Houston, we have a problem

When the economy is suffering like it is right now, we all look for more value, and as much as we can get for our pound. We don’t like wasting money and we certainly don’t like giving it away for poor quality products or services.

In the car business it’s really not that difficult for a good situation to turn bad quite quickly, all it takes is a miscommunication or a quality issue and Houston we have a problem.

It is not necessarily having a problem or issue that angers a customer, most people understand that things can go wrong and cars will break down from time to time, no it is how the complaint or problem is dealt with that will usually determine whether a customer stays loyal to a business or not. In the case of selling and maintaining cars it is a situation which can and does become “live” regularly.

It’s possible that over the years staff have become immune to complaining customers and customers expect the worst when they have a problem. Therefore you are left with 2 parties who distrust each other and it becomes very difficult to resolve any issues when there are no compromises.

Unfortunately the motor trade has had its fair share of unscrupulous sales people over the years and, like butterflies, they just flit from dealer to dealer leaving a trail of destruction in their wake whilst making a quick buck. Thankfully these kinds of people have largely been driven away from the business as car dealers have recognised that by haemorrhaging customers and having to deal with complaints the reputation of the business can quite rapidly go into meltdown.

All customers generally want is what it says on the tin. Many garages profess to put customers first and pride themselves on customer care but common sense and offering a fair service for a fair price and giving customers the peace of mind is really all that matters not marketing fluff.

So let’s just put a few things down for reference and see how your local dealer measures up next time you visit?

Honesty; are you confident they are telling the truth?

Do you feel you are getting the best deal they can offer you?

Did they call you back when they said they would?

Did they give you a breakdown of the invoice for any work carried out and were you happy with the price and the work carried out?

Did they give you a follow up call to check everything was ok afterwards?

How quickly did they resolve any issues you may have had and were they as easy to speak to as when they sold you the car?

Have they sold you what you wanted and what really suited your needs?

Would you really recommend their service to your friends and family?

Did your dealer do exactly what was agreed at the point of sale?

Did they take the time to explain the finance terms/warranty/any other add-ons?

Did they thank you for your business?

If the answer to every one of these question is yes please tell us and we will tell everyone because it means we will have found the perfect dealer!