New tech jobs have raised Lexus buyers' satisfaction
 | Iacono: Extra help will raise CSI. |
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Two new employee positions established last year for Lexus dealerships are providing big customer service rewards, says the chairman of Lexus' national dealer advisory council.
The Lexus delivery specialist and technology specialist are taking care of tasks normally assigned to a salesperson or service drive adviser -- both of whom already are pressed for time, said John Iacono, dealer principal of three Lexus stores in New York.
After selling a car, it's the nature of the salespeople to be looking for the next conquest, not conducting a lengthy walkaround. But with the delivery specialist, "the customer gets to focus on what parts of the car he wants to know more about, and take the time he wants to spend on the delivery," said Iacono.
"We follow up a couple days later with a phone call and a visit at the customer's home or office to go over some other things," he said. "We've had customers tell us they would never buy any other brand, because of the delivery specialists, because of their patience, professionalism and knowledge of the vehicle."
The dealership service drive also is often busy, and the chance for a service writer to explain a procedure or repair adequately can be limited. That's where the Lexus technology specialist steps in to walk the customer through the process.
Sometimes the explanation must be quite detailed, which is where the technology specialist's knowledge of the vehicles is key.
"A customer had an iPhone they had bought from an independent provider, and they couldn't pair it to the car," Iacono said. "We took the time to diagnose the problem. We found out that the phone was defective, so that when the consumer got a replacement phone, we paired it to the car at their home."
Lexus has won the J.D. Power Customer Service Index for four straight years. Iacono is confident the added employees in each store will drive Lexus' scores even higher.
"The customers are just blown away with what we're able to do," he said. "It brings the Lexus experience to the next level."
Q&A: autonews.com/iacono
You can reach Mark Rechtin at mrechtin@crain.com. -- Follow Mark on 
