Collision Customer or Lifetime Customer? It Depends on the Data

Do you ever wake up in the morning, sip your coffee, and think, “Today is a great day to find a collision center!”?

Of course not. Most people looking for a body shop are in the midst of a stressful, unexpected situation. They’re wrangling with insurance companies, missing work, and potentially even dealing with personal injuries. Getting their car repaired safely and quickly is critical to customer satisfaction. But too often the transaction ends there.

The fact is, a positive, data-informed Consumer Experience in your dealer collision center opens the door to future sales opportunities. With the right marketing and analytical tools, you’ll be uniquely positioned to get that collision customer back into your service drive again and again—and to get them, their friends, and their family into the new car sales funnel. And it all starts by looking at Consumer Experience data.

What happens in one dealership area affects the other. Unified data analysis that considers the sentiment of your collision shop, service drive, and dealer-ops customers will position your business to own the Consumer Experience from all angles. This kind of unified data reporting is available, if you know where to look.

And the data doesn’t lie. Data shows customers want to feel cared about, so ensure you’re engaged throughout the repair process with automated communications, alerts, and reporting tools that are centrally managed as a single-enterprise solution. They’ll know this level of care carries over across your entire operation.

Data shows customers crave convenience. Things like mobile pay and e-sign not only streamline the process and minimize disruption in their daily lives but are proven to bolster CSI and CP labor. Let customers know you care about their time, regardless of why they’re in your dealership.

They want trusted workmanship, service, and sales: let them verify it by maintaining a positive online presence through data-supported, integrated digital marketing. Control and enhance your reputation with verified reviews from real customers like them. Consumer trust in your body shop translates to other areas of your operations, and vice versa.

And, most importantly, they want to feel safe in their car again. Industry certifications are just the beginning: collision operations should always look to performance data to guarantee technicians are at the top of their game and should ensure “comebacks” are kept to a minimum. Safety is a top consideration for almost any new car buyer, and your operations should reflect your dedication to that.

Customer retention tools are out there, but simply having and using them isn’t always enough. You have to find the data. Consumer Experience analytics enables you to change your entire operations culture and elevate each and every experience to one of true care and quality.

Your customer may be having the worst day of their life. Treating them with dignity and empathy is something they will remember. Protecting them with data-verified best practices and quality of workmanship is something they will reward you for—by coming back.

Originally appeared at Digital Dealer Online, April 24, 2018