Transformation inAutomotive Aftersales

Improve customer satisfaction

Increase aftersales revenue and profit

Deliver workshop efficiency

A Director’s Guide

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In today’s aftersales business you don’t

close a sale, you open a relationship

IntroductionThe digital consumer is transforming the automotive industry beyond recognition. The stakes have never been higher and the opportunities have never been greater for the aftersales department. This guide is designed to give aftersales directors the insights and strategies to succeed in this changing world.

The changing face of the marketDigitally empowered customers have transformed every industry. Their desires for convenience, choice, flexibility and value for money have accelerated the digital revolution. They expect elegant, consistent, consumer-grade experiences across every aspect of their lives. They’re social. They’re mobile. They’re connected. They have the power of the Internet behind them and their expectations are simple. Get it right. Right now.

How automotive dealerships respond to these demands will determine whether they survive, thrive or die in the digital world.

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The customer demands a simple, satisfying experience when booking and scheduling work for their vehicle. They expect regular and transparent communication at every stage of the journey.

Too often the customer’s trust in the dealership can be compromised by a lack of appropriate communication at the various stages of the journey. This might be a lack of information. It might be well-intentioned misinformation or in some cases it might be silence.

Equally, many dealerships are unable to maximise the revenue potential of the aftersales relationships because staff are uninformed or unable to cope with customer interactions effectively. The systems are simply not geared to the customer’s view of the world.

Add this to the pressure of the queues of customers at the start and the end of the workshop day and it’s easy to see why customer satisfaction is at risk and there are missed revenue opportunities.

The challengeThe traditional pillars of automotive aftersales remain constant. Deliver excellent customer satisfaction. Achieve revenue and profit targets. Drive throughput and operational efficiency. However, with increasingly demanding customers and continual pressure for improved business performance, achieving these goals is becoming progressively more difficult.

Today’s successful dealership should orient its staff and resources around the customer, ensuring they receive the highest levels of service and satisfaction. From the initial enquiry through to vehicle collection each micro-stage of the customer’s journey should be actively managed.

This level of care and attention earns the customer’s trust in the dealership and provides the greatest opportunity to maximise the lifetime value of the customer.

A dedicated workshop management and customer engagement platform can satisfy both

the needs of the dealership and the customer. It can enable the garage to maximise throughput while supporting and refining the existing workflows.

At the same time, it will provide the staff with the right tools and information to deliver outstanding service and communications to customers throughout their dealership experience.

Unfortunately, many existing systems act like a straitjacket for a dealership and force the staff into ways of working that actually prevent good customer service.

Extending the DMSThe traditional DMS does a great job of ensuring the dealership is running on a sound financial footing. From cost codes to workshop processes, parts and service data look-up they provide a management tool to suit the dealership’s operational requirements. Although they support the dealership’s financial and operational needs, these systems were never designed to deliver world-class customer experiences.

With the introduction of an automotive customer engagement platform, the customer is kept up to date with the progress of the job. They know where their vehicle is in the system. They understand what’s going on at each stage of the process.

All of the customer communication is tracked, managed and stored to ensure the relevant members of staff have access to the customer’s history, enabling them to deliver the best possible service. No matter where the customer is during their busy day, they feel informed and valued.

The platform also supports and promotes the commercial interests of the dealership. Relevant upsells can be offered at the appropriate stage of the customer’s journey. Automatic alerts and follow-ups can be put in place for declined work.

From the customer’s perspective, they’re getting better communication and information. They’re being offered relevant upsells and they know exactly what’s going on with their vehicle. After all, the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing, it just feels like great customer service.

When a consumer orders a pizza, the chances are they reach for their mobile phone, choose a restaurant and see the prices. They are then upsold toppings and sides as part of the process. They can even track their food delivery straight to their door.

The same customer has a very different experience when booking their car in for repair. They may have to call the dealership for available time slots.

Standard pricing is unlikely to be clear and ironically there’s rarely an offer of relevant add-ons and upsells.

They may also suffer from a lack of communication while their vehicle is in the dealership and the dealer may just be too busy

to deliver follow-up calls to the customer to check their level of satisfaction.

Mapping out the typical stages of the customer’s journey allows the dealership to identify the opportunities for delighting the customer and increasing revenue along the way. It will also pinpoint areas of weakness where the dealership risks customer dissatisfaction.

Automating these interactions and building them into the process will ensure customer satisfaction is delivered every time.

This will not only lead to more loyal customers who will typically spend more on upsells and additional services, it will also ensure higher customer satisfaction scores and OEM bonuses for the dealership.

Mapping the ideal customer journeyThe traditional aftermarket experience from a consumer’s point of view falls way short of their expectations. They are likely to have more insight and information about their pizza delivery than they’ve had about their vehicle repair. Bringing a consumer-grade experience to the aftermarket industry is not only possible, it’s essential.

The customer can select the type of service, their

preferred location and the available timeslot from their browser. With the website

functioning as a 24/7 booking engine there is less risk the

customer will look elsewhere as everything they need to confirm their booking is at

their fingertips.

Tuesday

7:14pmGoogled dealerships

Saw clear, simple pricingChose available timeslots

Booked service online

The customer’s booking process is smooth and

hassle free. Once set up, the dealership can forget about

the logistics and be confident the customer is getting the

choice, flexibility and service levels they demand.

First impressions are critical, particularly when it comes to new customers. The customer’s booking is

visible to all relevant staff so personalised greetings and

offers can make the customer feel valued. The customer

feels confident that they have made the right choice for their

service.

Friday

8:05amArrived at workshop

Greeted by nameFeeling valuedLeft for work

Staff are aware of when the customer is due to arrive. They know the make and

model of the car. They know the work the customer is

booked in for. The enables timely, relevant face to face

upsell opportunities.

No customer likes to find out there are problems with their car. However, clear, concise information can help lessen the blow. Providing a video

of the problem and a pre-set price for the repair can help

maintain customer confidence.

Friday

10:10amProblem with car

Communication received Video watched

Agreed additional work

The technician can simply video the fault on their

phone or tablet. They know the customer’s preferred

communication method so they are likely to get the work

approved faster. There’s no quibble over what was

agreed since there is a digital communication trail.

The customer feels informed regarding the work carried

out, and the additional advisory information provides an opportunity for automatic

customer follow-up. A complimentary valet with an upsell offer maximises

revenue.

Friday

11:15amWork completed

Advisory received Offer received Upsell agreed

The dealership is setting up future opportunities with

advisory work. They are also ensuring every customer is being offered an upsell to a premium product with the valet example. All of this is done under the banner of great customer service.

The customer feels valued and informed. The vehicle is

ready for collection, and they can see a video of the work

that’s been carried out. All the paperwork is there, ensuring there’s no hanging around at the dealership upon collection.

Friday

4:07pmCar ready

Video receivedInvoice receivedHappy customer

Everything is ready for collection. The dealership

has delivered a great customer experience, they have maximised their upsell

opportunities and have ensured the customer feels

valued and loyal to their business.

The customer receives the customer satisfaction

call willingly. They are very impressed with the service

they received. From the online booking process to the communication during

the job, they have felt valued and informed. They are vocal about this online and will use

this dealership again.

Wednesday

10:54amCustomer sat callHappy customer

Review written onlineLoyal customer

The dealership has built a process for delivering

great customer experience on a consistent basis. The

workflow, convenience and communication before, during

and after the visit means that the OEM sat scores

are likely to be high, earning the dealership the relevant

bonuses.

The customer timeline

Today’s Connected Driver

Automotive is all about B2Me

I want you to get meI want you to understand meI want what’s relevant to meI want you to predict what I need before I know what I wantI want you to deliver great online and offline experiences for me I want nothing more and nothing lessAnd I want it now

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www.autino.com

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Autino provides automotive software to enable dealerships to deliver world-class customer experiences

Online bookingsPre and post visit communication

CustomerLounge®

Visual health checksDigital T-Cards

DMS integrationTechnician clocking

3rd party integrationParts / stock controlFollow-up surveys

Reporting