Communication with customers in the Automotive industry is now essential, especially on a regular basis. Why? Because they might want to make an appointment with you, they might want to get their automobile (vehicle) serviced or repaired, and they would expect you to respond to their requests as quickly as possible – the quicker your response, the more valued the customer feels.
There are different ways in which you can stay in touch with your customers – calls, texts, email and in-app messaging. Which is the most effective? Which would make sure a better level of customer satisfaction and delight to both loyal as well as new customers? Let’s explore the different ways to communicate effectively and efficiently with our customers in the automotive industry.
How To Communicate With Vehicle Owners
As mentioned above, there are options comprising phone calls, texts, emails and in-app messaging. All four are important because of the diverse demographic and their preferred form of communication some of your customers would want to be contacted through a call, some through text messages and still others through emails and the rising channel now of in-app messaging. The question is how to improve communication with customers by streamlining all of these and ensure each customer receives the best service they could ask for?
How To Communicate With Customers In Automotive Through Texts
Texting is short, fast, and responsive. A survey found that 77% of consumers react positively to a company that offers text capability.
Texting is the #1 most used form of communication below the age of 50. Also, smartphone users send and receive texts five times more than they make or attend a phone call. Furthermore, survey reports show that 82% of text messages are read within 5 minutes!
The statistics speak for themselves. Text messaging is brief and quick enough that your customers can read through then, even during busy times. Also, most consumers would have their notifications turned on, meaning that your message is received and noticed when you send it.
So, any time-sensitive information as notifications should ideally be sent through text messages. To make messaging easier, you could adopt solutions such as 5iQ Simplified Workshop Software which can streamline digital communication. It helps in sending out notifications and offers, and also has other features such as auto text messaging, auto mails and sending out real-time status to the customer through the mobile application.
Communication With Customers In The Mechanic Business Through Phone Calls
Do you know that phones have been around since 1876? People have been calling each other since the 1800s. But at that time, there were no mobile or smartphones, therefore text messaging did not exist nor was there internet and definitely no emails. So, at that time, phone calls were deemed to be an effective way of communication with customers in the automotive industry.
But nowadays, everyone gets too many calls – from the bank, bosses, family members and so on. A call from the garage shop might not necessarily be a priority. So, it is advisable to reserve calls only for emergencies and critical information.
How To Communicate With Customers Online Through Email
From the 1990s, emails have become the norm. Emails play a huge role in today’s communication because not a day goes by without customers checking their emails. However, unless your customer’s mobile phones have their notifications turned on, your emails aren’t opened immediately.
Your customers would check their emails in their leisure time when they aren’t working or busy with chores . Since there is a time delay in an email response, non-time-sensitive information, such as promotions, appointment reminders, and paid invoices can be emailed. This makes emailing is an effective approach in such scenarios.
Tips On How To Improve Communication With Customers
Here are some tips for effective communication with customers in your mechanical business.
- Pay close attentionWhenever you are talking to your customers, pay close attention yes that means listening and making eye contact. Everyone notices the attention, and they feel valued. A customer who is valued often turns to become a loyal customer.
- Personalize communicationPersonalizing your texts or emails will again make your customer feel valued. One example of personalization of a text is using the person’s name, that is, “Hi John”, instead of something like, “Dear Customer.” Remember the rule: The customer’s experience is just as important as the service you provide.
- Reduce waiting timesIn today’s world, everyone’s in a rush to get things done. The lack of speed is one of the top-cited reasons for customer dissatisfaction. Hence, reducing your wait times, especially when on call will increase your customer satisfaction rating. If the service / repair runs over the scheduled time provide regular updates on what you are doing to solve your customer’s problem.
- Always be empatheticWhenever you type out an email or a text message, always be empathetic. Use positive language, with a little zing, of course! It fosters positive communication between your business and the customer leading to happy dealings.
Key Takeaways
We hope these tips will help in improving your communication with customers in your auto repair workshop. As mentioned 5iQ automobile software is one of the best ways to digitally interact and communicate with your garage shop customers. It leads the way with send notifications, current offers, automated text messaging, and real-time status to your clients through the app.