Selling skills at service reception increases customer satisfaction
Submitted by Steve Phillips
Selling skills at service reception increases customer satisfaction and a happy customer is a loyal customer.
Time and time again I come across Service Advisors who have not received the necessary training to do their job really well and become outstanding for al the right reasons. This will not only damage the company’s reputation but customers will feel ripped off!
Selling skills is a must when up-selling to customers; you have to add value to the product to be successful in any business. It’s very important that you match the task to the price and not allow the customer to use their own perception.
So how do you do this?
- You need to be well prepared before communicating to the customer
- Do you have all the prices of the parts and fitting?
- Do you understand why they need to have this additional work undertaken?
- Can you overcome any possible objections?
- Be assertive and positive
- It’s your job to calculate the value to match the task.
Let’s go through some basic examples
Gold is incorrect
Grey is adding value
1 Hello Mr Baker I’m afraid your car needs new front brake pads £62.00 Inc
Hello Mr Baker, our technician has noted that your brake linings are worn below the minimum thickness, this will not only reduce the efficiency of the braking system but there’s a high possibility of the discs being scored and they will then also need replacing. While we are replacing the pads we will measure the brake discs and give you a report on their condition.
2 Hello Mr Baker, your vehicle is due a brake fluid change as it is 2 years old £69.00 Inc
Hello Mr Baker, every 2 years the brake fluid requires to be changed, brake fluid is hydroscopic which means it becomes contaminated and under heavy braking the fluid can boil and cause brake fade which is very dangerous. The price does include bleeding the brakes and checking the ABS pump.
3 Hello Mr Baker, your air filter needs replacing, £43.00 Inc
Hello Mr Baker, It’s part of the service to check the air filter which will found is very dirty. This will starve the engine of air causing the fuel mixture to run rich and this will drastically reduce the fuel economy. To get to the filter the Technician will need to remove and refit the wiper cowling which is included in the price.
4 Hello Mr Baker, The Technician has advised we replace the fuel filter £106.00 inc
Hello Mr Baker, The Technician has advised the fuel filter requires replacing as it partially blocked. This will cause an intermittent lack of power proving to be very dangerous in an overtaking situation. We will need to remove and refit the engine tray to gain access and then reset the engine management system.
All the above examples mean the same thing to the business but completely different things to the customer, both being the same price. However, the customer understands why you are replacing the parts and you have also communicated the value to match the task. If you were the customer and it was your money wouldn’t you want to know what you’re paying for?
No one expects the reception staff to be fully trained engineers but a 1 day training with Jeff and myself will will resolve most issues you will come across, remember if you don’t know the answer, ask!!!
If you’re interested in devloping your Service Reception staff in this area, I’d love to hear from you.
You can email me at here: Steve Phillips or contact the office or contact Jeff Smith directly
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The three drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty are Trust, Value and Convenience. Service Advisors can influence these factors significantly by following the advice above and also by explaining fully the work that has been done and what that has involved when the customer collects the car.