Fixed Ops Magazine - 2022 Vol19 03 - 28

Let's break this down on both sides of the equation to
see how self-service in service can deliver a win-win for
your dealership.
GIVE YOUR ADVISORS ANOTHER
TOOL TO SUCCEED
One of the more common refrains from dealers who do
not immediately see the value of self-service kiosks is
that they simply replicate what your service advisors
already do. They see it as nothing more than bringing
a new expense to the business without actually adding
value. This criticism reveals a fundamental misunderstanding
of what constitutes VALUABLE employee time
(particularly for sales, service, and other customer-facing
employees), as well as what the role of the service
advisor OUGHT to be.
Consider that your sales and service
employees are most valuable to you
when they are directly engaged in
profit-generating work. That does
not include the tedious, menial, repetitive,
administrative tasks that
exist simply to maintain processes
and workflows. Such tasks, though
necessary, should be automated at
every opportunity.
Automation has been great for increasing efficiency and
cutting costs across a range of industries. But, humans
are still far better equipped to handle complex tasks
that require creative problem solving. This describes
nearly all customer-facing roles, including your service
advisors.
With the most unrewarding aspects of their jobs offloaded
to a kiosk, your advisors can focus on:
a fundamental
misunderstanding
of what constitutes
VALUABLE
employee time
Inevitably, this begs the question of just what the role
of the service advisor ought to be. What WILL they be
doing with their time as the kiosk handles customer
check-in, upsells, trade-in appraisals, and so on. The answer:
more profit-generating work.
* Interacting with customers who do still need faceto-face
assistance.
* Providing context on additional recommended service
that a customer rejected at first.
* Following up on recommendations or inquiries
from previous visits.
* Building relationships to ensure your business's
human element doesn't get lost in
the rush to improve processes.
In other words, implementing self-service
in service empowers your advisors
to be the best versions of themselves.
It doesn't hurt that removing
the least dynamic tasks from their
days and freeing them up to pursue
more profitable work also translates
into greater job satisfaction. This, in
turn, leads to improved retention rates and significant
cost savings.
PUT YOUR CUSTOMERS IN THE
DRIVER'S SEAT
On the customer side of the equation, empowerment
has a bit of a different look. It boils down to the extent
to which self-service puts them in charge of their own
experience with your dealership.
If you are wondering why this matters (Don't customers
want to be served, not do the heavy lifting themselves?),
remember how the paradigm has shifted. What customers
want, above all else, is efficiency, convenience, transparency,
and a sense of CONTROL over the transaction.
It may seem counterintuitive, but the customers will
gladly sacrifice the passivity of twiddling their thumbs
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Fixed Ops Magazine - 2022 Vol19 03

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