Customer Greetings and Timely Updates

You can help improve overall service satisfaction at your dealership by applying the following best practices for customer greetings and timely updates. One way to provide the best customer experience possible is taking the stress out of bringing the customer’s car in for maintenance by adding one step to the write-up – greet the customer in a timely manner and keep them updated.

Below are some recommended best practices for greeting your customers in a timely manner:

• Review your appointment lists at the start of the day—you’ll be surprised how many customers you remember and greet throughout the day.
• Run the customer’s license plate as they pull into the service drive. If their name is in the system, remember it!
• Greet each customer by name and immediately at their car door when they pull up.
• Extend your hand for a handshake, make eye contact, and smile as you greet the customer by name.
• Treat each customer like it is the first time they are at your dealership, pointing out all your great amenities.
• If a customer is waiting, ensure they are acknowledged as quickly as possible. Even if they have to wait, knowing you know they are there makes a huge difference.

Always keep customers informed of the status of their vehicles using their preferred method of contact and “Quarter Time.”

• For example, for an estimated one-hour repair, update the customer within the first 15 minutes, a quarter of the way through the repair time estimate.
• Let customers know immediately if service is going to take longer than expected and advise them of the extra time needed for car washes as applicable.
• Communicate with customers in their preferred manner (in-person, phone, text), utilizing your dealership’s Service Lane Technology (SLT) to assist.
• Go over the MPI results during the service visit, not after, to obtain approval on any additional work needed.

We know that the expectations of today’s customers are very high. Applying these best practices can have a huge impact on building long-lasting customer relationships.

Sincerely,
National Service Operations Team
Kia America, Inc.