What Is Customer Service?
Customer Service begins when a customer interacts with your product, website, or as soon as they step foot on your dealership lot. Customer service is not just treating your customers right, but it’s being there when needed, and being out of the way when not. There is certainly a balance, and if the scales tip, in either way, you may have unexpected results.
My Recent Car Sales Experience
Dealership A
When I arrived, I was greeted and helped right away. I met with the sales associate that I had talked to prior to arriving. He knew my requirements, he knew that I was not purchasing that day, and knew that I would be comparing multiple vehicles.
The Test Drive
The test drive was good. I drove two different cars at this dealer, and I enjoyed the drive. The salesman led me onto a nice road where I was able to see how the car handled turns, bumps and its power on an uphill. Everything was standard fare. Throughout the drive, I shared my thoughts about what I liked, what I questioned, but everything was positive. I was in a good mood until the sales manager came in.
The Hard Sell
Despite my requirements and my goal for the test drive already given, the sales manager asked the usual “What can I do to get your business today?” Reiterating my intentions, I then became a student in the sales manager lecture. He proceeded to make disparaging remarks about their competitor offerings and questioning the reliability of their competitor vehicles. He continued in explaining that I should not look at price as a decision and their quality and reliability was all that mattered.
As the customer, this put me in a defensive position. The sales manager wasn’t quite prepared for me calling out the previous year reliability of the vehicle I was looking at and for generally trying to push a sale when my intentions were made known before I ever arrived.
I left the dealership feeling attacked, judged, and belittled.
Dealership B
I arrived, again, I was immediately greeted by the salesman whom I’ve already shared my intentions. He gave me the key to the car, told me to have fun, and walked back inside the dealership.
On return from my test drive, we discussed things I liked, and things I did not like. He asked if I had any questions of him, he took my questions and those he could not answer and he made a to-do list which included making note of a potential bike rack for my cycling. We then departed ways.
Keen Observation
The salesman at Dealership B was very observant. At first glance, you may think “The sales guy didn’t do anything”. But, he did, he listened.
He knew from our discussion, just like the previous sales guy, what I was looking for and that I was comparing multiple vehicles and just wanted a test drive. Therefore, he did not try to push a sale on me and instead stayed out of my way as I did my comparison and formulated my own thoughts about the car. He knew that I had come prepared, he knew that I knew what I was looking for, and he sought not to challenge that.
What Can Be Learned From This?
Let your product speak for itself.
When you begin to tear down the customers choices to bolster your own product, you are doing more damage than good. You are making it apparent that you feel insecure about your product and its offerings and in an attempt to bolster it, you find ways to tear down another. You are also challenging the customer and their choices. You are telling them that their choices aren’t good and that your choice is better, that you know what is right for them. If you truly believe your product is better, then let it speak for itself.
Don’t be pushy
If the customer has expressed their intentions, don’t push it. If they aren’t buying today, attempting to twist their arm will do nothing but push them away. Being pushing is rushing your customer to a decision. Sure, some buckle under the pressure and buy. Now they will equate that to a negative experience and warn their friends of visiting you. Was the one sale worth the potential for more?
Keep control of your (potential) sale
In the case of Dealer A, everything was great with the original salesman until his sales manager got involved. You can do everything right, but if someone else joins in and don’t share your same level of customer service, they can ruin the experience for your customer and cost you a sale. Work as a team, and be on the same page when it comes to customer service.
Have you had a recent car sales experience? Tell me about it.