Will the Business Development Center go beyond advanced communication and also become a dealership watchdog? This is a question that seems to be asked quite often. Considering the vast technology changes, as well as natural changes that have taken place in the average dealership, today the likelihood is becoming greater. For as long as I can remember, dealerships have had some type of watchdog. Naturally, this person did not have the title "Watchdog." But we all knew which department or manager held this responsibility. We never considered it to be an intrusion; we simply knew it was a necessary function and that someone had to do it. The F & I department in many ways functions as a watchdog. In many dealerships they are expected to inspect all paperwork prior to and during delivery, thus protecting the dealership from errors and or intentional fraud. While some people refer to the BDC (Business Development Center) as a watchdog, I do not. Reality is, in every environment errors and mistakes happen. BDC follow-up of sales and service customers will no doubt uncover much of them. When problems are discovered new opportunities begin. To infer that the BDC is a simply a watchdog takes away from the true function of the BDC, which is to assist the dealership in building quality relationships with its customers and working towards the goal of developing predictive indicators with regard to customers' purchasing and servicing cycles and habits. When it comes to customers' attitudes and feelings towards the dealership, its staff and its services, good news should be welcomed. However, when it comes to salvaging relationships, bad news better travel fast.
As dealerships attempt to get closer to the customer, we find ourselves moving more towards written communication. The reason for this is technology. It's cheaper and in many ways more convenient for the customer to receive email than to receive telephone calls at work or home. In many cases this is the customer's preference. The ability to communicate with the customer by email in many ways is a wonderful thing. It's inexpensive and extremely efficient. However, it is also extremely dangerous when used improperly. As dealerships scramble to both understand and better utilize the Internet and email, extreme caution should be exercised. I suggest the use of email and the Internet be performed by only your most trusted employees. Additionally, I suggest that this be placed in a controlled environment. Please note that email is much like sending a letter. A significant difference is that email is logged into the computer and typically backed up, creating an almost endless trail. As an example of the email concern: In 1995 Bill Gates sent an email message regarding the Netscape deal. Part of this email said, "We could even pay them money as part of the deal, buying a piece of them or something." Later in a deposition in the federal governments antitrust trial against Microsoft, Mr. Gates contradicted himself when he said he didn't see investing in Netscape as something that made sense. When the government subpoenaed Microsoft's emails, Mr. Gates' attorneys were left with a serious concern...their boss' credibility. Typically, dealerships have specific guidelines regarding written communication to a customer. Why should email be any different?
I recommend that computers intended for Internet use be placed in the BDC (an area with tighter controls). The employees may then be less tempted to use the computer and/or the Internet for personal use. (Point of interest: NFO Worldwide, a research firm in Stamford, CT states that 85% of workers say they use company email to send and receive personal messages, and 56% of the workers stated that they have received email that is racist, sexist or religiously inappropriate.) Additionally, I recommend seeking the advice of an attorney with regard to the development of policies, which could protect a dealership from unauthorized use of the computer, Internet or email.
Business Development Center software could help in certain security issues. I recommend dealers insist the following be part of the BDC software:
1. Every letter that is generated should be automatically saved in the customer's individual electronic file indicating the date sent and who sent it.
2. Every fax that is generated should be automatically saved in the customer's individual electronic file indicating the date sent and who sent it.
3. Every telephone contact/survey should be completely documented in the customer's individual electronic file.
4. There should be scripts for telephone calls, both inbound and out. This should be in the form of questions that pop up on the computer screen, requiring the employee to ask the customer a question and wait for a response. The employee would then enter the response with a mouse click or enter specific notes if necessary. Every call that is generated should be automatically saved in the customer's individual electronic file indicating the date, time and the questions asked either by the caller or the employee. This can prove to be extremely valuable in the future. In addition, the length of the entire call should be timed automatically and captured in the customers' individual electronic file. This is a handy feature to see exactly how much time the customer actually gave your representative. It also helps in determining how many people you need in your particular BDC. It is amazing how many times I have been told by a BDC person that they could not make the amount of calls asked of them. A typical comment is that the employee spent too much time on the phone with each customer. The ability to look at the amount of time they spent on actual phone calls typically solves the problem. (Point of interest: it usually takes 2.5 to 3 minutes to handle a customer follow-up call.) I am usually told they are spending 20 to 25 minutes each. When we show the employee the computer records the problem is solved.
When we look at the changes that affect dealers today, we must recognize that protecting the dealership's image as well as protecting the dealership from possible lawsuits is essential. In most cases it's not that difficult. After all, it's a lot easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble.
Forrest Scott is President of Dynamic Marketing Strategies, Inc. If you have specific questions or require more information about this subject, please check the appropriate box on the reader response form on page 3. fscott@dealeronline.com