When Danae Prado came to CARS of America in Glenview, Ill., in 2017, she noticed the shop needed help on its customer service and knew she could help. With over 20 years in the automotive industry's customer service side of things, she was able to bring the shop to a 100 percent effective labor rate, a $700 ARO, and over 600 reviews with a 4.9-star average on Google. Here are the two ways she made a big difference in customer service, revenue, and the shop's overall success.
Make Follow-Up Calls
Whether it's an phone call, email, or text message, following up with a customer after a service is a great practice. When a minor issue happens, a customer most likely won't go out of their way to tell the shop. By following up, it gives the customer a chance to speak out, give the shop feedback on how they can improve, and can give the shop an opportunity to fix the problem. Prado says the shop does a combination of all three, but over the phone, a customer is more inclined to tell a service advisor about any issues.
Simply Ask
If you want to get more, you have to offer more. In other words, if a service advisor wants to make a big sale, they're going to have to simply ask for it. Prado says she sees service advisors get apprehensive about asking customers if they want more services.
"It's not your car and it's not your money," Prado says. "You just need to do your job and let customers know what your suggestions are."
