The automobile business takes its roots from the days of horse-trading. While many things have changed since the days of animal-powered transport, many things have remained the same. Customers and salespeople negotiate on the sale, payment options, and delivery dates. Both customers and salespeople want the same thing … to have a vehicle change hands. For me, it is very exciting to see a family drive off in a new car.
In operating a dealership, there are two main aspects to being successful… first is employee satisfaction and second is customer satisfaction. We are truly a team of people doing very different jobs. It is important that employees treat each other well. This means they are responsive to each other’s needs and always try to help each other. When employees care about each other’s goals, greatness is accomplished. Service people, sales people, business managers, office personnel, detailers, and porters all have to work together to provide the highest level of customer service. Without high employee satisfaction, it is impossible to have high customer satisfaction.
A car dealership is dynamic. It is the product, service and hospitality business all-in-one. Once employee satisfaction is high, we can provide exceptional customer satisfaction. Customers want to be treated with respect and equally as important, they don’t want their time wasted … even a short amount. Customers want efficient service in a friendly and honest environment. They want to be treated fairly and to be kept informed at all points during the sales process. Yes, the deal is important, but so is the customer’s time and ease of transaction.
While the automobile business has changed over the years due to advances in technology, the guiding principles of employee and customer satisfaction are still the same. Dealerships adhering to these principles will succeed through repeat business, customer referrals and attracting customer-focused employees.
Jim Tierney, COO Gengras Motors
Gengras Motors 