Silverstein: Recognizing Our Customer’s Agency

Having written a previous column on utilizing the 300% rule while performing a Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI) there was an aspect of the process that I felt required more detail but the word count limitations interfered. So, I figured now would be a good time to address an issue that is seldom discussed – specifically respecting an individual’s agency.

Agency is defined as “a fundamental principle of interpersonal relationships and ethical behavior. It acknowledges and honors the inherent right of individuals to make decisions about their own lives, bodies, and experiences.” Although it seems simple enough, in transactions where conflict of interest is present, respecting an individual’s agency is often subordinated to the urgency of making a sale. Add to this the knowledge that we live in an extremely litigious society where business owners are frequently accused of being greedy or unfeeling by an uneducated public and what the consumer wants often takes a back seat to what we as service providers recommend.

In best-case scenarios, we interview the vehicle owner and ask detailed questions about their plans and their goals for their property. We then tailor the services that we provide according to their wishes as long as they are legal, ethical, and comport with what we believe will be best practice in accordance with that plan. This is where the DVI process can shine as long as we provide meaningful education about what is being shown in that DVI and how that relates to their goals. When used this way, the DVI is a tool that can be used to promote education and understanding.

De-Valuing Your Services

But in my experience in reviewing hundreds of DVI reports from other shops, the educational aspect of the DVI process is frequently exploited to threaten and in the worst case – frighten – prospects and customers into making unnecessary repairs while providing no meaningful benefit. At my shop, we emphasized creating legitimate, trusting relationships built on empathy and a genuine need to understand what our clients wanted. We soon gained a reputation for being the shop where people brought their vehicle if someone wanted a “second opinion.” When we would “interview” that prospective customer on the phone (often following up on a text or email request for service) we’d ask them to bring any paperwork and electronic links to their inspection report or DVI. Comparing those services that others deemed necessary against that which we noted while the vehicle was in our service bay was far too frequently eye opening and was nearly always distressing.

Unnecessary Repairs = Customer Dissatisfaction

Over time, I began noting some patterns: most of these recommendations occurred in volume-based big box stores (frequently national chains or facilities that modeled themselves after them), and dealerships where the technicians were paid on straight flat rate and the service writers were commission-based. Examples of such services included but were not limited to: 

• Replacing brake pads whose friction material thickness exceeded 6mm and were without defect.
• Replacing oxygen sensors and suspension components not based on the lack of verifiable performance but on what was an arbitrary standard.
• Applying chemical treatments that had no empirical evidence of efficacy as verified by independent testing.

Daily/weekly revenue and production hour quotas were the key performance indicators used for making recommendations and it was appalling.

Take Time to Listen

How can we use DVI as a learning tool and not just as a sales tool? How do we respect our customers’ agency? The answer is relatively simple and is decidedly old school. Show customers through your actions that you are on their side. Allocate time to ask what their goals are for their vehicle. And really listen to what you’re being told. Find out what is important to them about their vehicle. Take notes and follow up by repeating what they said back to them. Don’t allow distractions to interfere. Is the telephone ringing? Let someone else answer it or allow it to go to voicemail. Carefully explain your DVI process and allow time for questions. Involve them in the process by presenting them with options that align with their stated goals. Let them know that they are being heard and that their concerns about cost, or time or both can be valid. A common adage is that while people may not remember what you said, they will remember how you made them feel. Making them feel respected and valued is a foundational principle of understanding agency.