Friendly reminders are not just cordial contacts, they’re also good for business. That’s why it’s important to contact dealership service customers to confirm appointments.
Doing so enhances the chance of them showing up, according to a study by DealerSocket, a customer-relationship management software firm.
Study highlights include:
- Car buyers are 30% more likely to schedule a first service appointment if the salespeople introduce them to the service team.
“Sometimes, the relationship stops with the salesperson,” Nathan Usher, DealerSocket’s director-product management, tells WardsAuto. “Car buyers should meet the service manager and auto technicians.”
- Negative reviews influence 78% of customers. That emphasizes the need to provide a pleasant, thorough and efficient experience during each service visit. If you don’t, someone else will, Usher says.
- 88% of customers and prospects will schedule an appointment, if asked. And calling customers to schedule appointments increases show-up rates. So do confirmation emails and text messages.
Behind every no-show is a reason; some lame, some not. Sometimes customers just forget. That’s why confirming appointments increases the likelihood of customers keeping them.
“It’s sometimes hard for customers to remember, so the dealership should follow up with a pragmatic process,” Usher says. “It’s not rocket science.”
Some customers might reply to a reminder by saying they need to change the time. That’s fine, Usher says. “It’s better than someone just not showing up at all.”
The parts and service departments are dealership profit centers. Fixed operations generate only 12% of a store’s total revenue, but account for 60% of its net profit, DealerSocket says.
Confirming appointments helps front-end operations, too, says Dale Sullivan, director- Western region for General Motors’ Chevrolet Div. “You have a lot better chance of selling a car if you confirm an appointment.”
