Pub. 3 2013 Issue 4

13  loyalty — continued on page 14 What Really Drives Loyalty in Your Service Center? BY JUSTIN SPRAGUE , VP OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, ADP DEALER SERVICES I n a recent survey of approximately 1,000 Service customers, we aimed to uncover what drives loyalty in the Service center, comparing consumers’ perceptions of their experiences in new vehicle dealership Service centers, general automotive repair Service centers, and spe- cialty Service centers. Rather surprisingly, only 10% of con- sumers surveyed felt that dealerships were better at fixing their vehicle than an inde- pendent shop. Could this misconception and others be affecting your Service loyalty? Let’s take a closer look at the survey results. The areas of opportunities with deal- erships were obvious, with statements like “The Service center looks out for my best interests,” and “The Service center went the extra mile to satisfy my needs” receiving lower marks. Another impor- tant area of opportunity is around price. According to the survey, 57% of consum- ers felt that dealership Service centers were not price competitive. It’s clear that customers hold a dealer- ship Service center to a higher standard. So, that begs the question, “What does it take to keep a Service customer happy on a consistent basis?” All in all, the survey derived five themes that can help change a Service customer’s attitude and cause them to come back:  Advocacy  Fairness  Honesty  Convenience  Value So where are dealerships’ areas of opportunity? The Service experience needs to be circular, spanning from scheduling that first appointment to dropping off a ve- hicle at the dealership to the inspection and repair process, back to scheduling the next routine appointment. Every- thing needs to be transparent to the customer. If everything is cyclical and works together, customers will have a better overall experience. Offering customers an online, cus- tomized portal is a great way to provide convenience. Technology has brought people to want a single place that has all of their vehicle history, including past work done, appointments and cost estimates. This also will put the customer on the same level of the dealership in knowing specific details about a vehicle. Both parties will have instant access to the same information. The customer will appreciate the balance of power and perceive the dealership as being fair. Next, we move to the Service lane. Being able to greet a customer before they even step out of their car is quality service. However, having a