A new report from GoMoto, Reynolds and Reynolds self-service kiosk division, found that 96% of dealer respondents would prefer a standardized check-in procedure while most consumers would be willing to use a self-service kiosk.
The study, Enhancing Service from Hello: A Deep Dive into the Service Check-In Process, includes respondents from more than 150 dealerships across North America and nearly 700 by phone.
When asked about the importance of certain attributes to the check in process, many highlighted the importance of getting accurate customer information (100%), offering upsells (98%), check-in speed (96%), and providing a trade valuation opportunity (43%).
“Only 26% say their advisors offer upsells to every customer, and for those that don’t — the number one reason for not doing so was because the advisors were too busy with other customers,” said the company in its report.
On the check-in time, they noted that 90 percent of dealers said it was between 1-7 minutes per customer. However, “only 55 percent of customers report the process has taken seven minutes or less.”
The study also shows that 13% of respondents indicated the check-in process takes more than 15 minutes. Reynolds and Reynolds said this equates to 450 minutes per day of check-in time for the advisor.
As for what customers want, 90% are willing to use a self-service kiosk. In fact, 70% would use it every time, or nearly, to get in and out of the dealership as quickly as possible on their own. “They even said there are other things they’d prefer to use kiosks for, like after-hours drop-off, pick-up, and mobile payments,” said Reynolds and Reynolds in its study.
