Those responsible for automotive customer care are in a very unique position.

These professionals are the people who stand between the front-of-house, interacting with customers and the outside world on a daily basis, and also interacting with internal stakeholders; the management, the professionals in the workshop, and more.

Being in this position means that automotive customer service professionals need to learn how to interact with both sides of the business to ensure that the best possible service is being delivered to the customer.

Here are a few considerations for an automotive customer service professional.

Don’t Hide The Truth

First and foremost, transparency and honesty are important to both internal stakeholders and automotive customers. There is no benefit in sugar-coating or leaving out important and difficult details about the situation being faced.

Empathise

In automotive customer service, one of the most valuable skills to have is the ability to put yourself in the shoes of another person. Understanding internal stakeholders and how they work will give you a great advantage when paired with your knowledge of customer’s needs, wants, and expectations.

Simplify

In the communication process between automotive customers and the automotive business itself, your role is to simply the information that flows both ways. This is important because internal and external parties are two very distinct groups that need different kinds of information.

For example, internal teams working in the workshop or garage need to know what symptoms the car may have been shown to the driver. Details such as noises or problems during driving are important for the teams to be able to diagnose the issue and perform the necessary repairs.

On the other hand, customers need to know the truth about what is wrong with their cars, trucks, or motorcycles, to justify whatever amount they have to pay to get it fixed.

Deliver the facts in as simple a way as possible, but always remember to be diplomatic and respectful when doing so.

Educate When You Communicate

Communicating to either side of the automotive customer service process is not just to provide information, but to help people understand the importance of that information.

For instance, informing your customer that there are repairs necessary for their vehicle is more effective when you tell them why that repair is important to them. Conversely, effective communication with internal teams helps to educate your mechanics on what is important to your automotive business’ customers.

This is why the role of a good automotive customer service professional is so important to the entire process. Not only is it to keep customers satisfied, it is also to help internal teams perform to the best of their abilities.