We are constantly pressured to do it faster in the automotive arena. Which can sometimes lead us into deep water if we do not watch what we say and what we promise people we can do.
People do not always realize that with unrealistic time frames, a rushed job will cost the ultimate inconvenience of even more lost time.
“Can I wait for that?”
“How long will it take?”
“That long, just for an oil change?”
These are just a few of the phrases we hear daily that strike a chord deep inside any service advisor to try to appease the customer. But it is our job to frame the situation and the time frame logically and appropriately.
How do we start to dig our own graves?
Here is a very common example:
If the customer is waiting for an oil change and rotate package, for example, when we are put under pressure from the customer, we start to say things like, “It should only be an hour to an hour and a half.”
I promise you the customer only heard, "It will be an hour."
Realistically, if the car is brand new, and there are no issues to quote, inspect, etc., an hour to an hour and a half is realistic. But if the vehicle is older or has more than sixty thousand kilometers, we may find things that need a bit of attention while doing the inspections. Quotes take more time. Sometimes oil drain plugs are stripped by other shops; sometimes, a wheel stud is stripped because someone cross-threaded a lug nut at some other place when the tires were being changed.
So why do we start by saying an hour to an hour and a half when we know all the bays are totally full, and the customer's car won’t even be going into the shop for at least thirty minutes, making the finish time an hour and a half to two hours, at least? On top of that, the advisors are scared to update the customer in the lounge because they know already they are not going to meet the expectations of that person.
This has set up the reverse of what we are aiming for. We are now over-promising, and we will, for certain, under-deliver.
I have been part of some fantastic quick service programs that facilitate the service in under an hour. Usually, they are pit-style setups with two people working on a vehicle at once. In these situations, we can meet the hour time frame as long as there are no surprises. Most of the places I have worked do not have this, however.
As service advisors, appointment bookers, and anyone else who has discussions on the time frames we are working with, we need to start having tough conversations about reality, whether they get angry or not.
Be crystal clear in your statements and your word tracks. If they are not working, change them. Here are a few ideas:
When booking a waiting spot for an oil change and tire rotation package.
After setting all the info in the appointment, before getting off the phone, I will say,
“Ok, I have you all set up to drop off your car at 10 am. Please be aware that when you get here, we will likely be finishing up the job right before your booking. Unfortunately, there is no way to predetermine what will be on the hoist when you arrive two weeks from now, so there is sometimes a ten to twenty-minute lead time before your vehicle gets into the bay and starts. Once there, the service takes about ninety minutes. So, count on a possible two-hour sit. Just in case there is something that delays the process.”
When I say this, it uncovers the truth of the customer's expectations. If the customer says, “That will not work for me; I have somewhere to be at 11.”
What is our response? It is not, “Oh, we will do our best.” Or “We will get it done.”
Remember, be realistic.
We will respond, “Then perhaps we should pick a different day or time. Rushing repairs or service will lead to nothing more than an inconvenience if something goes wrong.”
Or when pressed further, “We will go as fast as we can without having any of your wheels fall off when you leave.”
Sometimes that last statement which is said in a tone of jest and humor will make the customer realize that we are not dealing with a fast-food order here. We are in charge of the safety and welfare of everyone that gets in the vehicle after we are done.
The point here is that we must create a situation where we can over-deliver what we have promised every time we can.
If you tell a customer it will be two hours, and you are done in ninety minutes, are they happier or more upset?
When booking appointments that are drop-off times, explain that they are drop-off times, not the time we will start working on the vehicle. I love to say, "Once you drop off your truck, it will enter the cue. We should be done by 4:30. Will that work for you today?" If it does not, I make adjustments to the promised time of completion.
If the customer needs it at 2:00, I will promise it for 1:00. Thus, over-delivering!
In this business, more people come away disappointed rather than impressed. WE are the only ones that can change that. This can be done by doing what we say we will do. If you cannot do something you are saying you will do, you lose the game before you even start it. You are fighting an uphill battle. I prefer to run downhill myself.
If you educate the customer on how the process works, most will allow themselves a bit more time to get the work done. If your shop is equipped with an express bay, then the waiting appointment issue is not really a problem. People line up, they see how many people are in front of them, and if it is too long of a wait, they leave and return at a different time.
I have found humans are weird. We want everything right now, and we want it done perfectly. On top of that, we are always in a rush.
Sometimes we cannot get what we want within the expected time frame. But if you are never told that, you will never know it. If someone were to outline why something can or cannot happen, most people would see the logic and adjust accordingly. They will reframe their expectations sometimes as well.
The art of under-promising and over-delivering takes great courage and audacity. This sometimes leads to tough conversations that must be had to avoid future issues. You have to put your shoulders back and say, “I understand, but I cannot promise that will happen. There is a chance you will be out of here by 11 or 11:30. But what if there is an unforeseen issue? Things happen daily that are a surprise. I feel we should pick a better time to allow the tech to complete your service properly and avoid issues with your other appointments. Would next Tuesday at 1:00 or 2:00 work for you?”
It is better to have that conversation than, “I am so sorry you are an hour late for your doctor’s appointment that you have been waiting six months for and will now have to rebook.”
Another situation that occurs consistently is when we are doing a large amount of work. When the repairs are approved, and we move on to the time frame of completing those repairs, I always try and get a couple of extra days or hours, depending on what we are doing.
It is like football that way; every inch matters. In the drive-through, every minute, hour, and day matters when we are talking about an overbooked shop and a customer that needs their vehicle fixed correctly and in a timely manner.
So get in the habit of being more realistic. If you need three hours, say you need five. When the job costs six-fifty, estimate six-ninety-five, that small pad covers any minor issues like nuts, bolts, or whatever was not quoted, or a dirty filter they find while doing the work. Also, if there is nothing more needed when it comes in cheaper, people are happier!!
If customers are going to be upset, let it be because we had to pick a different day rather than push a technician to do something faster than they can or should, and now they are coming back in on a tow truck.
If you need some coaching on more ways to create winning situations for yourself reach out!
You can also check out my book
"Building A Gold Standard Service Advisor: The Evolution of Service"
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