Building and bonding better customer relationships within a dealership
Having a dedicated Customer Relations Department is important in the daily operations of any dealership. This department is the front line between an organization and its customers.
Working together to meet the needs of your customer establishes excellent customer service and provides learning opportunities for customer relations staff. A Customer Relations Department counts on the support from all employees and departments when necessary.
The main focus of this integral department is to support and work with the other departments to develop, implement and maintain effective customer relations strategies aimed at existing customers and future prospects. The department can make an immense impact on customer satisfaction and retention by functioning as a unified team on diversified customer relations tasks and raising the revenue bar for day-to-day operations.
Customers expect to have their concerns addressed quickly and efficiently, so customer relations staff must be knowledgeable and courteous. Bad experiences stay with customers; front line employees can make or break customer relationships.
Customer relations strategies include listening skills, oral and written communication, analytical and problem solving skills, and teamwork based on the dealership’s commitment to meet and exceeds customer expectations, while making customers feel welcome and valued.
Customers are the most important resource and foundation of success in our business.
“Every day we are out of business, technically, until someone makes a conscious decision to drive in here instead of somewhere else and spend their money. If they stop driving here, we are done, we are finished.” says, Mark R. Bozian, CEO, The Brimell Group.
Although there are many different roles that a Customer Relations Department has, two major functions of the department that impact an entire dealership include public/customer relations and the creation of a positive dealership culture.
CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND RETENTION
A Customer Satisfaction Team is the front line contact for customers with the dealership and have a strong reputation for providing professional, reliable and efficient assistance.
Customer retention is directly related to the customer relations functions. Through continued interaction with the customer, the Customer Relations Department creates an image of the dealership that leaves a lasting impression.
DEALERSHIP CULTURE
A Customer Relations Representative with a positive and upbeat attitude will have the passion and patience to serve customers to create a positive culture that will benefit a business.
TRACKING TROUBLES – CUSTOMER RELATIONS METRICS
To administer an effective and efficient customer relations operation at Brimell, we monitor, measure, manage and maximize customer satisfaction and loyalty. We maintain and update statistical data related to the concerns our customers address by tracking and monitoring:
- The percentage/breakdown of where complaints are coming from by department;
- How the issue came about and who caused it;
- The primary cause of the complaint, technical or non-technical;
- Breakdown by percentage of common concerns based on service attitude, communication, quality, price and time issues;
- How customers communicate, whether in person, phone or by emails, letters, fax or Facebook/social media;
- Average response time to resolve a complaint;
- Cost of resolving the complaint;
- Customer satisfaction rating and end result;
- Dollar values spent by the customer at the dealership, after the complaint was resolved;
- What the dealership learned from the complaint to avoid reoccurrence.
We can’t manage our success or identify failure until we measure, and share these invaluable collective data with the staff for quality assurance, coaching and training programs.
In addition to our day–to-day interaction with our customers, we provide outreach services to our community members. At Brimell we extend our services beyond our daily routine by offering in-house Brimell Tour & Training programs to our schools. The program, focused on the automotive industry, was designed to provide schools with an informative resource to assist their students with making career choices.
Dealerships should have a Customer Relations Manager or Service Specialist/Expert with a unique skill set to de-escalate, defuse, and dissolve disputes. This individual must excel in critical thinking and have an analytical mind to act as an arbitrator and an adjudicator to come to a verdict.
To the best of my extensive experience with the customers as “The Problem Solver,” a Customer Relations expert should have 70 per cent people skills combined with effective communication and listening skills. This should be blended with conflict resolution and 20 per cent industry knowledge and technical skills to understand current innovations in the industry and acquaint customers with new developments. The remaining 10 per cent is team spirit to keep up healthy relations with the OEM. Having this balance will help to build the best Customer Relations Team.
A Customer Relations Manager/Specialist should be tasked with resolving concerns, allowing other department Staff/Managers to focus on the areas of need within their own departments, including sales and service operations, to enhance and achieve overall dealership revenue targets.
A Customer Relations Manager has the most difficult and tough task when working with an unhappy customer. The secret to success is having passion, pride, patience and practice. When you have all of these characteristics, it will help to create the perfect balance of trust, integrity and fairness, with open honest two-way communication, listening skills and sympathy, to resolve your customer’s biggest concerns.
The positive culture created by the Customer Relations Department can generate additional revenue as repeat business from satisfied customers or their referrals after taking care of their concerns and turning them into positive experiences.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
The Customer Relations Department fulfills an important role for your dealership. Customer relations is often the main point of contact for a customer, so representatives can promote the dealership in a positive light by providing friendly and prompt service. Customer service requires a great deal of patience since customers may be rude or demanding at times. However, the main focus of a customer relations department should be to attempt to satisfy the customer’s needs.
One of the most effective and least expensive ways to market your business is through excellent customer service. The Customer Relations Department is a wise investment and not a worthless expense. The dealership relies largely on this department to enhance business, by establishing and maintaining the long-lasting relationship between the dealership and its customers.
