There are many methods for an automobile dealer to determine what their service customers want from the dealer's service department. Of course, some dealers just don't particularly seek this information because much of it is provided by factory surveys, magazine critiques and assorted pundits claiming to be proficient in the many whims of today's confounding service customer.
I personally peruse many of the trade periodical studies trying to maintain pace with the psyche of today's service customer so that our company can make the best recommendations to our clients for providing excellent customer service. Sometimes I gather information from more than one reliable source that contradicts the other, but unfortunately much of the information is inconclusive.
The more I examine the various marketplaces, the more I have realized the terrific differences that exist in regions, franchises and even from dealer/franchise reputations, past and present. What seems to work well for one doesn't work at all for another. The uniqueness is astounding.
At one of our more successful import clients in New England we recently asked 300 customers to reply to a questionnaire we mailed out. We included $1.00 for their trouble and a self-addressed stamped envelope for convenience. We received a substantial return of 38% rather quickly, complete with a multitude of comments and observations. We had carefully selected mail recipients who in the past had been faithful customers but had not returned to the dealership in the past year. I must point out that this dealer is considered very successful in service and has been very profitable in that department for over ten years.
The challenge is that the service customer base is slowly decreasing even though all appears well on the surface. We wanted to know only a few things: why did you leave, where did you go, and what would it take to get you back? As you can see it was rather straight-forward and to the point. We did include specifics, so that it would be easy for the customer to reply by simply checking off appropriate boxes for the answers.
Well, the results were pretty simple in this case. Most customers left because of price (even though the department is really quite competitive in individual pricing), and they primarily used an independent shop close to home. The number one item selected that determined where they ended up going was simply "trust". The bottom line was this - the first time they had a hefty service bill (try the 30,000 mile service) they looked for an alternative shop based on an "individual" that they perceived they could trust, period.
I couldn't help but notice that shuttle services, car washes, customer lounges, extended hours, attractive buildings, nice smiles and free coffee didn't rank at all, even though they were all available as selections.
By asking some very simple questions to a very simply-defined customer base, the responses boiled down to two items, price and trust, areas we have already begun to work on improving. And what do you think it would take to win them back? Their simple request was the same as any good shopper, "Make me an offer I can't resist."