Increase CSI Scores With Service Follow-Up

Customer satisfaction is one of the main pillars on which the Fixed Operations business is built. Ensuring customers’ satisfaction is also paramount in driving positive customer retention. So, once your shop has taken care of the customer’s service needs, completed the active delivery, and settled the final invoice with no objections from the customer, that must mean they were 100% satisfied, right?

The only way to know is to have an after-service follow-up process. With customer satisfaction and loyalty becoming increasingly more important to our business, an after-service follow-up process must be in place to ensure absolute customer satisfaction as well as provide the opportunity to resolve negative situations that may not have been apparent during the customer’s visit.

Steps to a quality after-service follow-up process

1. Reach each customer that was in for service within 24 hours of the service event.

• Any issues the customer may have are still fresh and the customer is more likely to work with you towards a resolution.
• Manufacturers’ CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) surveys are typically sent to a customer within 24-48 hours after the service event, and you want the chance to handle the customer prior to receipt of the survey.

2. Contact all customers by phone and email (if applicable).

• Some customers may prefer a phone call while some prefer to read an email at their leisure. Either way, you will have a better chance of actually reaching the customer and determining the level of satisfaction if you use both methods.
• Designate staff members who have the time in the day to make these calls and send these emails EVERY DAY. Make sure the staff members have positive phone etiquette and can show care and compassion to all customers. This staff member will need to have good communication skills and have the ability to know when to transfer the call to a manager for assistance.

3. Ensure the customer knows that the main reason for the follow-up is to thank them for their business, ensure all concerns have been corrected, and that they have no further issues.

4. Ask questions that relate to the manufacturer’s CSI survey.

• This strategy will allow you to find out the issues the customer may have that will most certainly score poorly on the CSI survey.
• Examples:
  • “Was your vehicle repaired satisfactorily?”
  • “Was your final cost in line with what you expected?”
  • “Did your Service Advisor review your Multipoint Inspection”
  • “Was your vehicle washed and completed when promised?”

5. Remind the customer of the manufacturer’s CSI survey, how the process works, and its overall importance.

• Avoid asking the customer to “do you a favor” in completing the survey. They have already chosen to bring their vehicle to your dealership, entrusted your technicians to repair their vehicle, and paid you their hard-earned money. Make sure they know what is in it for them.
• Example: “In the next few days, you may receive a survey from [manufacturer]. This is YOUR opportunity to let [manufacturer] know about YOUR service experience. YOUR response is invaluable to our dealership and ensuring we continue to offer absolute customer satisfaction.”

6. Any outstanding issues should be directed to a manager that is empowered to contact the customer and resolve any issues immediately. The goal is to satisfy the customer’s needs prior to the receipt of the CSI survey.

7. Lastly, always thank the customer for their business, invite them back, and provide contact information should they have any questions or concerns in the future.

How does Autosoft FLEX DMS assist you with your after-service follow-up process?

Go to: Service > Followup & Marketing > Daily Followup

The Autosoft FLEX DMS Service Follow-up module allows you to print follow-up sheets with all pertinent information from the customer’s recent service visit (customer info, vehicle info, contact info, repair order info) as well as custom CSI questions that are rated from 1 to 5. These sheets can be provided to your follow-up personnel to use as worksheets, making comments and documenting the CSI question scores. These worksheets should then be provided to management to review and contact any customers with outstanding issues.

Boost your customer retention and maintain high CSI scores with Autosoft’s FLEX DMS and a solid after-service follow-up process.

Author

Michael White

About Michael White