Broski: After the Customer Hangs Up

I wonder how “routine” a routine customer interaction actually is, not for us, but for customers.

After a service advisor explains a customer’s maintenance needs—like a check engine light issue plus the solution—and the additional recommendations, they then discuss the next steps.  After that, the customer hangs up. The advisor is pretty much finished with them and moves on to the next pressing issue at their busy shop, right? I mean the customer said yes, didn’t they?

But was that interaction done with integrity? Or did the service advisor “sell” the customer by following the advice of so many articles about selling customers on everything they needed using some subtle manipulations? And that’s not to mention dealing with their objections to ensure they say yes. I think we need to slow down and examine how well the interaction actually went. Did we talk the customer into it, or was it a mutual decision between the customer and the advisor? Did we explain everything clearly enough (without jargon) or just show them pictures with arrows on them? Current thinking seems to be that after we text the customer pictures showing the issues that we’re working on, everything is great with the customer. Again, they said yes, didn’t they?

My guess is that after many customers hang up, a few minutes later, they wonder: what the heck just happened? Or the spouse says: “You didn’t approve everything did you?” And maybe adds: “You know we’re giving that car to our nephew in a few months. He’s not going to worry about the oil leaks on a free car.”

I don’t believe that customer is going to call back and say: “Hey, let’s not do number 5 and number 6.” I’ll bet they take the less confrontational approach by considering another shop to take their car for service. After all, they think you oversold them.

An Honest Look at Attrition

The big question: how often do shops consider attrition? Yes, that thing where we lose a certain percentage of customers every year. You know, some customers move, some sell the make of car you specialize in or, heaven forbid, some die. It’s a small percentage, right? Our ego says it is. Oops, do a search of attrition at auto repair shops and discover:

• 50% to 60% of total customers did not return   
• 60% to 70% of new customers did not return
• 30% to 40% of returning customer did not return
• 25% to 35% of your best customers did not return.      

Neutral = A Negative Experience

That’s a lot of customers dying. Or is it something else? I don’t think we consider that’s it’s ever our customer interaction that’s causing the attrition. I recently read that some car owners complain about a neutral interaction at a repair shop. They often interpret it as a negative experience, especially given the general anxiety and distrust many consumers feel toward auto repair services. I’ll bet some shop owners think: “We did what we were supposed to do; fixed their car. We’re not a five-star hotel, a nice restaurant or amusement park.”

Here's why a neutral interaction can lead to complaints, especially from new customers.

• High suspicion. Many car owners already feel vulnerable and fear being overcharged or taken advantage of due to an "information gap" and previous poor experiences. In this context, a lack of positive, reassuring communication can heighten their suspicion.
• Expectation of reassurance. Customers typically would rather not be at a repair shop and they’re often under financial stress. They want clear, communicative, and reassuring interactions from the staff. A "neutral" interaction, where the service advisor is not especially friendly, empathetic or proactive in building trust, can make the customer feel undervalued and anxious about the service.
• Missed opportunity for a positive interaction. A neutral outcome is considered a missed opportunity to impress a customer, which can lead to dissatisfaction and a higher likelihood of the customer not returning or recommending the shop.
• Communication breakdown. A key source of frustration is the communication gap between the customer, service advisor, and technician. A neutral interaction often means the service advisor fails to explain complex issues in simple terms or provide regular updates, leading customers to feel uninformed and ignored.
• "Moments of truth." Customer-experience research suggests that during key "moments of truth" in the customer journey, an interaction will either "impress or fail to impress." A neutral experience is often perceived as a failure to impress, which can turn into a complaint or a negative review. 

In the auto repair industry where trust is a major factor, proactive, clear, and empathetic communication is essential to turn a potentially stressful situation into a satisfying experience. A neutral interaction is generally not sufficient to build the trust and satisfaction that prevent complaints.