The Communication Game: How Technology Helps Service Advisors Win
Communication with clients, suppliers, manufacturers, and employees is a top priority for a great dealership. Straightforward communication is a trait that a successful company can stake its claim on, whether it’s asking the proper questions or being intentional and clear in responses and instructions.
For instance, service advisers often manage relationships and conduct business with a wide range of individuals. An advisor may be listening to a complex service recommendation from a range of parties, including vehicle owners, manufacturers, sales teams, and technicians, and then responding to a customer’s inquiries about that advice in another moment.
A service manager can manage hundreds of different communications with dozens of people over the course of a single day, using a variety of forms. Answering all the incoming calls, messages, and emails while still paying sufficient attention to crucial in-person inquiries can become difficult.
Many mechanics are using technology to streamline their workflow, offer clients the greatest level of convenience, communicate problems to car owners, and obtain authorization for unanticipated repairs. Here, we go over a few possibilities and how they might help busy service staff.
Communication keeps clients happy
The main duty of a service representative is to maintain customer satisfaction. Many activities that a service adviser performs throughout the day have already been automated.
In truth, new technologies and software that boost efficiency, boost profitability, and increase customer retention are rapidly proliferating. One example is electronic multipoint inspection software. Here are a few causes for this:
The operations and communications of a full internal team can be streamlined by technology.
Sharing pictures and videos online can increase transparency and get clients to accept needed repairs more quickly.
When compared to other media, electronic communications can offer a higher level of quality control.
Other benefits of using digital technology may include promoting loyalty and referrals through awards and other advantages.
The technologies that are making dealership communications simpler are listed below. We concentrate on the benefits that each one offers a service manager’s job and how they simplify the never-ending task of engaging with various types of individuals.
Using today’s technologies, service managers can:
1. Manage office and business operations
Dealership management systems (DMSs), including CDK Drive and CDK Drive Flex from CDK Global, are being used by dealerships all around the United States and beyond to connect many of their internal departments. With technology that spans all dealership departments—including financing, sales, parts, inventory, and administration—these systems facilitate cross-departmental transparency and communication.
Some even offer the capability to send marketing and incentive messages and make appointments, for example, with the proper connectors. Every service manager has these responsibilities as a top priority.
2. Make use of all possible customer service opportunities
Customer satisfaction index ratings, Net Promoter ratings®, and other metrics depend on timely customer responses. However, it might be difficult to keep track of all consumer questions and their chosen method of contact.
Client relationship management (CRM) solutions, like VinSolutions, designed especially for dealerships, can enable a service manager to gather information to prepare for a direct conversation with a single client or select the appropriate next steps for a larger customer group.
3. Increase technician and support staff management
Many firms employ internal messaging and chat systems like Slack, which is an organized and transparent collaboration center created to displace emails as the primary form of communication. For instance, dealerships can utilize them to swiftly obtain responses from internal teams.
This form of immediate communication can assist front-line staff in receiving status updates for clients quickly. Additionally, it can enable service managers to monitor vital communications passing back and forth to guarantee quality and consistency or gather data to enhance their ability to serve as a conduit between clients and experts.
4. Interact with clients
A lot of the client communication a service advisor has is time-sensitive. Time is of the essence, whether they are executing special promotions and activities to boost business and draw clients back for follow-up service or need to share service appointment information.
The most recent texting tools not only make it easier for customers to engage with service advisers, but they also make it simpler for them to acquire consent for upsells and cross-sells.
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The customer’s perception matters in the service sector. With the use of technology, you can help clients have a positive first experience and have their expectations managed. They also contribute to a positive client experience by encouraging uniformity and raising the standard of work within your service department.
Although putting something new into practice may require some financial outlay and dedication to training, the rewards will be worth it in the form of happier customers, higher sales, and the chance to take full advantage of every service opportunity with your clients.
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