Boating Industry

March 2015

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March 2015 | Boating Industry | 21 [ 17 Strategies of a Service Superhero ] www.BoatingIndustry.com [ 17 Strategies of a Service Superhero ] 1. Accountability builds loyal customers Everyone wants their customers to be satisfi ed with the service work, but nobody's perfect. Mis- takes are inevitable but they don't have to break a service department. In fact, how you handle issues de- fi nes a service superhero. Sam Dantzler has consulted with a number of marine and powers- ports businesses, and he has seen fi rst-hand that it is not about whether or not the job was done right – it's how the customer feels about the job not being done right. "If you take accountability and take the hit, I still want to come back to you. Obviously, I want you to do the job right but you get a lot of latitude with the mechanics of the job if the customer service is over the top," said Dantzler. This idea inverts itself as well. A service de- partment can complete a job perfectly but if cus- tomers don't like you, they won't come back. 2. Customer-focused service writers No one else in the deal- ership builds or breaks customer loyalty like the service writer, says industry expert Valerie Ziebron. With as much time as a customer spends at the service counter in- teracting with the service writer, it is paramount that whoever is in that position is cultivating trust. "That person is the face of the department," said Tom Mack, president and owner of South Shore Marine. A service writer should have a high capacity for information and be well trained in commu- nication. He or she must know how to ask the write questions to transfer the customer's infor- mation to the technicians, and vice versa. "Too many times we put emphasis on some- one with technical knowledge in that position, and while that can be nice it's more important to have someone with customer service and selling skills in that position," said Ziebron. A sales-focused service writer is just as benefi - cial to the customer as it is to the profi tability of the department. Customers bring their boat to a marine dealership because they want to ensure their safety on the water. "Sometimes our people at the service coun- ter are afraid to sell. They see that as something that's a disservice to the customer, when in es- sence it's actually a disservice to not upsell the customer – to not tell them everything that their boat needs," said Ziebron. 3. Use a warranty administrator At George's Marine & Sports, the warranty ad- ministrator is a liaison between the manufacturer and the dealership, as well as between the man- ufacturer and the customer. The administrator knows exactly what is going on at all times with the customer's unit and can translate information to the customer on the status of a warranty or whether or not a repair is covered. "Communication has got to be forefront. You have to keep the customer in the loop no mat- ter what," said Jeff Wilcox, president of George's Marine & Sports. The addition of the warranty administrator has helped customer satisfaction climb at the dealership and was named one of Boating Indus- try's Best Ideas of 2014. For Wilcox, there is no such thing as over- communication. A service department can easily be customer-friendly through simple outreach. "Even if it's to call and say 'I have no new information. I just want to reach out to you and say we haven't forgotten,'" said Wilcox. 4. Constantly train your people Training needs to be a top priority, according to Ziebron. It tangibly delivers dollars, customer loyalty and repeat business. The more you train your employees, the better. Service superheroes should coach themselves on listening skills. The shop is a noisy place with any number of distractions that can take the focus away from the customer and their needs. "We feel like we are the ones who need to be talking all of the time when we're on the other side of the service desk, and that's just not the way it should be," said Ziebron, who also discussed these points during her "Turning Upset Customers Into Loyal Ones" session at the Marine Dealer Conference and Expo last November. "We should be ask- ing good questions and the harder part is to genuinely focus on what they're saying." Empathy training is also important. Service Having a warranty administrator is a huge relief for George's Marine & Sports's service manager. Employees at Marine Connec- tion are quick to thank owners for offering career-building opportunities. VALERIE ZIEBRON SAM DANTZLER

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