Your customers have their habits, but those old habits may not be good for your business. If Henry Ford had asked what people wanted, we would have had faster horses. This is why you need to change your ways and routines to improve and simplify the customer experience tailored to the customer’s needs. Needs they may not have identified yet.
One great question in this respect is: Should you introduce self-service kiosks in your service drive? Many car dealerships see the digital landscape continue to drive innovation and transformation. The digital speed of service gives customers the option to bypass the counter. This seamless experience offers around-the-clock availability.
Customers should have complete control over their schedules. They should have the choice to pick up or drop off their vehicle keys at dealerships and workshops with self-service kiosks. At the same time, your service advisors can automate some of their tasks to concentrate on customer needs.
Two questions before you install a self-service kiosk:
1. What results are you trying to reach?
The key is knowing what you are trying to target with your self-service offerings. Do you want to speed up production, reduce costs, or remove waiting time for vehicles in and out of the service department?
2. Are you prepared to learn a new game?
Self-served customer journeys are a different game. If all you do is buy a self-service kiosk and repeat yourself on a screen, you’ll be a very boring self-service offering, and your self-service concept could fail.
To keep customers happy and streamline your workflow, you need to release a new end-to-end customer journey. Customers are creatures of habit, and any self-served customer journey aims to become part of their routine with complete peace of mind and a hundred percent paperless customer experience.
If you don’t take this approach, your customers will most likely find another car dealer or workshop and will not return to you.
I think it comes down to this: most people book and make their service appointments and check in with their mobile devices while doing something else, yet they are still able to stay focused on the self-serve concept.
Elements of the self-service kiosk eco system
Some of the elements in the digital ecosystem are:
- Home check-in
- Kiosk check-in
- Communication via SMS
- Dealership apps
- Digital signature
- Payments
After-sales software allows you to digitalize your workshop and processes. It allows you to send photos and videos via SMS or email to the customer. A checklist with suggested work can be approved or rejected online. Software can also enhance and digitalize your service workflows and operations thus:
- Building and maintaining satisfied, repeat customers
- Customers appreciate speed over waiting in line
- Upsell opportunities through technology
- Trade valuations during service visits
Imagine what this can mean for your dealership.
The self-service kiosk is the way forward for customer service
When customers manage their service appointments while walking, shopping, working, or relaxing, they’ve already allotted the proper amount of time to the experience. They can do everything themselves, painlessly and trouble-free.
There can be a delicate balance between personal guidance and self-service, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not that difficult.
The key is to be willing to “go there” and rethink. Building a superior digital customer journey is about transformation and software integration. And the rewards will surprise you.
The Sharebox self-service kiosk has an intuitive design and is simple to use. It also offers multi-language options for clear communication. Together, Fleetback and Sharebox leverage a wide array of innovative solutions that will empower cutting-edge technology and accelerate your dealership's journey toward digital transformation.
