Customer Experience – CBT News https://www.cbtnews.com Your #1 source for auto industry news and content Mon, 28 Aug 2023 19:57:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://d9s1543upwp3n.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cropped-CBT-logo-scaled-1-32x32.png Customer Experience – CBT News https://www.cbtnews.com 32 32 The role of speed in customer service and car buyer loyalty — Jay Baer https://www.cbtnews.com/the-role-of-speed-in-customer-service-and-car-buyer-loyalty-jay-baer/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 09:05:35 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=189307 Customer service speed can make or break a dealership’s brand loyalty and long-term growth. On this episode of Inside Automotive, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by Jay Baer, speaker, business growth and customer experience research and New York Times Best Selling Author, to explore service efficiency and whether companies can ever be too fast when […]

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Customer service speed can make or break a dealership’s brand loyalty and long-term growth. On this episode of Inside Automotive, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by Jay Baer, speaker, business growth and customer experience research and New York Times Best Selling Author, to explore service efficiency and whether companies can ever be too fast when helping customers in-store or online.

Baer’s findings on customer service speed have been compiled into a small but handy book called “The Time to Win: How to Exceed Your Customers’ Need for Speed,” currently available on Amazon. While researching the book, Baer discovered that buyers have drastically changed in terms of what they prioritize in their shopping experience. Consumers now care much more about their time and how it is spent than ever before. In fact, when it comes to shopping for products and services, two-thirds of all customers surveyed by Baer said speed was just as important as price. “So if you’re thinking about where to rank speed on your list of business priorities,” Baer remarks, “it needs to be towards the top because it’s already towards the top of the priorities of your customers.”

This newfound emphasis on speed has naturally led to changes in consumer preference and what buyers expect from dealership customer service departments. Whereas before, shoppers would spend more time researching deals and products, 50% today will purchase from whoever contacts them first or returns their call regardless of price. The reason behind this statistic, explains Baer, is the relationship between speed and perceived respect. “Today, we are in an environment where we interpret speed as caring,” he notes. “When a business is faster and more responsive, we take that to mean that they care about us, our money and our wellbeing more, and we vote accordingly with our money.”

Speaking broadly, the more time a dealership frees up for a client, the more likely they are to receive that client’s business. The opposite is also true: the more time companies spend taking care of their consumers, the less business they are likely to earn. But while car dealers should take this notion to heart and begin searching for ways to boost customer service efficiency, Baer warns that there are exceptions to this rule. Indeed, there are circumstances where businesses can be too fast when responding to a client. For example, many chatbots are programmed to wait several seconds before responding to customers, even though most platforms are capable of generating instantaneous responses. This is because web users will become suspicious if a chatbot responds too quickly and feel that their questions are not being taken seriously. In other words, when customer service speed is increased for the sake of the brand rather than the buyer experience, clients are likely to notice and feel resentment.

However, even though car dealers should carefully consider its customer service touch points and how speed can affect the consumer experience, most will see more loyalty from buyers if they show respect for their time. As technology continues to alter the relationship between buyer and dealership, Baer notes that responsiveness and efficiency will remain crucial for business success in the future.

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Leveraging AI as an asset in the dealership rather than being afraid of it – Shep Hyken https://www.cbtnews.com/leveraging-ai-as-an-asset-in-the-dealership-rather-than-being-afraid-of-it-shep-hyken/ Mon, 28 Aug 2023 09:04:48 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=189191 Artificial Intelligence is changing how some companies conduct business, especially in customer service. It may already replace roles in some industries, but is that necessarily bad? On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re joined by Shep Hyken, customer service and experience expert, keynote speaker, and a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. Hyken explores […]

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Artificial Intelligence is changing how some companies conduct business, especially in customer service. It may already replace roles in some industries, but is that necessarily bad? On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re joined by Shep Hyken, customer service and experience expert, keynote speaker, and a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. Hyken explores how dealerships can best elevate their customer service experience using AI. A part of his most recent research, the ACA study, focuses on this very topic.

Research

One of Hykens’ favorite written articles, Is AI Going to Take Over the World, serves off the premise of Will Smith’s iRobot movie. While Hyken doesn’t believe that is the future of AI, he does note how employees fear they will lose their jobs because of it. In the customer support world, Hyken asserts, “We conducted an interview with customer support leaders who said:”

  • 9% are reducing staff,
  • 28% remain the same,
  • 63% are increasing their staff.

Recognizing the connection between doing it independently and eventually talking to a human is essential to Hyken and his team’s research. The Achieving Customer Amazement applies to the digital retail experience, and the number one way customers want to connect is via the phone. Despite popular belief, Hyken believes that in the near future, we can speak with an AI chat, which will respond on the level you understand. Additionally, over the 1,000 customers studied, the research concluded that:

  • 48% of Generation Z prefer the digital experience,
  • 36% of millennials prefer the digital experience, 
  • 20% of Gen X prefer the digital experience, 
  • 18% of Baby boomers prefer the digital experience. 

AI Technology 

Furthermore, with AI, Hyken believes that dealers need to teach the consumer how to use the digital channel to start. He adds, “Or they need to incentivize the experience at least.” Just getting the consumer to use the technology can be difficult, but that’s where dealers need to start. Next, dealers should make the AI technology easy and intuitive. “Companies need to recognize ChatGPT is the foundational tipping point of how everybody does anything, in a good way,” says Hyken.

However, with this extraordinary access to technology, some concerns arise. For example, when the camera first came out, the art world feared it would take over and leave artists in shambles. Yet, that wasn’t at all the case. “In ten years, we’re going to see exponential growth in utilization of AI, but it won’t change how people want to do business. 

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How to solve customer experience challenges and simplify operations – Barb Edson | CDK Global https://www.cbtnews.com/how-to-solve-customer-experience-challenges-and-simplify-operations-barb-edson-cdk-global/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 09:05:47 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=188664 The retail automotive industry has been tasked with meeting today’s rising consumer expectations and demands. As dealers adapt successfully, CDK Global has launched a new platform to assist with the transformation and how dealers sell and service cars. That platform, known as the CDK Dealership Xperience, is said to unify workflows at the dealership into […]

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The retail automotive industry has been tasked with meeting today’s rising consumer expectations and demands. As dealers adapt successfully, CDK Global has launched a new platform to assist with the transformation and how dealers sell and service cars. That platform, known as the CDK Dealership Xperience, is said to unify workflows at the dealership into a single experience. On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re joined by CDK Global Chief Marketing Officer, Barb Edson, to tell us what it’s all about.

Background

The CDK Dealership Xperience was created to deeply listen to dealers and the customers in which they serve. Edson says, “In today’s industry, consumers are more flustered than ever during the car buying process.” Therefore, dealers continue to see their satisfaction scores drop, and recruiting employees and nuance remains increasingly tricky. Furthermore, dealer operations are depreciating in efficiency. CDK notes, “We are at a fluctuating point in the industry.” Dealers are bolting on solutions around its dealer management system, DMS, but these solutions don’t talk to each other. As a result, there are inefficient workflows throughout the dealership, leading to low customer satisfaction. 

Solutions

The Xperience brings the consumer and the dealership experience together to change and simplify dealership operations. Edson implies that dealers need to have a new category of software, one that will bridge functionality and connection. Moreover, CDK believes they are the solution to deliver those optimal experiences.

At the heart of Xperience is its foundations suite, which enables dealers to run their entire business on one platform. That platform includes CDK’s DMS engine, which is paired with advanced digital retailing, e-signing, and simplified desking solutions. Additionally, Xpereince’s modern retail suite integrates a seamless workflow from the online and in-store process all the way to contracting. Edson asserts, “Research shows that only 3% of consumers want an online-only solution.” Most consumers want a hybrid solution, saving the overall time spent in the dealership by over an hour.

On the other hand, Edson debunks the myth that the digital retail experience will whip out the industry entirely by saying, “That simply is untrue.” She further explains, “The traditional DMS is no longer enough and creates inefficiencies, costing dealers thousands. As a result, Xperience reduces friction while also providing new technologically advanced solutions for dealers, such as modern service scheduling.

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Simplify the sales pitch to help your customers take action — Matt Easton | Easton University https://www.cbtnews.com/simplify-the-sales-pitch-to-help-your-customers-take-action-matt-easton-easton-university/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:04:36 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=187808 In today’s world of social media, and information and choice overload, it’s no wonder why customers often say, “I need to think about it.” There really is too much to think about today. On today’s edition of CBT Now, we’re pleased to welcome back Matt Easton, Sales coach and founder of Easton University, to show […]

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In today’s world of social media, and information and choice overload, it’s no wonder why customers often say, “I need to think about it.” There really is too much to think about today. On today’s edition of CBT Now, we’re pleased to welcome back Matt Easton, Sales coach and founder of Easton University, to show you how to help your customers make decisions and purchases, despite being overwhelmed with information and choices. 

Evaluating

In Easton’s observations, he asserts, “I see roughly 45% of all sales material, coaching, and advice, recommending salespeople to bully their customers intellectually.” He expresses that the type of intellectual bullying being pursued is the kind that doesn’t feel good- peer pressure. When a potential client or prospect says they need to think about it, really focus on your response method. Easton asks, if your response is some kind of witty, clever comeback, then you are intellectually bullying that person in that moment. There’s plenty of coaching out there that encourages this type of training. Of course, salespeople don’t put it together with malice, “I believe the outcome remains the same- peer pressuring your customer,” expresses Easton. He continues, “If you take nothing else from this segment, take this: You may need to audit the way you treat people.” 

Where it’s no question that consumers have more information today than ever before, Easton believes that when a client needs to “think about it”, he takes them at face value. He explains, “I’m going to treat people the same way I would like others to treat me. If I don’t want to be tricked or bullied, neither will others.” 

Solutions

Once a salesperson audits the way they perform their job, they can shift focus to avoid unwanted bullying. Easton suggests:

  1. The first step you can take is to be Next Step Obsessed. Instead of bullying, make the next step is to simply follow along with the customer. Be of a friend or of another person, don’t stop doing your job, but sometimes you can avoid the “I need to think about it” in the end by applying the next step.
  2. Slow the process down from the beginning. Start conversations and make them feel more at ease rather than jumping right off with the pitch. Ask them what you could get them information on, or let them unpack so you know where to meet them at. 
  3. Ask them, What research have you done on us? Or ask them what nobody else does- What is most important to them? Then “Actually listen to them.”

By asking these customer-focused questions, you will put them in the ideal position to not have to think about it by the time you get to your presentation. If you still receive objections after posing these queries, pay attention and accept them at face value. You can ask them questions to learn about their current status, their goal, what they want to achieve, and why that is essential, and then move accordingly. By doing this, you won’t have to ask if they will buy, but if it makes sense. 

Ultimately, Easton suggests, at the end of the conversation, don’t remind them they aren’t buying but summarize your understanding of the next step. Whether handing out your email, giving them more information, or finalizing the presentation. “If you stop bullying people and start being helpful, they will respond because of two things.” 

  1. You’re genuinely being helpful. 
  2. No one in the industry acts like this- they’re all high-pressuring bullies costing you sales. 

“If I intellectually bully you into buying, karma will come back around. You don’t want customers you forced to buy from you.”

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Using conscious listening to aid salespeople in improving customer satisfaction — Julian Treasure https://www.cbtnews.com/using-conscious-listening-to-aid-salespeople-in-improving-customer-satisfaction-julian-treasure/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:05:02 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=187596 In today’s noisy, fast-paced, and competitive business landscape, effective listening and speaking are skills you should master. It ultimately impacts your bottom line. On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re pleased to welcome 5-time TED and International Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur, and Author of Sound Business and How to be Heard Julian Treasure. Julian joins us to share […]

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In today’s noisy, fast-paced, and competitive business landscape, effective listening and speaking are skills you should master. It ultimately impacts your bottom line. On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re pleased to welcome 5-time TED and International Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur, and Author of Sound Business and How to be Heard Julian Treasure. Julian joins us to share his insights into conscious listening and powerful speaking. 

Treasure asserts to viewers that the first step business leaders must master to achieve conscious listening is differentiating between listening and hearing. Hearing is the capability while listening is a skill that requires work. Listening is a mental process that involves selecting things to pay attention to and making them meaningful. For example, “If you consciously pay attention to what you’re doing all the time, it will tremendously improve your relationships and communication performance.”

Enhanced Sales Opportunities

According to Treasure, “We live in a complex world where things are always happening, and we are constantly distracted by hand-held computers.” It’s important to note that several companies spend billions on tools that grab our attention. When leading a business, listening is essential. Leaders must listen to the people they work with to understand them better, and they need to attend all the way around. “Listening is a fundamental way of protecting yourself and your business,” asserts Treasure.  

Most salespeople would agree that listening to understand the consumer’s needs is the most important part of their sales conversation. And then, you can meet, match, or exceed their expectations. However, partial listening factors impact the value of any conversation. For example, Treasure claims there are distractions like technology and speech writing that he defines as inconvenient noise occurring in front of you [someone speaking] while you are trying to compose your next greatest monologue. 

Recommendations

Effective communication is essential since it indicates that you are aware of your delivery when speaking. This includes your speech rate, tone, and pitch, as well as your level of elation and goals. It’s also important to consider your intentions for conversing with other individuals. To illustrate, in business meetings, set a timeframe and agenda before the session starts to avoid unnecessary sidebar conversations. Treasure reiterates that when controlling the exchange of a forum, make it a contract to bond. This will keep everyone aligned to the common goal while enhancing the participants’ listening. 

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Leveraging mobile apps for improved customer engagement in dealerships https://www.cbtnews.com/leveraging-mobile-apps-for-improved-customer-engagement-in-dealerships/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:03:44 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=187352 On any given day in your dealership, a mechanic will grapple with diagnosing a perplexing issue in a customer’s vehicle. A tool that swiftly and accurately solves the mystery would be an invaluable ally, right? That’s precisely the kind of revolution mobile apps can usher into your dealership, acting as the key to unlocking customer […]

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On any given day in your dealership, a mechanic will grapple with diagnosing a perplexing issue in a customer’s vehicle. A tool that swiftly and accurately solves the mystery would be an invaluable ally, right?

That’s precisely the kind of revolution mobile apps can usher into your dealership, acting as the key to unlocking customer needs and enhancing the car purchasing process.

For example, geofencing within mobile apps can be a potent tool for dealerships, enabling promotional activities when the customer visits a rival dealership, capturing analytics for personalized offers, and potentially escalating service revenue. But all this potential remains untapped without effective customer engagement.

The Impact of Mobile Apps for Dealerships

Currently, customer engagement and simplified online sales are critical for dealerships. Mobile apps serve as a catalyst in this arena, offering immediate communication, improved convenience, and bespoke experiences, and other businesses agree. As of 2022, almost half of small businesses (48%) currently have mobile applications to connect with customers.

Can an app work for your dealership? Consider this: eBay reports selling a car or truck every three minutes on their platform, with more than 13,000 vehicles sold weekly via their mobile app. If eBay is to be believed, the scope for mobile app-powered growth in dealerships is evident and impressive.

But you don’t only have to sell cars like eBay to receive a benefit. Mobile apps’ ability to offer instant communication is a boon for dealerships. Features like push notifications and in-app messaging can keep customers abreast of new deals, inventory changes, and crucial reminders, such as upcoming service appointments.

Another significant advantage of mobile apps is personalization. By providing tailored suggestions based on a user’s browsing history and personalized deals, mobile apps can make customers feel appreciated and understood, boosting their engagement with your dealership.

Essential Elements of Successful Auto Dealership Apps

Successful dealership apps usually sport features such as vehicle browsing and booking, service appointment scheduling, finance and insurance calculators, and vehicle trade-in assessments.

But loyalty programs and incentives should also be integral to the app, encouraging repeat visits and purchases and nurturing lasting customer relationships. Vouchverify, in a recent article, emphasized the importance of loyalty programs in retention, citing a report by Beehive, which revealed that “only 34% of people owning a car for at least 12 years would buy a vehicle from the same brand again.”

A significant challenge for retention lies in maintaining continuous communication with customers. However, with a dedicated app, your dealership can gain insights into customers’ needs, preferences, and driving habits, customizing offers to suit their tastes.

It’s important to note that developing a mobile app should be a strategic move rather than merely imitating an OEM or another dealership’s strategies. Each audience is unique, and what works for one may not work for another.

An efficient app must cater to a specific customer need or address a problem they currently face or might face in the future. The strategy driving your app should stem from understanding your customer’s needs and behaviors.

The design and functionality of your dealership’s app should focus on delivering evident benefits to the customer, augmenting their interaction with your dealership, and, consequently, boosting engagement and sales. These considerations are necessary for even a technically superior app to make an impact.

Learning from Best Practices

Many dealerships have effectively harnessed mobile apps to amplify customer engagement and simplify sales. What types of benefits are helpful for customers?

For instance, a mobile app like CarRx lets customers schedule service appointments, receive personalized offers, service alerts, and diagnose service lights to understand their car better. This type of engagement can go a long way toward a dealership being viewed as helpful to customers.

Similarly, you could include a loyalty program feature. Every service appointment scheduled via the app could earn customers points redeemable for discounts on future services. These types of benefits will lead to a surge in app usage and increased customer retention.

Driving Towards a Digital Future

To close the loop on our initial analogy, a mobile app can guide dealerships through the intricate maze of customer engagement and sales, much like a mechanic’s diagnostic tool troubleshoots car problems. And there’s great potential for mobile app’s ability to be powerful tools for customer engagement, personalizing experiences, and driving sales.

As technology continues to embed itself into our lives, there’s help for dealerships to incorporate mobile apps into their digital strategies. Giving customers your dealership app can foster stronger, long-lasting customer relationships that enhance customer loyalty and boost sales.

Just as a mechanic thrives with the right tools, your dealership can excel in the competitive retail landscape. With a mobile app in your arsenal, your dealership could propel itself to new pinnacles of success.

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Optimizing GA4 to improve the overall client experience — Kevin Frye | Jeff Wyler Automotive Family https://www.cbtnews.com/optimizing-ga4-to-improve-the-overall-client-experience-kevin-frye-jeff-wyler-automotive-family/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:05:33 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=187216 The shift to Google Analytics 4, or GA4, is at the forefront of many marketers’ minds. On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re joined once again by the Marketing Director of Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, Kevin Frye, to tell us what we need to know, and we’ll also get his take on some of the unique ideas […]

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The shift to Google Analytics 4, or GA4, is at the forefront of many marketers’ minds. On today’s Inside Automotive, we’re joined once again by the Marketing Director of Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, Kevin Frye, to tell us what we need to know, and we’ll also get his take on some of the unique ideas he’s seen thus far.

Google discontinued Google Analytics on July 1, 2023, and introduced GA4. The new platform, which is more reliable, is Google’s reaction to customer expectations for enhanced privacy being implemented. Frye claims that GA4 is a mechanism for dealers to capitalize on the increasing volume of visits to their websites. It’s a chance to see what is now effective and what isn’t. For instance, GA4 enables dealers to measure every action, such as each click and each scroll down, but before GA4, dealers had to create those measurements manually. 

Frye asserts, “To paint a picture, say I wanted the best customer experience for my search results page. With GA4, I can organize which makes, models, colors, and trims are being searched more frequently. The great thing about it is that it will enable dealers to create new innovation opportunities.”

Innovations 

Almost all dealers are partnered with a great marketing provider and typically receive a monthly call surrounding the data: Which vehicle did they want to push to the market? Moreover, most general managers will evaluate their inventory after the call, but GA4 can streamline that process. GA4 can optimize 30 different touch points of a vehicle, highlighting the quality of the car in two weeks rather than 60 days. Additionally, the tool can send real-time photos to general managers and automate reports to market providers. Frye claims, “With GA4, we can now connect our ad words and optimize up to 30 engagement points. As a result, dealers will see more bank for their buck.”

Furthermore, Frye notes how dealers can implement AI, ChatGPT, and GA4 together and cross-reference the data results. To further explain, “You call a lead with an iPhone that reads and transcribes information, which is a part of AI. As the calls go through GA4, they can differentiate the type of calls and which department it was redirected to.” Each tool allows dealers to move effectively through their customer’s experience.

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4 ways dealers and automakers can support customers and drive loyalty https://www.cbtnews.com/4-ways-dealers-and-automakers-can-support-customers-and-drive-loyalty/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 09:03:52 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=186424 In the past three years, nearly every industry has experienced a dramatic shift in consumer expectations. The auto industry is no exception, with services like online car sales and EV purchases seeing significant growth. The hard truth: consumers expect more from the brands they buy from, making relationship management more important than ever before (one […]

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In the past three years, nearly every industry has experienced a dramatic shift in consumer expectations. The auto industry is no exception, with services like online car sales and EV purchases seeing significant growth. The hard truth: consumers expect more from the brands they buy from, making relationship management more important than ever before (one recent McKinsey & Company report identified nearly 900 individual touchpoints across the car-buying journey alone). This is particularly and increasingly critical when it comes to meeting the changing needs of EV owners who, as early adopters paying a premium for their vehicles, expect a high-end, full-service experience.

Yet, far too often, dealers and automotive brands are missing out on opportunities to win the hearts and minds (and wallets) of their customers. In the case of EVs, recent research from Edmunds shows that these vehicles are prompting consumers to change brands at historically high rates. With few – or no – electric options available from a number of legacy automakers, buyers are switching to new brands for the first time – and this trend is “giving automakers the opportunity to redefine their brands in the eyes of consumers, which ordinarily would require a hefty investment over years, if not decades.”

The most successful brands are potentially winning new customers for life. Fortunately, there are opportunities to turn the tide with brand-building expertise and experience. In response to this rapidly evolving consumer landscape, here are four ways automotive brands can nurture stronger relationships with both new and existing customers throughout vehicle ownership.

  1. Support for Vehicle Adoption: For starters, dealers and automakers should be capable of managing the full range of topics that customers are most likely to ask during the EV buying process and after they take delivery of the vehicle. For example, customers might look for help answering questions such as how to get on an EV vehicle waitlist or what is needed to install a charging station at their home. For those customers new to EVs, look for opportunities to offer high-touch, value-add support and services before, during and after purchase. Each of these customer touchpoints presents an opportunity to establish long-term relationships with buyers.
  2. Innovative Services for Innovative Customers: Beyond managing general customer inquiries, automotive brands should also be capable of providing step-by-step instructions and services in support of common technical issues or emergent situations. In the case of EVs, technical support should leverage vehicle data and an intuitive mobile web interface to deliver proven, do-it-yourself solutions for quick and easy resolution. Innovative new services should also be deployed to match the new needs of electric vehicles. For example, given that most EVs do not have a spare, which can complicate roadside events like a flat tire, new services to support customers with the delivery and installation of a new tire are critical. Also, while out-of-charge events are rare, they do happen and delivery of fast mobile charge is a key service to mitigate the brand-damaging perception.
  3. Optimal Vehicle Support: A wide range of questions arise during, or after, the buying process that may require more unique support from dealer and service center associates. There are stark differences in maintenance between electric vehicles and combustion engines which can be confusing and potentially disruptive. With no combustion engine, standard maintenance like oil changes and air filter replacements are not needed. The primary maintenance needs are limited to tire rotation, windshield wipers and cabin filters. However, without a natural 5K checkpoint, compliance becomes a challenge. Through service offerings and convenience packages, OEMs and dealers can help support this change and avoid unnecessary disruptions, like flat tires.
  4. Consumer Engagement and Affinity: Lastly, dealers and automakers should be capable of delivering the right outreach via the most effective channel to support customers across a wide range of other needs. While many of the previously discussed program elements are reactive in nature, there is a tremendous opportunity to drive proactive engagement with customers. For EV owners, these campaigns could be designed around customer education, support for software upgrades or general outreach. A program like this plays a significant role in creating and nurturing a long-term relationship with your customers while also driving additional sales and subscription renewal revenue.

The needs and expectations of consumers are constantly changing. Far too often, however, businesses fail to evolve fast enough to keep pace. Following these best practices will ensure that automotive brands can quickly manage and support a wide range of EV customer questions and concerns, making it easier to support their needs at every turn in the road. Consumer loyalty and trust take time to gain but can be lost in the blink of an eye following one unsatisfactory experience. When it comes to engaging with your customers – from the first test drive to the last mile of vehicle ownership – every interaction should be considered an opportunity to showcase your brand.

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AI-powered customer service: elevating dealership experiences https://www.cbtnews.com/ai-powered-customer-service-elevating-dealership-experiences/ Mon, 03 Jul 2023 09:03:50 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=186305 We are certain you’ve heard many stories about artificial intelligence in the last year. Artificial intelligence can be an effective tool for marketing, writing, content creation, and customer service. In many ways, customer service is an area where artificial intelligence is able to take some of the load off your dealership team, but how do […]

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We are certain you’ve heard many stories about artificial intelligence in the last year. Artificial intelligence can be an effective tool for marketing, writing, content creation, and customer service. In many ways, customer service is an area where artificial intelligence is able to take some of the load off your dealership team, but how do you apply it? Let’s take a look at the capabilities of artificial intelligence and how it might work for your stores.

How AI can help with customer service at your dealership

Let’s start by establishing something here—customer service is a huge part of the benefits of a customer working with your dealership. Customers might even select your dealership on the basis of hearing a friend, family member, or even review suggest that something went somewhat wrong and the personnel within responded and fixed the issue promptly.

With that said, AI is good at a few parts of customer service. If you do use artificial intelligence emails, chats, or prompts for customer service, configure it in a way that answers some commonly asked questions.

These questions can range from service and sales hours to basic questions about the dealership that don’t require your direct involvement. AI also has the potential to answer questions like how long it will take to get loan paperwork, whether or not they need an appointment for service or sales and anything with a fairly common and solid yes or no answer.

And that’s where you might draw a line, in some cases.

When should customer service requests get to a human?

AI works within prompts. You write a question in natural language, or potentially with pre-set prompts, and get an answer. The challenge here is that given the complexities of selling a car and taking care of the customer afterward, you can get some long prompts that require a more significant answer that a robot will have a hard time producing a satisfactory answer. The result can be lost business.

Our best suggestions here are to give the customer the constant ability to chat with a human and have your artificial intelligence system detect when responses are over a certain length. Verbose questions might require verbose reasoning and a verbose answer. A person asking for a towing capacity of a truck likely just needs a number or a chart for an answer. Instead, a person asking about specifics of their own deal tends to be a longer query that AI needs help with.

To be fair, some humans might need help with these questions too!

Tracking Needs

If you use an artificial intelligence system, you’ll want to ensure that the system is able to categorize what kinds of things customers are looking for. This will provide a window both into what processes within your dealership tend to have problems or questions and gives you the opportunity to train your artificial intelligence system to know how to respond to specific questions.

Think of this like an old-school complaints box or when human resources collect grievances from employees. You’ll know where your problems are.

Integrating People and AI for a Great Experience

Let’s assume that you have a business development center—or at the very least, managers and salespeople taking care of customer needs as sent in through an AI system. My suggestion here is to have the AI system clearly communicate that they are being referred to a human and that all the info they provided will be given to a person.

At that point, you want to ensure that your dealership has the right training and patience to read through an artificial intelligence system message. To be fair, this isn’t a lot unlike reading through a regular service or sales lead, only they might find themselves seeing a whole discussion and lots of info within.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence can increase customer satisfaction when used properly—especially given its speed and learning abilities. Just be careful not to ask AI to do too much because customer service stumbles are easy to make and hard to fix. Identify what you would like AI to do, then set about improving both internal processes and employee training to help respond to the situations it cannot.

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Driving more strategic processes for today’s buyers — Jen Suzuki | eDealer Solutions https://www.cbtnews.com/driving-more-strategic-processes-towards-todays-buyers-jen-suzuki-edealer-solutions/ Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:04:18 +0000 https://www.cbtnews.com/?p=186190 They say 1.5 dealerships vetting processes start on the phone. The industry has seen an influx in volume regarding in-market buyers. On today’s CBT Now, we’re joined by Jennifer Suzuki, President of eDealer Solutions, acclaimed sales trainer, and NADA Dealer Academy guest instructor, to discuss today’s buying behavior.  Suzuki says several dealers have admitted that […]

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They say 1.5 dealerships vetting processes start on the phone. The industry has seen an influx in volume regarding in-market buyers. On today’s CBT Now, we’re joined by Jennifer Suzuki, President of eDealer Solutions, acclaimed sales trainer, and NADA Dealer Academy guest instructor, to discuss today’s buying behavior. 

Suzuki says several dealers have admitted that they had developed routines over the past few years. Habits include putting customers on a list, ordering vehicles, and ordering parts. That was much easier than today. Today dealers have cars, which means they have to move them, and now it’s more important than ever to implement processes. Suzuki also expresses, “Vets too need to be reminded of some of the main techniques we know that work from the past. Back when competition was prevalent.” She adds, “Right now is crucial to get your processes on track and ensure they’re relevant to today’s buyers.”

Buying Behavior 

According to Suzuki, chances are people do the research prior to ever calling or coming to the dealership. With modern buying behavior, they know the inventory shortage for different brands and the competition around luxury brands obtaining more inventory. Today’s buyers know that if someone has a vehicle similar to the one they want, they are working the deals rather than negotiating. However, Suzuki claims, “Before the buyer would call or come in and ask questions around how much above MSRP the vehicle is, now there is none of that.”  There are now questions regarding how much the below is MSRP or what are the dealership’s current discounts.

Industry Changes 

“I don’t think people understand how much the industry is changing,” asserts Suzuki. She encourages dealers to change their sales processes because they don’t want to tell buyers NO. Again, telling customers they don’t have a car and never speaking to them again is a thing of the past. Therefore, dealers’ sales teams must ask questions based on the individual’s needs or redesign their questions to buyers to achieve more appointments. You dont want to stay from the beginning, especially since they are doing the research. Suzuki says, “Find out what leads them into the dealer, give each customer a reason to continue working with you, and nurture your database.” Your database will serve as a way to understand your customers’ history, acknowledge it, and learn to appreciate them more. She adds, “Retention is everything.” 

For example, Suzuki always asks, “Are you using ChatGPT?” She claims that’s an important question for two reasons: 

    • You need it as part of your sales process. This way, you can build more relatable connections with your customers by showing that you are invested in their process. 
    • Build value-based messages. A part of the buying behavior is the chase. Therefore, it’s imperative that you eliminate the need to sell all the time. Instead, utilize ChatGPT to help generate more meaningful and value-based responses to enhance your connections. 

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