http://fixedopsnews.blogspot.com/2011/08/exceeding-expectations.html

What would a Service Professional do?

A Professional understands their Customers Expectations.

Now this has got to be the easiest “no brainer” post you have read in years! You would think that every person who works in the Dealership has heard of Customer Service (here’s a little hint: WE ALL DO) and would take the time to understand their Customer expectations.

You would think.

And every day in the field at a Dealership there is a couple of moments where there is the “I have no idea” look on people’s faces when asked about what their Customer came in for, what was the reason for their visit, why are they here, how are we helping them, what’s the story etc....It's like a mystery novel.

The reason is they have become order takers. This new breed of Service Advisor has been trained by corporate America all of their lives with “instantology”, which is using the smallest amount of brain activity required to actually have meaningful interactions with their Customers.

This in turn has led us to a new term in Training called “you don’t need to know” in which Customers are regularly greeted and serviced by non-communicators who cannot distinguish between a request for service or a statement of concern unless it’s printed on the touch screen menu in front of them.

This collection of "Service (aacckkkk, cough cough) Professionals” are then left to founder and fumble with your Dealership Customers (you know, the "lifeblood of the Dealership, our main focus, why we are open"...etc...you've heard all of that before, right?) with more skills in “instantology” than in COMMUNICATION and CRITICAL THINKING!

This has reduced our once world renown model of Service Excellence we called the “American Way of Doing Business” to a misdirected application called "Someone told me to stand here and talk to you."

And because we choose to do business this way we find ourselves in constant need of reminding our Service "Professionals" what they are supposed to do and why they are supposed to do it.

In turn, this has increased our Customers chances of having to do business with someone who has little desire and are completely clueless how to deliver Exceptional Customer Service because it does not come with instructions on the box.

The true Professional Service Advisor not only knows what his or her Customers expectations are, they EXCEED them. They are anticipatory because they have taken the time to study their product and their Customer. And they truly understand Service. More importantly, they understand how the Customer could EXPECT to use their vehicle in their daily lives. Lastly, they understand their Customers EXPECTATIONS when they come in for Service.

How do they know these "magical things?"

The true Professional Service Advisor has taken the time to become an excellent COMMUNICATOR and only relies on “instantology” for storage and processing of the Customers information as a means of assistance and not as a means of conveyance.

Basically folks, you can’t get the computer to pull out its wallet no matter how hard you try.

When you have taken the time to really understand and anticipate your Customers Expectations by asking if they have been met one on one and by becoming a true Communicator through study and application will you become a True Service Professional.

Be Professional.