Dealers recommend and consumers decline thousands of dollars of service a day. Just one detail stands in the way of dealers recouping those lost sales.
Technicians and service advisors need to capture good data, says Jay Adams, president of MaddenCo Inc.
“When a customer comes in, don’t create a cash invoice, or just say ‘Jay’ or ‘Joy’ at the top,” Adams says. “Capture the address, phone number, email. Even though that takes a little more time and keystrokes at the counter, in order to data mine properly you’ve got to have good data.”
The customer information, paired with other tools such as a license plate look up service, can help a dealer “attach good customer information to good vehicle information.” And while there are apps and tools to use to search for phone numbers and addresses, Adams says that telephone lookups in particular are getting trickier as more consumers rely solely on cell phones.
The next step is to remind consumers of needed maintenance work, says Dave Vogel, vice president and general manager of ASA Automotive Systems Inc.
“They needed that work to be done. It could cause them more problems. It’s better for end-user customers. It’s better for shops,” says Vogel. “It’s probably one of the more overlooked things in a shop. Anytime you talk to someone in a shop about this their eyes light up.”
Graham Tire Co. evaluates its data to identify, connect with and reward its most valuable customers. One of the company’s most effective tools is something that seems out of time and place in the digital age: the postcard. There’s even a place for the telephone, what many consider an “old school” marketing tool.
In the latest issue of Modern Tire Dealer, Senior Editor Joy Kopcha examines software options for retrieving declined service recommendations and ways dealers can reach out to customers with reminders. Read “Turn Your Data Into Profit” in print, in the digital edition, and online.
And leave a comment to tell us what works (or doesn't) for your dealership!
