in the near future. Bryan Armstrong, the e-commerce director at the Volkswagen dealership in South Jordan, UT, said the videos encourage auto technicians to make service recommendations since they know the customers are likely to watch the videos they send. Technicians can directly point to a problem area so they can put a visual to the wear-and-tear or damage.
Facilitates Education and Understanding
What better way to inform customers than through a servicing repair video? We live in an age now where YouTuber reigns supreme. Even if customers do not have the skill to do simpler service maintenance on their own, it helps if they know the ins-and-outs, so their expectations of the technician and the servicing process as a whole are realistic. When auto technicians take the time to explain these repairs, customers begin to get an idea of how long something like this should take, the appropriate parts needed, and the reason why the cost is the way it is. It makes it easier for customers to understand the work technicians do, and why they may have taken the steps they did in the video.
Increases Customer Loyalty
There is a huge difference between only seeing the technician for the drop off and pick up and watching them carefully explain the details behind a repair. It can create a “professional bond,” between the customer and technician. As Armstrong stated in a recent article:
“Moreover, the face of the service department now is technicians who introduce themselves and say they’ll be working on your car,” Armstrong says. “There’s that connection. We’ve had customers come in later and ask for a specific mechanic, because of the videos.” He adds: “When you think about it, if you go to the same hair salon, you usually request the same person to cut your hair, because you know them.” Customers begin to feel more comfortable with these technicians and are more likely to come back just to work with them, creating a huge boost to customer retention and loyalty.
