Guest commentary: Strategies for success in a changing fixed ops landscape

The glamour may be in selling vehicles, but fixed operations is the steady workhorse that creates customers for life. After all, the retention of customers' service business leads to increased fixed operations profits as well as higher probability of future vehicle purchases.

Retaining service business is not a new topic. However, loyalty programs, free oil changes and cold drinks in the waiting area aren't enough anymore. Strong dealers are promoting new strategies such as "unreasonable hospitality" and interactions that keep customers connected to their service centers.

The fact is that customer service matters just as much, if not more, than your product. Your service center can deliver exceptional customer service. If you aren't sure where to begin, start with the following ideas.

First, what is "unreasonable hospitality"?

The phrase was coined by Will Guidara, former owner and operator of Eleven Madison Park. Renowned for world-class food, the restaurant really made a name for itself by delighting diners with "unreasonable hospitality," or by delivering more than diners could ever possibly expect from a restaurant.

Guidara believes we are on the precipice of becoming a hospitality economy, where the service people receive is just as important as the product they buy. In other words, an exceptional customer experience is becoming the requirement to retain customers, not the exception.

When it comes to giving customers more than they expect, your fixed operations department can use several strategies.

When you listen to customers on the phone, during the vehicle walk-around and at vehicle pick-up, you'll begin to understand the specific requirements and preferences of each customer.

Learn about customers' vehicle concerns and ask about driving habits. Taking the time to ask questions at drop-off, for example, may reveal a concern that the customer hadn't thought to mention but boosts your repair order and brings value to the customer.

Suggesting the right vehicle services to provide optimal benefit will drive higher customer satisfaction and better retention in the long term.

Time is precious, and finding ways to make bringing a car in for service more convenient will create the customer experience that keeps your customers coming back. Free loaner vehicles aren't new, but if you aren't doing it, you should consider it.

Additional strategies to give more than expected include mobile service repairs, vehicle pick-up and drop-off or ride-hailing via Uber or Lyft.

We all know the service adviser job is a stressful one. The lists of tasks to complete in a day never stops growing. However, the service adviser's first job should be to reduce each customer's level of anxiety about a vehicle while also meeting his or her specific needs.

A customer may require five minutes or 20 minutes of an adviser's time to meet this goal. Sometimes it's about slowing down to over-deliver. That's a hard lesson to follow when advisers are asked to cram ever more tasks into a day. That's why training and support is critical.

Investing in your service advisers is a direct investment in your business. If your internal staff does not have time to train, invest in hiring a professional trainer to give your team a leg up. New retention strategies require training to stick. Otherwise, staff will revert to practices that are known and comfortable.

Retaining service customers is not a new topic, but the strategies that work today are different than in the past. "Unreasonable hospitality" needs to be the norm today to retain customers, not the exception.