A Little Eye Contact?

I took my husband’s car in for service earlier this week, which I have to admit isn’t one of my favorite tasks. However, since his workday starts at 6am and our closest Pontiac dealer doesn’t open until 7, it’s a chore that falls under my realm of responsibility.

It was a very interesting experience from a customer service standpoint, starting with the fact that the service technician wouldn’t look at me. It was odd, as I told him about the six or seven items that we hoped would be covered under the warranty on our relatively new Grand Prix, he glanced up a few times, but never actually made eye contact.

I rattled off the issues, one by one, and he typed them into the computer. I also requested that he call my husband, who was the regular driver of the vehicle, to confirm the repairs. (I was worried I may have left out critical details so I know I mentioned it at least twice!) Needless to say, I felt uncomfortable, unheard and unappreciated. After all, there are at least two other Pontiac dealers within a short drive that I could have chosen to do the work for us. Did this lackadaisical gentleman appreciate that fact? Apparently not.

What happened next? Predictably, half of the repairs didn’t get done properly and one of them didn’t get done at all. And, strangely enough, my husband didn’t get that phone call to confirm the details. Unfortunately, it was exactly the result I expected as I left the dealership.

Eye contact is a critical part of connection and looking a customer in the eye when they’re talking shows respect and helps clarify communication. It also keeps you focused on what the person is communicating. The service technician that I was speaking to wasn’t really paying attention, as evidenced by his inaccurate notes. Needless to say, it resulted in not one, but two unhappy customers - me and my husband. Based on what I read in the newspapers every day about the struggling auto industry in the U.S., I’m willing to bet my experience wasn’t unusual and is repeated regularly at dealerships all over the country.

While the major issues with the car were repaired, the small nagging concerns are still there. When I go to the dealership for the next round, we’ll either go to a different dealer or ask for a different service tech. And you can be sure I’ll update this post!

Reflections:

Do you give your full attention to your customers or are you distracted? What can you do to help you focus 100% on the customer during all transactions?

Written by Lori Jo Vest on www.lovethemup.com