Mobile phones are our new personal assistants and they are changing the dynamics of customer interaction. Today, mobile is driving phone calls as the preferred method of customer interaction. Here are three simple things you can do to maximize your phone performance by helping your customers call your dealership.
Hours of Operation — Nearly one in three dealers do not have consistent hours of operations posted across their Website; posted hours can vary between Google and Bing (Yelp), not to mention Facebook. If you consider variable hours between sales and service, less than half of dealers’ hours of operations are accurate and consistent across all directories. What to do? Audit your directory listings and update hours to reflect your store’s hours by department. With Google, you can list your dealership multiple times, so “ABC Motors Sales” and “ABC Motors Service” each can have their respective hours of operations. Callers believe Google before they believe a sign on your store window so audit and update your directory listings regularly.
Phone Numbers Listed — Do each of your departments have their own number listed on your Website? If so, please make sure they ring to the associated department; otherwise, you are asking your callers to make a department selection twice. First, they must choose a number to dial, and then they have to answer the question “How may I connect your call?” That’s a frustrating experience.
We know only 47 percent of calls that come to a dealership’s “sales line” are about sales. The “top left” phone number becomes the “catch all” for everything. Measuring caller intent based on the line the caller uses is a complete fallacy and a poor business practice. Make the calling process as easy as possible for your customer. Promote only the numbers you need.
Call Capture — Mobile is driving so many misdials, intentional hang-ups and multiple touches by consumer today. Misdials are occurring at higher rates as customers peruse your Google listing on their phone and accidently dial you. A misdial, yes — but also a valid caller. You can call these customers back and proactively offer assistance in their car buying and servicing experience.
The same goes for intentional hang-ups. Approximately 12 percent of missed calls are from callers who call just to save your number in their history so they may call later when they have time — say, after the meeting they are in. Lastly, there are multiple touches, and this is most commonly felt in Web lead auto responses. Do you have phone lines listed in your auto replies that capture the caller’s phone number and recorded conversation? Most list the Internet director’s mobile phone and desk phone. Because most new customers do not submit a Web lead or call, but submit a Web lead and call, you should have nothing but lead capture phone numbers in your auto responses.
I hope this blog helps you experience more success on the phone. For more “Before the Call” tips and tactics that are easy to deploy, visit www.FixThePhones.com for these tips as well as free phone skills training and live instructor-led Webinars. Great customer experiences result in great dealer successes. Dedicate yourself to your customers’ phone experiences.
