3 Things Missing From Your Service Drive That Are Hurting Your Customer Experience: Personalization (Part 1)

As we discussed in the first article of this series, the check-in process is the most important area in service to focus customer experience because that is where your customers’ first impressions are formed. Good or bad, that impression likely determines their overall experience. To accomplish this, personalization, convenience, and technology are needed.

Let’s talk about personalization first.

Think about the last time you received a personalized gift. Maybe it was home décor with your name on it or a set of monogrammed glasses. How did receiving that gift make you feel?

Personalized gifts make us feel special, knowing someone took the extra step to make the gift customized. It doesn’t take much, but personalization shows us that person really cares.

The same applies to your service drive – personalization shows your customers you care. Just like a gift, personalizing the service check-in makes your customers feel special and sets the tone for a positive experience.

No one wants to feel like a number. However, as technology continues to shape our everyday lives, people feel more and more like they aren’t seen as individuals. This is why personalization is so critical.

There are a few ways to add personalization to the service check-in that will have a huge impact on the customer experience.

Start with the greeting.

When a customer pulls into your service drive, have a way to greet them immediately. Sure, you might have a designated greeter, but personalization is about taking things a step further. Having their name and appointment info on a screen in front of them can make them feel important. That little added touch immediately starts the check-in on the right foot.

Add in human touch.

Once you’ve set the tone, adding in human touch is important. Have a way to notify an advisor of the customer’s arrival and provide their information, appointment details, and recommended services (including previously declined recommendations) so they can greet the customer by name and check them in faster and easier.

Use their information during the actual check-in.

If you have access to any previous walkarounds, work done, and declined services, you can use them to shape the conversation with the customer. Having this information on hand alleviates the customer’s headache of having to re-share the same information at each appointment.

When you have this level of personalization during check-in, people notice and respond well. In fact, 75 percent of customers admit to being more likely to buy from a company that recognizes them by their name, knows their purchase history, and recommends products and services based on past purchases.

It can even help you down the road for upsells. 49 percent of buyers have made impulse purchases after receiving a more personalized experience.

A personalized customer experience will put you on the path to success. Check out the next article to see the role convenience plays in delivering positive first impressions in service.

Related Articles: