
If I were to ask you what you find maddening, what would be on your list?
I’ll go first:
When my phone charger is missing because my kids took it and never put it back.
Choosing the slowest lane in the grocery store because the person in front of you pulled out an entire pile of coupons.
When I buy a new mobile phone and then spend hours mind-numbingly trying to transfer everything from my old one.
When slow drivers drive in the passing lane. Enough said.
I am not trying to raise your blood pressure before you even start reading this, but I need to point something out: If you ask your customers the same question, they might often say dealing with your dealership’s service department drives them crazy.
They would not say that because they think you are intentionally trying to cause pain and suffering in your customers’ lives, much like the examples above (minus the slow drivers—they are trying to ruin your life). When customers bring their RV to your service department for a repair, they frequently have many questions swirling around in their heads, such as:
“Did I make the wrong choice buying this RV?”
“How much is this going to cost?”
“When will I really get my RV back?”
How your customers perceive your service department comes down to one issue: friction or inconvenience. Nothing is more irritating in our on-demand culture than being inconvenienced or having a negative customer experience. Let’s be real; there is never a time when someone’s RV is in your service department that is convenient for the customer.
The Truth About Customer Experience
I know what you think: “Great, what a motivational talk—customers will always be inconvenienced when working with the service department.” Well, that is partially true. However, you can put processes in place in the service department to minimize the inconvenience, which then directly improves the customer experience.
You may or may not realize that every customer will have an experience with your service department. So, the question is, will their experience be a good one?
When I talk about customer experience, most dealer owners and managers often react with their eyes glazing over, like someone started reading the dictionary page by page. They know the customer experience is essential but frequently miss how an exceptional customer experience translates to a dealership in real time, especially in the service department.
Here is the kicker: The customer-experience ripple effect goes far beyond the maintenance or repair of the RV being serviced. I firmly believe the encounter customers have with your service department will be the most significant single factor in where they choose to buy their next RV.
Yep, I said what I said.
Improving the Service Department Experience
If customer experience is the make-or-break factor for your service department, let’s break down the critical components of an incredible customer experience and how to make them work in your service department.
- Keep It Smooth and Easy
When you need something, what is the worst part of any transaction? Waiting. Whether you are four years old or 104, waiting can be downright painful. Waiting worsens when you do not know how long you really have to wait.
When this happens, the phones start ringing off the hook, and customers start calling repeatedly to “just check on the status of their RV.”
Sound familiar?
If you simply mastered just this part of the customer experience—keeping customers informed—you would create a better experience than most other dealerships. I know that telling a customer exactly how long repairs will take is hard because, let’s face it, your service techs often do not know what they will find when they pull the RV into the bay. Some simple strategies can make this easier. Consider these your service department’s “party tricks”—although, unless you are at a party with other dealership owners or managers, no one else will actually think this is cool.
To give a customer an estimate of how long it will take to get their RV back, you need a few pieces of information.
First, find your total wrench time on 30 RVs that have gone through your service department. Add up the time for those 30 RVs and then divide the sum by 30 to get the average time to complete a repair. Next, you will simply multiply that number by the number of RVs in front of the customer and divide the answer by the number of techs you have.
Let me give you an example. In my hypothetical RV dealership, my total wrench time on the last 30 units was 135 hours. Dividing that wrench time by 30 equals 4.5 hours. This tells me that, on average, completing a repair on an RV takes 4.5 hours.
Now, if I have three technicians and 12 RVs are ahead of this customer, I can figure out a rough estimate of how long the service department will take before we get to the customer’s RV. By multiplying 12—the number of RVs ahead of the customer—by 4.5—the number of hours on average to complete a repair—the result is 54 hours. Since I have three techs, I divide 54 by three. This would leave me with 18 hours. Since most techs work 40 hours a week, this would tell you that you could safely tell the customer you would be able to get to their RV within three days.
By consistently updating the customer and setting expectations upfront, you can make a world of difference in their experience. Let them know if there is a delay. Do not wait for them to call you. The fewer surprises, the better.
- Speak Their Language
Ever seen this interaction before? The lights dim dramatically, and the service manager, with arms crossed, looks at the customer and says, “So, tell me again, what is going on with the RV?”
The customer, who now also has arms crossed, says, “I am not sure, but it keeps making a strange sound. It sounds like…” (insert the most bizarre sound you have ever heard).
Immediately, we learned that the service manager and the customer spoke two different languages,
which was a huge red flag. In a dealership, getting caught up in industry jargon is easy. We throw around acronyms and insider terms like “we need to put in an emergency order for parts,” which is different from a special order, of course.
Customers are entering an entirely different world, and no one feels comfortable when they do not understand what is being said. When a customer feels uncomfortable, walls go up and no one wins.
What is the solution? Speak their language.
Break down the jargon and talk to them in terms they will grasp. This simple adjustment can make them feel included, understood and at ease during the entire service process.
- Stay Honest and Keep It Real
Another issue that can halt a positive customer experience quicker than the sound of nails on a chalkboard is having to go back to the customer repeatedly to add more time or ask for more money.
In service, you generally have one chance to return to the customer to ask for more money. That is why pricing correctly from the beginning is critical.
If you are unsure what the cost will really be, here is what to do. Based on your information about the RV’s issues, I want you to ask the customer to authorize the repair up to that amount plus 10%. Now, if we get the RV in and it is actually less than the number the customer authorized, you look like a hero because you came in under your quoted amount.
On the flip side, if you get into the job and need a little extra time, it’s already built-in, and you do not have to bother the customer with calls, texts or carrier pigeons asking for more money. So, you are still a hero.
No one likes surprise expenses, and not quoting jobs correctly will erode trust quickly. Customers expect you to give them the complete picture upfront, even if the story is not what they want to hear. Be honest about the repair time, costs and any potential complications.
Customer Experience Is the Key to Loyalty
At the end of the day, every service department will face challenges. If you can minimize friction, keep communication clear and honest and make the process as smooth as possible, you will create loyal customers and turn your service department into a key part of long-term dealership success.
Creating a frictionless customer experience is not just about fixing an RV. It is about building trust, growing relationships and ensuring that when your customers leave, they feel valued, understood and—dare I say—a little less crazy than when they entered.
The next time someone mentions their experience with your service department, make sure they tell a story about how easy, honest and enjoyable their encounter was. That is the kind of word-of-mouth success that will keep customers coming back—and bringing their friends along, too.
Sara Hey is the vice president of business development at Bob Clements International. She has worked in her family’s business and with family-owned dealerships over the last 10-plus years.