Understanding your shopper is the first step in deciding where to invest, whether it’s in sales departments or services. That’s why our recent Service Shopper 2.0 study surveyed over 2,000 service customers to find out what dealers can do to drive customer retention and conversion, not just their consideration set.
And while Net Promoter Scores fell for all companies, independent retail chains were hit the hardest, dropping from 63 to 49 in last year’s survey. Especially since 58% of his non-dealer customers said they would consider scheduling a service appointment with a dealer in the future.
So we wanted to dig deeper into what the Dealer Services division could offer and what our competitors couldn’t. We asked these same shoppers what features they would like service centers to offer, and what features they complained they were missing. The results created a unique pattern that bucketed 23 different features and categorized them as desires, pleasures, needs, or indifferences. For more data and definitions behind these terms, read the full report, 5 Service Capabilities to Invest in Now. [Link ready 1/20]
We’ve found that it only focuses on key areas of advantage dealers have, as well as important investments such as adult-only work areas and children’s play areas.
In fact, having factory certified technicians and parts rose to the top of almost every feature asked about marking in the desire category. As it may seem, both resonate overwhelmingly with service customers. Simply enhancing this advantage both within the service sector via signage and digitally and other marketing activities could prove beneficial.
Breaking down shoppers interested in switching to a dealership, the number actually increased from the average of 58%, with 66% of Gen Z and 68% of young millennials growing younger. This could be a strong reason to consider looking into features that fall into the Delight camp.
When asked if customers would like Real-Time Mobile Updates, they scored very highly. Again, younger generations all but baby boomers appreciated this feature even more. Whether it’s a real-time digital progress bar or real-time text updates, digital tracking solutions are becoming standard across retail. With any of these options, real-time mobile updates can greatly reduce shopper anxiety. Another key benefit is that staff no longer need to update customers directly, regardless of whether customers are waiting inside or outside the store.
As we move forward to 2023 and uncertainty remains across the economic landscape, it’s important to consider how the services sector can win over anxious shoppers. As research shows, these opportunities exist and every store should be able to pivot to meet them.