Once upon a time, customers who had their cars serviced at dealerships were simply looking for good, honest, quick repairs, not for meaningful experiences. But now that many owners of new cars are millennials, that has changed. Millennials want something more when they bring their cars in for service.

According to “This Auto Dealership Built a Pro-Millennial Customer Experience By Consulting 5 Key Service Trends,” an article that Micah Solomon wrote for Forbes, here are some of the most effective things service departments are doing today to keep their millennial customers happy:

• Offering a “peer to peer” style of service in which customer and service personnel interact as equals.
• Providing an authentic experience that doesn’t feel scripted, false or “plastic.”
• Being transparent by openly explaining pricing and procedures.
• Providing a sense of adventure and experience.
• Letting service writers carry iPads that let customers view service information and costs on a screen, not on paper or in brochures. (Solomon calls this “digital parity.”)
• Implementing a no-haggle, one-price approach. Millennials are not pleased by the old “I’ll have to check with the manager” runaround in pricing repairs.
• Building personal relationships by letting customers interact with just one service writer – a “point of contact” who is in touch with them during current repairs, and possibly in the future.

And When Customers Leave the Service Area and Visit Your Showroom . . .

Solomon points out that the days of displaying new vehicles side by side could be ending. Millennials like to see cars displayed in “vignettes,” like scenes that show camping or visiting a beach. This display trend speaks to millennials’ love of experiences.

Are You Teaching Your Service Personnel to Please Today’s Customers?

We invite you to call Tortal Training today to discuss your automotive training needs with one of our training professionals.