When it comes to first impressions, there is only one chance to get it right. As more customers keep their vehicles longer and require increased maintenance, the service department is becoming the first touchpoint in the customer experience. On today’s episode of Service Drive, Dave Foy, founder of DigitalPilot.ai and Fixed Ops Mastermind, unpacks where service teams are falling short and what actions leaders can take to accelerate their team’s performance.
Why the service drive is now the dealership’s front door
The prices of new vehicles are climbing to an all-time high, causing a growing number of customers to hold onto their cars longer. As a result, an increased portion of business is shifting from sales to service.
Delivering an excellent service drive experience is critical; failure can hurt future sales and upsell opportunities. It may also discourage customers from returning for future vehicle purchases.
The service drive is a dealership’s heartbeat, and providing the ultimate customer experience is critical to the long-term success of a dealership.
Fixing the most common service drive mistakes
Foy advises managers to walk through the department from the customer’s perspective, paying attention to details that often go unnoticed internally but make a lasting impression on customers. Clutter, chaos, and failure to greet customers leave a lasting negative impression.
Foy recommends approaching each day as if it were grand opening day, when every team member is on high alert to make a strong first impression. This mindset enhances the customer experience and lays the groundwork for employee accountability.
Coaching in the moment matters most
Training often falls by the wayside in hectic service departments, despite its critical role in team performance. The quickest and most impactful way to accelerate performance is to coach in the moment, delivering specific feedback. Avoid addressing an issue directly in front of a customer and pull the employee aside afterward. Leaders must outline what they observed, what they believe could have been done better and model the behavior.
A simple greeting goes a long way
Another common mistake is teams failing to greet customers when they enter the service area. Ignoring a waiting guest can cause frustration, making it more challenging to build rapport with them and increasing their resistance to additional services.
One of the easiest and most impactful things that advisors can do is take a moment to greet customers. Quickly making eye contact and reassuring the guest that they’ll be assisted soon takes less than five seconds.
"You need to be customer-focused in everything you do, and you need to be going overboard with everything you do for those customers."
When leaders should bring in outside trainers
Every leader has their strengths and weaknesses, and knowing when to seek help is a sign of strength. Foy urges leaders to let go of their ego and hire a trainer if they need assistance.
Training must be ongoing. Even with a part-time trainer, leaders must reinforce progress through daily coaching. When leaders do not commit to continuous training, it undermines the trainer and subconsciously signals to the team that the training is not essential.
What’s next for the service department experience
Foy believes that in the near future, artificial intelligence (AI) will play a much larger role in training fixed ops professionals. There are already some great AI-powered training systems on the market. While they’re not tailored towards fixed ops, it hints at future possibilities.
Foy projects that mobile service will continue to grow exponentially over the next few years. More customers want mobile service, and the convenience it provides is increasingly playing a significant role in a customer’s decision to patronize one dealership over another.
As customer expectations evolve, the service drive is no longer just a place for repairs; it has become the front door to the dealership and the foundation of lasting customer relationships. Delivering an exceptional experience requires attention to detail, consistent coaching, and a willingness to adapt to new technologies and customer preferences. Dealerships that prioritize their service departments today will be the ones that earn loyalty and future sales tomorrow.
