Independents still preferred for repairs
J. D. POWER STUDY SHOWS SERVICE, TECHNOLOGY IMPROVING BUT THEY CAN STILL DO BETTER
You still prefer your local. Results from a J. D. Power study suggest that, while new-car dealership auto repair shops are catching up, consumers are still feeling the love for their independents. The study involved owners of four- to 12- year- old vehicles, the critical point for dealership service centres. J. D. Power’s senior manager, J. D. Ney, says about half of customers stay with their dealer of origin, meaning half leave. With margins on most new cars being slimmer than ever, dealers have little choice but to have the back of the house make up the difference. Once a car is out of the warranty umbrella, most owners understandably get a little more frugal when paying with their own dollars.
The largest gap in the results reported was in the shiny and pretty: On a scale of 1,000, dealers scored 746 points for “facility experience” to the non- dealers 681. Big screen televisions, fancy coffee makers, leather chairs and potted plants provide a nice atmosphere, especially compared with the more humble wait areas of most independents. We acknowledge the comforts, but many of us still just want to get in and get out. The study found 13 per cent of customers would prefer to book appointments online, with just five per cent having the ability to do so.
As vehicles get more complicated and technology supplies more of the things that consumers want but fewer of us can fix when they break, it’s not hard to believe that a key highlight of the study’s results was communication.
“… In ratings for service-adviser performance in people skills and knowledge, non- dealer service advisers outperform their dealership counterparts in every category, including: courtesy of the service representative (8.12 vs. 7.99 on a 10- point scale); responsiveness ( 7.96 vs. 7.77); thoroughness of explanation ( 7.80 vs. 7.63); and knowledge of service adviser (8.03 vs. 7.81).”
Those margins are slight, which shows that dealerships are stepping up their game in the soft skills areas. Consumers need their cars repaired properly and on time, but they also need to understand what’s required. If you can’t explain to me what is happening to my car, I’m going to think you don’t know how to do your job, not that I have to learn how to be a mechanic. Whether you draw me a picture, show me worn parts or make an analogy, I get to know why you’re about to charge me all that money to fix the weird noise.
Increasingly, both dealer and non- dealer shops are i mplementing tablets ( 20 per cent and 16 per cent respectively) to assist in their communications with customers. Great idea.
The gaps that remain in consumer loyalty are in the nuts and bolts of the repair equation: “service initiation ( 797 for independents vs. 778 for dealers on a 1,000- point scale); service adviser ( 798 vs. 781); vehicle pickup ( 773 vs. 751); and service quality ( 765 vs. 745).” Consumers are still trusting their non- dealer shops more on some very important notes.
Many car owners feel tied to a dealership when they purchase a new car for fear of violating conditions of their warranties. And the J.D. Power study suggests ways to stop the exodus of owners of fouryear-old cars from leaving a dealer at the end of the term. A constant question I get from readers and viewers alike is about those “service packages.” Car owners are told over and over to read their manuals and follow the manufacturer’s directions for service. Yet those same car owners are contacted by their dealer, offering a package that doesn’t reflect what it says in that manual.
You have a relatively new car, your dealer is pushing you onto a schedule that seems excessive in some cases, but warranty fear makes you cave. As a consumer, it’s your job to educate yourself, but the stubborn trust in independents comes in part from escaping the dreaded upsell.
The J. D. Power study delves into interesting territory: It looks at where the service industry is headed and what it’s going to take to conquer a rapidly growing techsavvy consumer base.
The study says that during the repair process, “customers are rarely contacted by text message with updates ( three per cent for dealers, one per cent for non-dealers), although 17 per cent of dealer customers and 12 per cent of nondealer customers would prefer to be contacted this way. Text messaging in particular is an area where both dealers and non- dealers should improve to better serve younger customers, who indicate by a significant margin that they prefer this method.”
This is an area where dealer service could potentially really push the numbers in their favour because they tend to have more staff. At the independent garage, you could be talking to the person who is also turning the wrench. To ask a technician to begin a text conversation with a client is time consuming and if you already have a person dedicated to that role, a growing number of customers would appreciate the level of contact.
Ultimately, it’s not about ferns or phone calls; it’s about trust. Consumers are saying to their repair and maintenance providers: Make me trust you.
CUSTOMERS ARE RARELY CONTACTED BY TEXT MESSAGE FOR UPDATES.