Three Opportunities to turn a SATISFIED Consumer into a LOYAL Consumer this Month with PRICINGMatch a competitor’s pricing: If possible, match another provider’s price on parts or service if it’s lower than yours. Customers will appreciate any break you give them and will return to your dealership.  

Deliver fully on additional paid services: Several customers mentioned this month that they had not gotten their money’s worth on packages they had purchased such as car wash, vacuuming and cleaning. Make sure you deliver exceptional service to your customers but especially if they’re paying additional money for that service.

Don’t correct or criticize employees in front of customers: Most people do not like witnessing conflict and especially in a place that it doesn’t belong - your dealership. Keep employee correction behind closed doors and never in front of customers.

JANUARY IN A WORD: PRICING

When all things are basically even between your dealership and your competition’s service department, pricing could be the deciding factor of where your customer places their business long-term. This is even more applicable in today’s economy, when families are stretching every penny further. If you can match or beat your competition’s price, your customer will be pleased that you went above and beyond for them and will choose to return to your dealership every time.

EasyCare surveys over 20,000 franchise dealer customers every month immediately following their sales and service visits, via the EasyCare Special Owner Services (SOS)program. Customers are contacted via email and/or automated phone calls, and are given the opportunity to rate the dealerships on sales and service satisfaction. They are also able to add additional thoughts in their own, unedited, words, either written (email) or verbally (phone prompts). It is by studying these verbatim responses each month that we get our richest peek into the "mind of the consumer.” Check the Voice of the Consumer report every month for a topline of what we're hearing, and for three simple ways to use what we've learned to turn your customers into "raving fans.“

Individual dealership Voice of the Consumer reports are provided at no charge (upon request) to all EasyCare Special Owner Services (SOS) dealerships. To request your report, please contact Terry McSpadden at 866-921-4761, or tmcspadden@easycare.com

EasyCare Voice of the

Consumer: January 2011

Service: 58Sales: 75.5

Score Meaning

80-100 Truly loyal and looking forward to coming in

65-80 Coming back to the dealership, and sharing their great experience with others

50-64 “Satisfied” – not unhappy, but not referring friends, either

30-49 Dealership-Negative

0-29 Seriously Unhappy

The Voice of the Consumer is an across-the-industry indicator of customer sentiment towards their dealers.

Three Opportunities to turn a SATISFIED Consumerinto a LOYAL Consumer this Month with PRICING*

Match a competitor’s pricing: If possible, match another provider’s price or parts or service if it’s lower than yours. Customers will appreciate any break you give them and will return to your dealership.  DO “I was very happy that you agreed to match a competitors price. I will come back to the dealership as long as you all continue to do that.” DON’T“I would definitely come here more often if you would honor competitors pricing. Money is tight all around right now and unfortunately you charge about $10 more than other places so I have to go where the savings are.”

Deliver fully on additional paid services: Several customers mentioned this month that they had not gotten their money’s worth on packages they had purchased such as car wash, vacuuming and cleaning. Make sure you deliver exceptional service to your customers but especially if they’re paying additional money for that service. DO “We purchased a service coupon book for my sons car and it has been such a good purchase. I feel like we've definitely gotten our monies worth and were given good advice from your dealership to purchase the coupon book.” DON’T“I am not sure what the purpose of the ‘auto butler’ service really is? I know they put it in some "special" car wash, but I thought the inside was suppose to be cleaned, along with windows? It is never done. I honestly wish I did not purchase this package, because I always have to involve others to help me with my car. Is there any way to stop the service and get my remaining money back?”

Don’t correct or criticize employees in front of customers: Most people do not like witnessing conflict and especially in a place that it doesn’t belong - your dealership. Keep employee correction behind closed doors and never in front of customers. DO“Employee's mind-set is determined by how they are treated by management. I can easily tell any business or organization that is managed by jerks, it is easily seen by the behavior of employees towards one another but especially towards customers. I, with limited data obviously, do perceive that <dealer name omitted> treats their employees better than many dealerships of all brands that I have dealt with over my 70 years.” DON’T “Another employee, started yelling at the manager and criticizing him in front of me. It went on and on while I just stood there and waited. She should not have done that! Corrections should NEVER be done in front of customers.”

*All customer comments are verbatim.