Succeed By Tuning In To Your Customers’ Needs
I’ve just returned from Tucker Rocky’s 2010 Dealer Show, and as always, mixing with this innovative group of dealers, reps and manufacturers has sent me home with a headful of ideas and insights.
The biggest news to emerge at the event was the announcement that Paul Teutul, Jr. has forged a relationship with the distributor in which Biker’s Choice will be a sponsor of Paul Jr. Designs on the TLC program American Chopper. Paul Jr. told the crowd gathered that his first bike built this season to be unveiled at Sturgis will feature parts and accessories from Biker’s Choice. “This is an exciting new adventure for Biker’s Choice, and we are proud to have Paul Jr. and his team join the Biker’s Choice crew,” said Steve Johnson. Paul Jr. Designs and American Chopper will begin airing August 12 on TLC.
In addition to that headline news, our conversations with the manufacturers seemed to be a variation on one theme: service.
Competition is as stiff now for powersports dealers as it has ever been. Matching the level of “service” your customers experience at the big box store just won’t cut it. I’ve walked into more shops than I’d care to count where the dealership team has allowed me to wander aimlessly for long periods of time if not my entire visit with little to no interaction. Shouting, “you don’t need any help, do you?” from behind the desk doesn’t count as a customer interaction!
When customers come in your door, they’ve got a wad of money they’d love to give you, and if they leave with that cash in their wallet, you’ve blown it!
Service isn’t just about greetings, upsells and closing, it’s about the product that you offer. Unless a product is on closeout, you should have a full range of fitments/sizings to meet your customers’ needs. If I want that sweet new graphic helmet, you should definitely stock it in my size. If you don’t, I’ll turn directly to your competition or maybe even an Internet retailer, and I won’t turn back! And while the reality is that you can’t stock everything all the time, you can make getting your customer the product they want as simple as possible. Don’t have it in stock today? Get it shipped overnight and if possible, have it shipped directly to your customer or offer to have your mobile service department drop it off directly at your customer’s home address.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to customer service, and in this tough economic climate, it is imperative that your shop provides a premium experience.
Events like the Tucker Rocky Dealer Show as well as SEMA’s new Dealer Update Workshops Nov. 1-2 in Las Vegas not only tune you into today’s top products, but their educational components fine tune your team so that you can provide the level of service today’s discerning customers demand.
