The Changing Appearance of Customer Service

Your Service Drive Must Evolve to Keep Up with Today’s Shoppers

With the technology and smart systems that are available today, progressive dealerships are moving away from a reactive customer experience and adopting a more predictive way of thinking when it comes to the service drive. Dealerships are starting to recognize the importance of showing their customers what a comprehensive customer care program looks like by being able to recognize and respond to individual needs more efficiently than ever.

Data tools are now available to offer valuable insights, and with all service drive employees on board and trained to provide the highest quality service, your dealership can, now more effectively, earn the trust and loyalty of modern consumers.

Here are a few items you can expect to see as consumers and companies change the appearance of customer service, especially as it relates to the service drive:

Interactive chat is getting smarter.

Consumers are already accustomed to seeing the opportunity to chat pop up on their screens, especially when they are dealing with larger purchases and service. However, with technological advances, chat features are getting smarter. Data is much more accessible, and because of that, interactive features like customer service chat will lean toward more personalized interaction, providing consumers with more satisfying answers and solutions. This interaction is also an opportunity to boost your CSI score.

Social is getting savvier.

Companies are finding it’s not enough anymore to hop onto social media platforms and interact with consumers. Instead, progressive businesses are finding ways to use social media to answer business questions in real time and direct potential customers toward their businesses. What if you could provide a customer with a service drive professional who could help answer questions? You could with a product such as AutoAlert’s FuzeShield. You could turn in-market consumers into your customers by being the go-to dealership that’s known for answering questions quickly and accurately.

Customer care is getting personal.

Your goal is to create meaningful relationships with consumers so they want to turn to you when it’s time to buy, and technology is making it even easier to interact on a more personal level. Now, instead of waiting for customers to come to you with questions or concerns, there are data tools that will allow you to see when shoppers are interacting with your content—giving you the opportunity to reach out in a more proactive way. Coupled with better visibility to data, professionals will be able to offer the personal touch to every shopper.

Mobile is where it’s at.

In a recent survey, 91% of U.S. consumers confirmed their mobile devices are more important to them than their automobiles. For your dealership, this means taking a good look at ways you can be present for customers and looking for increasingly mobile solutions such as apps and interactive technology. A product such as PandoAlert can instantly identify customers in the service drive that are eligible for upgrades, and the mobile app serves as a task and assignment tool so customers never fall through the cracks.

Many customers won’t use the phone.

There are various ways to stay in contact with consumers, but a recent study shows that 53% of those ages 18 to 34 would prefer to use electronic media, like email, texting or social media, rather than the phone for customer support. For your service drive, this means training employees to seek out new ways of contacting prospective customers and utilizing more electronic forms of communication in order to make customers feel comfortable.

Listen and join the discussion.

Good customer service shows up in the way you handle not only the compliments, but also the complaints. Be sure to address each one individually and ensure customers know you share their concerns. Listen, discuss and then offer to make it right. Potential future customers will see your positive online reactions and feel comfortable using your service drive.