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Posted by Rima Anani in Industry News, MobileCashier | 0 comments
After much spending on the Holidays, paying for car repairs is something most consumers would rather avoid in January. Not to mention the economy makes it so most consumers would rather pay in installments on big ticket items if given the opportunity. In this article we will explain why it is crucial to offer your customers payment options for automotive services and repairs.
Offering Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) options to customers comes with a major advantage to businesses, and the numbers are compelling. Below are some key statics to consider:
Paying in installments is a rapidly growing trend in all e-commerce businesses and the automotive industry is not any different. In 2023 customers are expected to be much more cautious about their spending. They will prefer to take their vehicles for services or repairs at dealerships and shops that offer their customers the option to service now and pay in installments. Let’s face it, it’s much easier on their wallets and customer loyalty is significantly impacted by their satisfaction with their experience, including their payment experience.
Paying in installments for vehicle repairs liberates your customers from having to make tough decisions like choosing between making a large lump sum payment or driving an unsafe vehicle. When customers can service their vehicles right away and pay in installments, they are more likely to approve the additional services recommended in your estimates. This will minimize your denied services and increase your bottom line and customer satisfaction scores significantly.
First, it can help you attract new customers. The reality is some customers remain hesitant to take their car to a dealership for service or repairs because they fear “higher costs.” Giving your customers the option to pay in instalments for services performed on their vehicles means empowering those customers to afford the services they need while watching your Average Repair Order values soar.
Second, it can help to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. When customers are aware that they can pay for their car repairs over time by servicing at your shop, they are more likely to return to the dealership for future services. This can help create a loyal customer base that will continue to frequent your dealership for all their automotive needs.
Third, it can increase the average Repair Order Values. When customers can pay for their car repairs over time, they are more likely to approve additional repairs and services that they might have skipped, boosting profits.
When choosing a BNPL provider, it’s important to look for a technology provider that caters to and understands the automotive industry. Here are the key characteristics to look for when choosing your provider:
By partnering with the world’s largest third-party financing company, VenueVision has created the first Service Now Pay Later technology stack made to meet the specific needs of automotive dealers and their customers. VenueVision’s technology revolutionizes the traditional automotive service experience by immediately providing customers with greater purchasing power early in their service process. Providing customers with the option to pay in installments for their vehicle service is a game changer for dealerships, and its risk free.
In conclusion, offering Service Now Pay Later options to dealerships can provide a much-needed lifeline for many motorists, especially those who are struggling to make ends meet. It will attract new customers, build customer loyalty, and increase repair order values and revenue for service departments.
Posted by Nicole Diemert in Industry News | 0 comments
Congratulations on successfully sailing through 2022. It’s now time to set your sights on the challenges and opportunities that 2023 has in store. A new year is an opportunity to reflect on how your business performed the previous year and consider what steps can be taken in the new year to enhance and strengthen those results.
Grading your company’s success can be based on several aspects, and not all of them are measured in dollars. Of course, you will always want your business to grow financially year after year, but growth can be measured in several other ways.
Has your business grown technologically to keep up with the changing ways your customers prefer to do business? Has your staff grown as a team, working positively toward business goals? Have you increased your customer database or increased the number of returning customers?
Based on growing demand for heightened customer service, 2023 looks to be focusing on the full digital customer service experience. If you are looking for ways to improve some or all the areas mentioned above, this year’s trend in customer service will help you succeed. Here are the top five ways you can improve your processes:
69% of customers want a consistent experience with a company across all physical and digital channels. This requires businesses to use technologies that build more connected environments to handle this level of customer service. Imagine bringing together multiple departments of your dealership and communicating through one channel.
Staff can connect with a customer regarding a vehicle purchase, a parts order, a trade in appraisal, a service update or estimate. Continue to connect all the way through to sending video for review, scheduling a shuttle and final payment. Finalize that journey with service follow ups, satisfaction reviews and timely reminders of missed or deferred service. The streamlined and consistent experience your customers will encounter will be remembered and appreciated.
Personalized experiences rank at the top with what customers find as an important decision-making factor when selecting companies they want to do business with. And the numbers speak loud and clear. 72% of customers say they only engage with personalized messaging. (Forbes) while 80% of companies report seeing an uplift since implementing personalization (Econsultancy).
Personalization in your messaging and timing of delivery is essential. Connecting at specific moments in the customer journey will increase overall satisfaction, reviews, customer retention and loyalty — and most likely ROI. Automation will be the key to enhancing personalization and increasing its power in the customer service experience.
2023 will see companies thinking about more than just the customer experience (CX) and moving towards focusing on the Total Experience (TX). It will become crucial to consider every part of the experience journey to provide a truly full and satisfying experience. 52% of consumers agree that as digital experiences with brands become more personalized, their satisfaction improves. (State of Personalization)
This level of personalization may require investing in innovative technology. Supplying options to support and engage your staff will make their jobs easier and more productive. Adding technology such as digital signage to inform and entertain your customers will provide an enhanced visual experience. Incorporating solutions and software to simplify processes, communicate in real-time and provide services to customers — regardless of where they are physically.
To provide the ultimate customer experience, your team will need to be transparent in all their communications. 60% of customers say trustworthiness and transparency are the most important traits of a brand (Twilio Segment). Customers genuinely appreciate being kept in the loop regarding status of orders or service repairs. They value honesty and truth.
This can come in the form of timely updates for delivery or being transparent about delays or challenges you are experiencing. It can be a breakdown of pricing or providing videos highlighting areas for recommended service repairs. It is proven that providing information that allow your customers to make informed decisions, while respecting their time, will increase appreciation and loyalty.
In 2023 and going forward, businesses will need to keep up to date with providing secure and safe storage of customer data. More importantly, using their customer data efficiently, securely, and correctly. The average consumer is increasingly aware of how their personal data is handled and demands the highest level of privacy and security. Customers want personalized experiences and are willing to provide their data to get it.
Seven out of ten customers are comfortable with personalization, if brands use their own data. (The State of Personalization). Being able to send personalized messaging to mobile devices, with the ability to pay remotely, securely, and efficiently with safely stored personal data will provide the ease and assurance that customers are looking for in these fast-paced, mobile environments.
This year, as in previous years, customer service and customer experience are still top priorities for you as a business. Now, more than ever though, customers have varying levels of trust and expectations when it comes to interacting with businesses. Your dealership will need to ensure that you are putting their security, privacy, experience, and service first.
In summary, developing a strong customer experience strategy in 2023 means fully understanding your customers and their expectations. It will mean embracing and using innovative technologies and software that will provide the all-encompassing level of customer service that will make you stand apart from your competition. And doing so, will also help make it efficient and enjoyable for your staff to provide that experience. Find out how VenueVision’s software and digital solutions can help you stay ahead of the quickly evolving customer service experience trends.
Posted by Nicole Diemert in autoTEXT, Industry News, MobileCashier | 0 comments
Yesterday marked the official one year anniversary of when the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a Pandemic. At this time last year, businesses around the world were shutting down or moving to work remotely if they could. Businesses deemed as ‘essential services’ were allowed to — and in some cases required to — remain open to provide those necessary services to the public.
But where did the automotive dealership fall? There certainly were a few weeks of confusion and uncertainty. Provinces made official statements within days of the pandemic declaration to clarify what were essential businesses. (Here are some articles on individual province circumstances: Ontario Dealerships Deemed Essential, Quebec Dealerships Pivot to Online Sales, BC Automotive Association pushing for Essential Service Declaration.) Soon enough, it was announced that car dealership Service Departments were considered essential.
Being considered an essential service meant you could keep your doors open for business, and keep your staff working, which was great news. BUT, in order to do so, many safety protocols had to be put in place to be compliant, and that could be a bit of bad news. Some of these changes were fairly extensive, and in some cases, needed to be implemented almost overnight.
Dealers had to install acrylic or plastic barriers between customers and staff members. Every inch of work space, including customer’s vehicles had to be routinely and properly sanitized and protected. Work spaces had to allow for 6 feet of space between each person and a limited amount of customers and staff could be in the building at the same time to ensure minimal contact and interaction. On top of that, all staff were equipped with face masks and shields, gloves, hand sanitizer and sanitizing spray. Yet somehow, dealerships still needed to provide a level of service to their customers that they had grown to expect. That was a tall order.
One of the first things dealerships needed to do was communicate to their customers. First and foremost, dealerships had to let their customers know they were ‘open for business’. Then came the new Covid Protocols. Most dealerships had an updated process for booking appointments, revised vehicle drop offs and pick ups and payment methods — and it was important to get this information out to customers. A lot of dealerships turned to their texting systems to reach their customers. Confirming or rebooking cancelled appointments, sending appointment reminders with details about where to park or drop off keys. All crucial information to making sure everyone remained safe and ensuring their essential service could still be done.
One of the biggest factors that dealers were confronted with from the beginning and throughout this last year, was the need to provide as many contactless services and options as possible. From remote text communication, to safe and simple key drop off points. From secure online payment options to a seamless, physically distant vehicle pick up — the most important element was the ability to provide this with the least amount of contact as possible. Thus keeping both customers and staff safe.
Even with all the technology at their hands and revised work protocols, patience was definitely required on all sides. Dealerships were adding and adjusting their work processes throughout the waves of the pandemic and provincial mandates changed (more than once!) It was a moving target at times. It took months before some dealerships could run with full staff. This was especially true in the Sales department, which were mostly working remotely. Vehicle purchases were being made solely online. Unlike the Service departments that had moderate changes to their processes, the pandemic completely changed how the car buying process worked.
On the whole, dealerships across the country seem to have adapted to this difficult, challenging situation. They have modified and adjusted to their new Covid protocols; with masks, sanitizing and physical distancing almost becoming second nature. Having to run such a tight, guarded ship can actually result in a dealership becoming more streamlined and productive. Increasing communication allowed staff to really provide the next level of customer service.
Now, a year in to the pandemic, with vaccinations rolling out and cases dropping, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Business is starting to come back to normal levels. So, what will this mean for the dealership Service Department in the future? Sure, the acrylic dividers may eventually come down. Customers and staff will hopefully be able to walk around in the dealership mask-less. But what about all the other contactless services that were brought into place? Will dealerships revert back to traditional ways of conducting business and providing service?
If history tells us anything, once society has been introduced to new technology and updated processes, they generally don’t like to go back. Going forward, customers will most likely continue to prefer contactless and streamlined options such as receiving text updates to keep them informed, quick and easy drop off procedures, and providing them the option to pay online. Services such as appointment confirmations, mobile check-ins, booking transportation and payment for services — all done from your personal device — will soon become the standard, instead of a luxury — or in this case, a Pandemic necessity.
Posted by Nicole Diemert in Industry News | 0 comments
It’s easy to see that dealership processes and procedures will need to be changed to continue doing business during and after the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of these changes may be short term. But there may be some which could become the new ‘norm’.
Now more than ever, dealerships will need to be acutely aware of every interaction with their customers, big and small. Providing contactless and touchless services, safe and secure procedures and timely, important information updates will be key in the months ahead — perhaps permanently. Keeping both your customers and your staff members healthy and happy will allow your dealership to stay open and provide the level of customer service that is crucial.
VenueVision’s suite of dealership solutions can help your dealership reach and maintain these new levels of service. Here’s how:
autoTEXT has already been keeping dealership customers informed through the course of their Service visits with timely text messaging. Automated messages such as appointment reminders, vehicle check-in, vehicle completion and service follow ups have already been providing customers with their repair status updates. As a dealer, you can increase the benefit of these messages and the information they relay with specific customizations to your wording.
For example, your dealership can provide information on new service hours or procedures in your Appointment Reminders. Remind customers of your secure, touchless payment option in your Vehicle Check-In and Completion messages. Give specific contact information for customers who may have questions or concerns in your Service Follow up messages.
With VenueVision’s Responsive Keyword Texting, you can use your messaging to generate automated responses based on customers’ requests. For example, Appointment Reminder messages can read “A friendly reminder of your service appointment tomorrow at 9:00am. If you would like our contactless drop off service, please reply Drop. Thank you.” When the customer replies with the word ‘Drop’ they are instantly sent an automated text message outlining the procedures your dealership have in place for a contactless service drop off. Use these keywords for customers to specifically request information or other services such as contactless payment, Shuttle requests, vehicle appraisals and more.
Send important information and promotional messages to a specific targeted list of your customers with Marketing Campaigns. Use this campaign feature to broadcast key dealership changes and news such as updates to procedures and practices, revised hours of operations, etc. Target specific groups of customers with timely offers or specials to help out your customers in these difficult times and remind them that you are still open for business.
With more physical distancing comes more challenges in reaching your customers and conveying recommended service procedures. Reach your customers instantly with professional digital Repair Estimates they can view and provide approval from any mobile device or desktop computer. Include images or short service videos to provide information and visual reference for your customers. Receive customer approval within minutes with a two-step authorization process. Record and track any recommended services that were deferred by the customer for future follow up and service bookings.
One of the best ways to keep both your staff and your customers safe is to provide a fast, safe and contactless payment method. Send mobile links with Mobile Cashier to collect payment and deposits for every department in your dealership. Customers can access the payment portal through any mobile device or desktop computer. Within minutes, your customers can receive a link, access the portal on their device, review their invoice, enter their credit card information and send payment. Your dealership will receive instant notification that the payment was received.
With Mobile Cashier, there are no additional fees or card percentage rates per transaction and no holds on payments that are processed. It is the fastest, safest and most convenient payment and check out method for your customers and your staff.
In these challenging times, showing your customers how much you appreciate them and their business is very important. With VenueVision’s Loyalty Rewards program, you can provide incentives and reward dollars for your customers. Loyalty dollars can be applied automatically based on a percentage of their service invoice. Rewards can also be applied manually to a customer’s account as a promotion, a thank you or an incentive.
All Loyalty and Reward dollars are tracked in an easy-to-use dashboard. Customers paying with Mobile Cashier will be automatically prompted to apply their Loyalty dollars if they want or save and bank for future service. And, all of this is done remotely. No physical card is needed to collect or redeem, and there is no rewards program that your customers need to sign up for. It’s a perfect extension for a contactless service environment.
We understand that these are challenging and quickly evolving times. Being able to adapt, adjust and act quickly will keep your dealership running as smooth as possible. Providing a great customer service experience will always be important, but providing that service while keeping your customers and staff safe and healthy has become the new normal. Contact the VenueVision team (sales@venuevision.com) if you would like more information on any of our products or would like to schedule a free online demo.
Posted by Nicole Diemert in Industry News | 0 comments
As so many businesses and people are facing challenging times and uncertainty, communication and providing safe services will be even more important to your dealership.
Of course, the most obvious practices that dealerships will be taking involve providing sanitized and hygienic surfaces and improved practices to provide minimized contact. Here’s a reminder to our VenueVision customers how some of our tools can be of great benefit to help reduce that contact as well as keep you connected to your customers.
Keeping your customers up-to-date with any changes to services or practices at your dealership can be done through text messaging. Send individual messages to your daily customers before or on the day of their appointment. Ensure your text number is easy to find on your website and social media sites, with a clear indication that customers can text in to your dealership directly. Send a targeted marketing blast using the Marketing Campaign option for a broader reach of your customer database to inform of more generic or vitally important updates.
If you have automated Appointment Reminders, we can have that messaging adjusted to keep your customers informed of any changes to appointment or procedure. Contact our support staff for more information. (support@venuevision.com)
Whatever you choose to convey to your customers, texting them will be the quickest, surest way to keep them informed and instantly updated.
Having the ability to allow customers to pay remotely is a great way to practice Social Distancing. You can send payment links to customers to pay for Service Repairs, Parts purchases and even vehicle deposits. They won’t have to be worried about touching payment terminals or having close exchanges within your dealership. In some cases, there may need to be no physical exchange at all.
Use your digital signage screens to inform customers of changes to your hours of service and updates to your processes. Whatever important information you want to make sure your customers see, you can have it uploaded to your VenueVision digital signage screens. You can send content upload requests directly to production@venuevision.com. If you don’t have a resource for creating content, our design team can help you out.
No one knows for certain how long this new and challenging state of business will last, but we are here to help. We sincerely hope all of our customers and clients stay safe and healthy.
If you have any questions about how to better use your solutions, or would like any information, please reach us through our support lines at: 1-800-401.1300 or email directly to: support@venuevision.com.
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