If this place were a restaurant...

If your service department were a restaurant how popular would it be?

I have spent nearly my entire adult life working within the automotive arena, especially the part that doesn’t sell cars.  Recently, many of the stores I work with are complaining that they have too much work and can’t get it all done resulting in long waits, missed promise times, high policy and loaner car costs, lot damage, overloaded storage lots, poor customer satisfaction and retention, etc.  Huh?, “They have too much work”?  or “They took too much work?”

I go to some very popular restaurants with very high customer reviews. They don’t have too many patrons. They aren’t lined up down the street and hovering around waiting for tables to clear. The staff doesn’t complain that they can’t turn tables because they don’t have enough food, cooks or servers to feed them.  They take reservations! They know what they can deliver!  They match their reservations to their ability.  When someone shows up without one, they only accommodate them if they have the ability to treat them in a way that is consistent with the dining experience they want to be known for. They don’t pack the schedule.  They plan for things to change once they open the doors and anticipate the late arrivals, tables lingering longer than expected and walk-ins. 

There is another type of very popular restaurant with very high reviews. These are restaurants who take no reservations and make it visible to their patrons.  You drive up looking for a fast meal, see that the lot is full and people are in line and you make the decision to stay or leave and come back another time. They don’t bring you in, seat you, then make you wait or not serve you at all delivering a bad experience that will keep you away forever. At these places the choices need to be the Customers.  This is similar to Quick Service/Express lube operations.  

There is only one reason to schedule appointments. To make yourself successful! To be successful, don’t mix the two!  Your customers expectations of each are as different as the fine dining patron from fast food patron.  Control the main shop and control their available choices. Make your Quick/Express operation visible to customers with no appointment needed and make all the choices theirs.   Success is meeting your customers expectations and making money doing it. If you are doing it for any other reason then give it up. Just tell them to come on in.

# automotive service #boating industry #usafordcem