Bridging the Sales to Service Gap
Article Highlights:
- 3 reasons to add a service walk to your sales process.
- "Show them the benefits your service facilities offer."
In a recent study published by dealerrefresh.com, a whopping 93% of customers surveyed said their salesperson did not take them on a service walk during the sales process. A service walk is simply a quick tour of your service drive and an introduction to some of the service advisors.
If your dealership isn’t doing a service walk, you may be missing a big opportunity to grow your business. Here are some of the reasons you might want to make sure a service walk is part of your regular sales process:
1. Set Yourself Apart – Part of the process of selling a vehicle is giving the customer a compelling reason to purchase from you. A brief introduction to the service department during the sales process gives you an opportunity to show your prospects how you will take care of them and their vehicle after the purchase.
If your competitors aren’t doing this, and based on the statistic above – they probably aren’t, this is a perfect way to set your dealership apart and offer customers a good reason to choose you for their purchase.
2. Grow Service Business – How much service business are you losing to third party repair shops? I’m sure your service manager could tell you. The service walk gives you an opportunity to let your customers know how factory-trained technicians using genuine OEM parts can help them maintain vehicle value and keep their car running longer.
3. Build Customer Loyalty – According to SignalMind, increasing customer retention by 5% can increase profits by more than 25%. It’s well known that customers who have their vehicle serviced at a dealership are more likely to purchase their future vehicles at the same dealership. Introducing your customers to the service department during their initial purchase, and showing them the benefits your service facilities offer, will help build dealership brand loyalty.
Bottom Line:
If your goal is to create lifelong customers who repeatedly come back to your dealership every time they’re ready to buy a new car, it is essential you sell customers on the fact you are ready to take care of them throughout the entirety of their vehicle life-cycle. Something as small as building a service walk into your sales process can return big rewards to your future sales and service profits.
For more information on training and system utilization improvement, contact Reynolds Consulting Services at 800.657.9784 or send us an email, consulting@reyrey.com.
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Aaron was a Senior Business Consultant for Reynolds Consulting Services. As a consultant, he developed and implemented processes from sales to service to help dealerships improve their profitability, solution utilization, and employee productivity. Prior to his consulting career, he spent over three years as a Regional Account Director for a digital marketing firm and 10 years as an Internet/BDC Sales Manager for an auto group in central New York.
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