Beyond a receptionist, few people in a dealership stand to have more contact with customers than service technicians. “So much of a dealership’s reputation centers on how well service technicians perform their jobs and interact with customers,” says Jim Facente, a trainer with the Dealer Institute, the educational division of the Western Equipment Dealers Association
(WEDA).
“When a customer has a question about an equipment repair or a problem with the repair, the service department usually gets the call,” adds Facente. “However, quite a few service technicians are not as skilled as others in dealerships when it comes to communication and this can shoot holes in delivering an exceptional customer experience.”
Facente, a former dealer, says many equipment businesses spend tens of thousands of dollars on business cards, advertising, uniforms, business logos, fancy invoices, and sales training but often overlook how much customers rely on the real faces of the business – the service technicians.
“Credibility is a big word with consumers,” notes Facente, who conducts customer experience webinars for the Dealer Institute. “It speaks of trust and people with equipment problems or repairs need to know they’re speaking with a skilled communicator.”
Western Equipment Dealer Magazine Spring 2017 Issue
