I had a positive interaction at a car dealership recently that reminded me of how valuable transparency is in the customer experience.
Within an hour of dropping off my car for service:
- The dealer sent me a short video (via text and email) with narration by the mechanic.
- In it, the mechanic visually confirmed where the problems were and pointed out one or two more things.
- At the end of the video he indicated that he would tell the service representative what he found and that I would hear from the representative with alternatives to resolve my complaints.
- The email itself included the contact information of the service rep.
(While there may be other suppliers of such technology, my dealer used QuikVideo.)
Here’s verbatim text from the email:
we want our customers to make informed decisions when it comes to buying and servicing their vehicles; therefore your technician has highlighted any recommendations with an explanation of when and why these repairs are required.
Wow, what a difference!
- NO wondering about IF anyone had looked at my car – they had
- NO doubt that what I had described was what was being investigated – it was
- NO question about the next step – it was explained to me with a clear definition of who would reach out and when
- NO surprises
What could they have done better? I thought the experience was an upgrade from a previous dealership but I still came up with a few ideas to make it better:
- Automate a breakdown of the quote so I could authorize or refuse each line item
- Create a similar video showing the finished work and workmanship
The pivot point is that transparency improves trust. The dealership set a new standard for service. Because the experience is differentiated it becomes a reason to select this dealership over another one.