Considering that we are in a very challenging retail environment people can make or break any single day and it's interesting to note how one persons behaviour can have an effect on the way we all feel. Good feedback and comments really do make people feel good about what they do and for a long time now we have been aware of how lucky we are to have a really good customer base who are extremely generous with their feedback.
Having always structured our business around good customer service we are becoming increasingly concerned with the effects that some manufacturers customer satisfaction programmes are having on dealerships and the industry in general. It's almost as if somewhere along the line direction has been lost and this is ultimately leading dealers further away from looking after their customers individual needs by adopting a 'one size fits all' approach.
The trend for manufacturers to hold back dealer payments and to structure their customer contact programmes in a way that places more emphasis on certain big-name manufacturer surveys than genuine, honest and professional customer service will ultimately have nothing more than an erosive effect.
In an innovative move to counteract this Mitsubishi have taken a completely blank sheet of paper and totally redesigned their customer satisfaction programme to bring focus back to what really matters. Let's hope this refreshing approach doesn't go un-noticed in the industry and other manufacturers recognise the significance of Mitsubishi's move to bring focus back to the customer.
We must be careful to always remember what constitutes good customer service and listen to what our customers want. It shouldn't be about a number, a score, or a financial reward. Did we start out with the idea of running a retail business by providing bad customer service? Of course we didn't! .. As is often the case, a return to basics and a step back is all that's required.
We appreciate our customers and their many kind comments and feedback, some of which can be found here http://www.devonshire-motors.co.uk/testimonials
