Automotive recalls often create intense frustration and confusion – not just for customers, but for dealers who bear the immediate brunt of customers’ worry and anger. Many recall services are awkward, uncomfortable situations that hold little potential for fostering customer loyalty. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Be proactive with recall notifications
While it may seem counterintuitive, recalls provide an opportunity for you to pull new or lapsed customers into your service department. If this experience is positive, it can actually lead to increased customer value and loyalty (not to mention incremental service revenue). One of the best ways to start the experience off on the right foot is by being proactive with recall notifications.
Since your CRM data is often more current than the OEM’s ownership database, there’s a good chance that you can be the first contact a customer gets about a recall. You can also use your dealership’s personal connection to make this interaction meaningful and let your customers know what they need to do next with a clear call-to-action to schedule a service appointment if parts are available, or what to do when they are not.
Provide value for concerned searchers
Your dealership should be a source of value to those owners who didn’t buy from you by sharing information and resources on your website or social media channels. We recommend sending a special newsletter or campaign as soon as you have enough information to properly inform consumers. Almost universally, owners will be looking for information such as:
- Which components are involved
- How to tell if their vehicle is affected
- Acceptance of the issue by the manufacturer
- When repairs can be made
Think of the value of your dealership coming up in Google searches for users in your area. Not only will this help establish your dealership as a trustworthy authority, it’s also an effective way to drive conquest service traffic back to your website or other pages optimized for conversion – especially those that emphasize the service amenities available at your dealership.
Demonstrate an exceptional experience
Recalls give you a chance to demonstrate the quality of your service experience and prove to owners that their perceptions about dealers are not valid. Or, they can reinforce what they might already think and drive them away for life. Make sure that your team members are trained on how to address typical frustrations once customers arrive for their service.
You should aim to make the experience as convenient as possible, and aim to deliver value in other ways, such as with a complimentary safety inspection to alert the owner to other possible issues with their vehicle. Take caution, however, to position this additional inspection as a safety benefit with customer permission. Many consumers resent a product failure being used as an “upsell.”
Consider doing something special for your best and highest-value customers. These owners typically account for more than half of your service gross so it is vital they be handled perfectly. Consider priority availability to parts, service appointment times, and other amenities. You may even want to dedicate a driver to pick up and deliver their vehicles.
With new customers, once they become part of your database, you can follow up with targeted, personalized messaging to thank them for their business and remind them of any issues that were found. You can also reinforce the value of your dealership for their future service. For all customers, consider including a coupon for a discount on their next service as a “we’re sorry” for the recall, along with a hook to make sure they return.
By following these simple steps, you are taking command of your automotive recall marketing.
- Being proactive in communication
- Providing value and vital information in your communication
- Demonstrating an exceptional experience
- Including a hook to return for next service
Success will earn the increased loyalty of your best customers, while proving to new servicers that you are the place for their next repair or maintenance.