Experience over price.
By Mike Edwards, Group Chief Sales and Marketing Officer
Customer-centricity is something of an obsession for me. Having spent most of my career leading F&I teams in major retail operations, getting this right was a critical priority. For this reason, this outstanding illustration of how to get things right by Macklin Motors Edinburgh East was a very welcoming addition to my inbox.
The reason for embracing a top-down obsession with creating good customer outcomes comes down to a simple ‘pain v gain’ assessment ‘Pain’ points include the risk of regulatory sanction, staff turnover, increased acquisition costs and reputational risk. To put the latter in context, Salesforce research notes that 62 % of customers say they share their bad experiences with others.
The gains are essentially the opposite of the above, but I want to focus on one critical gain; 64% of people say Customer Experience is more important than price when making a purchase. What I like about Mark Littlejohn’s comments around treating people the way you would wish to be treated is his philosophy’s impact on his team and their stability and the subsequent consistency they deliver. This, like the value of great customer experiences on retention, advocacy and acquisition costs, cannot be ignored.
At AutoProtect Group, we are committed to customer-centricity, evidenced by our 4.6 ‘Excellent’ rating from 7400+ customers. We want our dealers to know that their customers are in good hands with us regardless of the added value product/service delivered. We see ourselves as an extension of their businesses.
I’m delighted to see Mark’s focus on daily training. The combination of a coaching culture, being values-led and empowered by top-level leadership is a compelling case; little wonder the business received an award from Hyundai, for its commitment to excellent customer service.
To read the full story, please click HERE.