You’ve heard the old saying, “It takes five times more to acquire a new customer, than it does to retain an existing one.” Although this isn’t true for every company and some customers are significantly less to acquire, we can all agree that nurturing a loyal customer relationship is always less expensive than starting a conversation with a new prospect, converting them to sale, and building trust and loyalty. With that being said, what is your strategy to nurture customer relationships and keep them coming back? How will you bring customers back to your dealership who you haven’t seen in a while? Today, we’ll share two ways to capture lost souls and win them over again.
Determine Why They Left
Consumers are often creatures of habit. They shop at the same clothing stores, eat at the same restaurants, frequent the same barber shops, and yes, visit the same vehicle service facilities. If one of your customers services their vehicle regularly in your Service Department and then stops suddenly, there has to be a reason. Don’t be afraid to ask these customers why they have stopped using your Service Department. If you decide to take this approach, remember to use a direct messaging channel, like email or a phone call, to receive prompt responses to your inquiry. Lastly, don’t use public marketing channels; these customer responses are valuable, but not something you want broadcasted across the internet.
Create Unique Marketing
Once you’ve surveyed your customers to determine why they haven’t returned to your Service Department, it’s time to listen, categorize their answers, and take action. Once you’ve addressed the customer’s reasons for not coming back to your Service Department, it’s time to build unique marketing. Remember to address the concerns of your customers within your marketing piece, be it internal processes, speed of service, cost of service, or friendliness of staff. Then offer them something special to give your Service Department one more try.
When trying to capture lost customers, it’s important to understand why they left, address their issues, and offer them something to come back. This summer have fun in the sun by utilizing this specific strategy to capture lost souls.