(Did we mention there are many?)
We know that your customers love video. Every time one of your service technicians sends an inspection video, it’s viewed more than once and shared nearly 40% of the time. We also know that the use of video reduces Net Promoter Score detractors by 77%. Customers appreciate how video pulls back the curtain on auto service and takes the mystery out of the technician’s explanation of what needs to be repaired or replaced. Video allows customers to trust that the services being performed on their vehicle are necessary and worthwhile.
But what are the tangible benefits of video for the service department?
Glad you asked.
Broadly speaking, video improves revenue, efficiency and customer satisfaction. The more a dealership implements video the greater each of these benefits will grow. To be more specific, there are several areas that video elevates across the entire service department.
Generate More Revenue
That’s what we’re here for, right? If a service department isn’t constantly looking for ways to make more money, it’s going to have a hard time succeeding. Dealerships that use video consistently are seeing an average increase of 20%-30% in customer pay labor dollars per repair order. And when those labor dollars go up, the whole team–technicians, advisors, managers–earns more money. Not to mention the dealership as a whole. One OEM reported an increase of $54 per RO over millions repair orders. If an average dealership does 800 ROs per month, a $54 improvement in each one translates into an additional $40,000 per month. Just by adding video.
Speed Up Response Times
Tom Petty famously told us that “the waiting is the hardest part.” In service departments especially, truer words were never spoken. Traditionally, technicians had to wait to communicate with the service advisor and then wait while the advisor connected with the customer before any work could be started on the vehicle. All that wait time became lost dollars and decreased efficiency. With a video and messaging platform, customers can watch the inspection video and then respond immediately with their decision on each recommendation. In fact, the average response time with video is just 2:27. That’s shorter than just about every Tom Petty song.
Set Yourself Apart
If you’ve seen one service department, you’ve seen them all. Or so the average customer thinks. Unless you’re doing something really special, that sentiment can be hard to disprove. Dealerships that use video give themselves a distinct advantage over shops that don’t have it. The first time a customer gets an inspection video, it’s a revelation. Something they’ve never experienced before and now no longer want to be without. But this opportunity to differentiate your dealership from the competition has a limited timeline. As more and more dealerships add video to their service offerings, the chance to build a loyal customer base decreases dramatically.
Improve CSI
Customer satisfaction is the ultimate prize for a service department. With higher CSI scores comes repeat business and more referrals. With inspection videos, customers become more educated and trusting about the recommendations from the service technician. As a result, CSI scores increase between 10% and 20% when video is used on a consistent basis. And, as we all know, a happier customer spends more money.
Elevate Your Service Offerings
Anybody can do an oil change. Dealerships that use video can offer an oil service. The difference is that an inspection video shows the customer that the technician took the time to evaluate the entire vehicle. Instead of just draining the oil pan and slugging in a few quarts of 10W-30. The video also certifies that the technician topped off all the fluids and adjusted the tire pressure when necessary. Successful service departments use video to show that they’re taking vehicle care to a higher level.
Transparency = Trust
For decades, we’ve asked customers to approve service and repairs, often pricey repairs, basically sight unseen. No wonder even a dealership’s best customers didn’t believe that everything they were paying for was necessary. Video allows service departments to show customers exactly what’s broken or worn down or not functioning properly and, just as importantly, explain the ramifications of fixing those items now or fixing them later. When you show your work, you build trust with your customers.
The Proof is in the Video
Perhaps the biggest benefit of an inspection video is showing that a vehicle inspection has actually been performed. Think about it. How would a customer ever be sure otherwise? It’s not like you invite them into the service bay to observe while you check fluid levels, pull filters and measure tire pressure. But, with video, you’ve got visual documentation that you did all those things and more. That makes it a lot easier for customers to listen to your recommendations.
Education is Key
The average customer doesn’t know a camshaft from an elevator shaft. So when you talk to them about rotors and serpentine belts and flywheels, you may as well be speaking in a foreign language. Video allows you to show parts of a customer’s vehicle that they wouldn’t normally see. You can demonstrate how each thing works and why it’s important to how the vehicle functions. When customers understand the details better, they feel more confident about making decisions on service.
Plan for the Future
Video isn’t just an important tool on the day of the vehicle inspection. Done properly, it sets the customer up for future service visits. Now that they know about measurements and wear, they’ll understand that things like tire treads, brake pads and filters will eventually need to be replaced. In the short term, your customers will know that their vehicle is safe to operate.
We know that video greatly improves the customer experience. Used consistently and correctly, video offers the service department a whole range of valuable benefits as well.
Interested in Learning More Insights?
For more insights into what we’ve learned along with details about how to film and narrate inspection videos and overcome barriers to successful implementation, order a copy of our comprehensive new book The Ultimate Guide to Inspection Videos.
