You Lose with a Short Fuse
“You can feed your ego, or you can feed your family. You cannot do both.” Our old pal, Zig Ziglar, said this and he was right on the money.
Speaking of money, chances are, you won’t make any if you let your ego get in the way. Unfortunately, this happens all too often in business, when customers who feel they have been “done wrong” take it to the internet and blast you, your staff, and your business with a strongly worded negative review.
For some, ego takes over and thus begins the unraveling of what could have been a lifelong relationship with a good customer. The impulse is to make excuses for what happened, argue with them, and perhaps worst of all, write your own heated reply to their review online for all to see.
Studies show that the average powersports enthusiast spends about seven hundred and fifty dollars per year on service, gear, parts, and accessories. That’s a pretty good chunk of change to lose in exchange for feeling like you won an argument. So, how do you save face and these guys at the same time? I’m glad you asked.
A person who has a less than excellent experience with a business is eleven times more likely to go online and write a review about it. Imagine a solution that allows you to ask each and every customer that comes in about their visit to your dealership the very next day. Take that a step further, and imagine that every person who didn’t have a good experience is taken to a private review site, where they can berate you to their heart’s content without ever affecting your online reputation.
That’s exactly what the online reputation management portion of our Local Web Dominator does. Through an automated system, we allow those unhappy customers to vent their frustration and our Feedback tool filters those reviews from the positive ones. I know it isn’t always pretty, but these guys represent a lot of business. You need to hear them. However, instead of it rearing its ugly head on Google and crushing your star rating, enticing you to respond angrily on your own keyboard, it is quietly emailed to you and your management team. This allows you time to investigate the situation, find the solution, and contact the customer after your ego has had time to pipe down.
The result is that you are able to increase retention, address any systems or processes that led to the problem in the first place, and keep that customer and their money at your store. The Feedback system in our Local Web Dominator has helped many of our clients turn a disgruntled customer into a loyal friend of the dealership.
Call me today and let’s get your finger on the pulse of how happy or unhappy your customers are!
Marisa Tils
877-242-4472 ext 131
