Is a Rise in Service Leading to Poor Customer Satisfaction?

Between 2019 and 2021, incoming phone calls to Service Departments steadily increased by 16.3% — from an average of 9,904 calls per month to 11,534 calls. As inventory shortages plague the automotive industry, customers are hanging onto their cars longer and keeping up with regular maintenance. Dealerships have recognized this source of immediate revenue and many have shifted operational and marketing resources to highlight their Service Departments. One thing is clear — dealerships are emphasizing Service and customers are responding with their business. 

With the growing emphasis on Service, however, many dealerships have seen a decline in customer experience as they attempt to keep up with growing Service requests. Customer satisfaction and loyalty go hand-in-hand; with many potential customers choosing alternative repair shops as opposed to a dealership's Service Department, it's more important than ever to provide customers a top-notch experience. 

A customer's experience with your Service Department typically starts on the phone. Most customers will even say they prefer to book their Service appointments over the phone to have the opportunity to ask your reps questions. The phone is a critical tool and opportunity every Service Department needs to properly manage.

Below are three fundamental ways your dealership can leverage the phone to improve CSI and increase customer loyalty: improve inbound call connection, increase outbound communication, and provide regular status updates. 

One of the top challenges Service Departments have on the phone is simply connecting callers to someone who can help them. Between 2019 and 2020, call connection in Service dropped from 69% to 62%, on average. Furthermore, average call connection has remained at 62%, on average, in 2021. That means 38% of potential customers calling for Service are not getting connected to a qualified agent who can help. 

Properly staffing your Service team is the first step to improving call connection. Even when you have enough people, conflicting schedules or a lack of process can cause calls to slip through the cracks. Consider utilizing a multi-ring, which allows you to ring multiple phones at the same time. The first qualified Service rep who answers is connected through to the caller. 

Call scheduling is another tactic to improve call connection that allows you to control the routing of calls based on time of day or day of week. Consider using call scheduling outside of normal business hours to reroute phones to a call center or cell phone(s). Even if your advisors aren’t in the dealership, calls need to be handled properly and potential customers still require assistance.

Additionally, implementing a warm transfer process can help you avoid blindly transferring callers — often to voicemail. With a warm transfer, the receptionist first checks to see if the caller’s intended party is available. If not, the receptionist does everything possible to help the caller or escalates the call to a manager. As a last resort, the receptionist takes a live message and sets expectations for a return call. 

Finally, another way to boost connectivity is to use a phone bridge (also called an IVR or phone tree). A bridge can help reduce bottlenecks in reception and efficiently route each caller to the correct department before anyone even answers the phone, significantly improving caller experience.

Proactively picking up the phone and making outbound calls to customers is a necessary function of every effective Service Department. However, between 2019 and 2020, the number of outbound calls a Service Department makes to customers each month dropped by 11.3%, on average. Outbound calling has not yet recovered in 2021; comparing 2019 to 2021, there is a 3.9% decrease in the number of outbound calls being made each month by Service agents. 

As a Service Department, it's important to find a balance in the outbound calls being made that provides customers with an optimal experience. Your team should be proactively calling customers to: 
●    Salvage declined service requests or callers who weren’t able to connect with a Service advisor
●    Rebook no-shows or cancellations
●    Confirm upcoming appointments
●    Schedule first and second Service appointments after a recent purchase
●    Provide regular status updates for vehicles currently being serviced
●    Schedule overdue Service appointments

No one likes being left in the dark. Even if everything is on track, not providing information leaves a customer uninformed, leading to frustration and a poor overall experience. In 2019, 29% of all outbound calls made by Service reps were for the purpose of providing a status update. That number rose to 30% in 2020. In 2021, however, that number dropped to only 26% of all outgoing calls.

Calling your customers for regular status updates while their vehicle is being serviced prepares them for any unexpected maintenance issues, allows them to plan accordingly to pick up their vehicle, and assures them their vehicle is a top priority. This simple act generates trust in your Service Department, leading to ongoing business and loyalty. 

As Service agents look at how to improve customer experience by providing regular status updates, it's important to keep in mind customer communication preferences. If a customer isn't picking up the phone when you attempt to reach out, perhaps he or she prefers a text or email. Note a customer's preferred method of communication when you initially speak with him or her. 

Providing a top-notch customer experience starts on the phone. Although Service Departments are currently experiencing growth, it's important not to forget fundamental customer service tactics that lead to loyalty and repeat business. By properly leveraging the phone, Service Departments can get ahead of the competition to improve CSI, fill service bays, and retain customers.

To learn more about how Car Wars is helping both Sales and Service Departments gain visibility on phone calls, capture more leads, and improve caller experience, visit www.carwars.com/home. 

About Car Wars

Car Wars, a division of Call Box, leverages human reviews, artificial intelligence, and CRISP metrics to equip Sales and Service Departments with everything they need to Own The Phone. By listening to and categorizing every inbound and outbound call at a dealership, Car Wars provides managers with insight into how every call is handled, alerts them when an opportunity needs attention, and actively improves phone performance in both Sales and Service.

Car Wars uses transparent accountability alongside real-time call insight to create a high-powered phone culture that helps more callers faster and, ultimately, converts more phone calls into booked appointments.