Maximize Sales, Profit, Customer Retention and CSI

Non-requested Maintenance Services – How to Avoid Declines

The customer didn’t request the services because they didn’t know about them, or didn’t think they needed them.

  • Once they know about them, they’ll only comfortably buy if:
    • they understand the need for and benefit of those services
    • and if their perception of value is higher than the price you’re asking

Here are two fatal flaws that lead to declined services:

  • No heads-up…surprising your customer with an ‘upsell’ styled ‘pitch’ when they walk in
    • First thing you’ll see is a frown and arms crossed…and a ton of ‘declines’
  • Presenting non-requested maintenance services too late in your process
    • Very bad if it first shows up as part of your technician inspection report…way past the point that it can easily be added into the current visit

Here’s how to dramatically reduce declined services…and make sure that _all_ non-requested maintenance services are presented in the first place:

  • Give them a heads-up…let customers know before their visit about additional recommendations
    • …along with the need for and benefit of those services
    • …make it easy for them to buy even in advance of their visit
  • Equip your advisors with the training and the best presentation tools available to make it easy for them to present, and easy for a customer to buy, all non-requested maintenance services or repairs

You will absolutely see a dramatic increase in your Service Sales, Profit, Customer Retention and CSI.

Educate Your Customers on the NEED for and BENEFIT of Required Maintenance Services

…the Right Way

  • J.D. Powers found that on average only 29% of Service Advisors present even one additional maintenance service or repair beyond what the customer came in on
    • So 71% of the time nothing else is even presented…not even with a poor presentation

The more that a customer understands the NEED for and BENEFIT of ALL required maintenance services, the more likely they are to buy

And with the right tools, Service Advisors are much more likely to present the NEED for and BENEFIT of ALL required maintenance services…every time

  • Poor presentation tools, or none at all:
    • Lack credibility
    • Lead to a high rejection rate
    • Lower the likelihood of the next presentation even happening

Poor presentations leave customers not only declining services, but wondering if they really needed them in the first place

  • …bad for CSI and lousy for customer retention

Prepare and educate your customer before they come in

Initial Appointment Confirmation

  • Include a live link to the exact time and mileage based maintenance services for your customer’s vehicle
  • …that also explains the Need for and Benefit of those services…and allows the customer to Accept those services and simply make it part of their appointment

Pre-Appointment Preparation

If a customer has an appointment, ideally we’ll conduct a pre-appointment preparation to determine any additional time and mileage based required maintenance or needed repairs from prior visits that the customer should have done on their visit…as well as any outstanding recalls.

If we determine that there are additional services that should be performed, why keep it a secret?

  • …we’ll need to tell them anyway when they come in
  • …why ‘surprise’ them when we can get them the information ahead of time and give them an early opportunity to add it into their appointment
  • …the right tools allow you to do just that by generating an information package for your customer that explains:
    • what services are due, and past due,
    • and also an explanation of the NEED for and BENEFIT of those exact services

Advisor Opportunity: Prior to going into the shop

Maintenance services that should be performed based on time and mileage, ideally are presented by the Service Advisor before the vehicle goes into the shop…why wouldn’t we? …the customer would expect us to let them know

…although since the customer didn’t request them, the odds are that they didn’t know about them…so it’s critical to ensure that they understand the NEED for and BENEFIT of those services, before we ask them to buy

…the right presentation tools allow your Service Advisors to do just that…like this example:

Take a look at a Basic and a ‘top-shelf’ Maintenance Service Presentation (9:37)

Active Delivery: Prepare and educate your customer about their next visit

Same thing when they come to pick up their vehicle after the work is done

…ideally we’d let them know about the time and mileage based maintenance services coming up on their next visit, along with the NEED for and BENEFIT of those services

…so that they simply become part of the next appointment…handing them a printed copy and sent to them via email