The case for MeasureUp Group

Hey, everyone, and welcome back for another deep dive.
It's great to be back.
So today we're going to be looking at Acura of Wappinger's Falls.
Okay.
And this is a dealership that is trying to up their game when it comes to customer experience.
And so they've partnered up with Aldi.
Yeah, Aldi, he's great.
From the Measureup group.
And what they're doing is implementing a call coaching program.
That's a great idea.
Which we love.
We love call coaching programs because it all starts on the phone.
And the general manager, Joseph Cifolino.
I know Joe.
Yeah.
Is really bought in, wants to see how this program can help him at dealership.
So Aldi went in there and did a baseline, recorded a whole bunch of calls, and we're going to listen to one today and see if we can't just pick out some areas of opportunity.
Sure.
So this is Ashley, a service rep, talking with Helen, who's got a 2024 Acura RDX.
Yeah.
At least that's what she's calling about.
So let's listen to this and we'll come back and break it down.
Sounds good.
Take a listen.
So right off the bat, Ashley kind of flubs the dealership's name.
Yeah.
She said Fishkill.
Acura of Fishkill.
Yeah.
And she also gets the year of the car wrong a couple of times now.
Yeah.
And that can be really damaging.
It seems like a small thing.
It does seem like a small thing, but when you think about it from the customer's perspective, I mean, a customer's thinking, okay, well, first of all, she doesn't even know what dealership she's at.
And then she can't remember what year my car is.
So is she really listening to me?
Exactly.
So even these small details can really.
Have a big impact.
Yeah.
Make the customer feel like, well, do they really care?
Do they have it together over there?
Exactly.
Am I going to get good service?
So it's super important.
We're not trying to be super picky here, but just pointing out how these small things can impact the customer's perception.
Absolutely.
And especially when you're dealing with luxury brands, you know, people have high expectations.
Yeah.
They're expecting a certain level of professionalism and attention to detail.
Yeah.
They're paying a lot for these vehicles.
They want to feel like they're, you know, they're the only customer that matters.
Right.
And so you gotta.
You gotta really be on top of your game.
You really do.
From the first interaction.
Absolutely.
So that's just yeah.
Again, just a little tidbit to kind of set the stage here for what we're going to dive into.
So now we're going to hear the part of the call where Helen is asking about a loaner car.
Okay.
And Ashley's going to give her some bad news.
So let's listen in on that.
All right, so there you have it.
A three month wait for a loaner car.
Not what you want to hear.
No, not at all.
Especially when you're dealing with a radio problem.
Right.
And you can hear Helen's frustration.
Yeah.
She's like, oh, my God.
You know, she's.
She's clearly upset.
Right.
And this is where Ashley really missed an opportunity.
Okay, how so?
Well, she just kind of delivered the news and then just left it hanging.
Right.
You know, there was no empathy, there was no attempt to try to understand Helen's frustration or offer any kind of alternative solution.
Yeah.
She was just kind of like, well, that's the policy.
Yeah.
And that's not going to make a customer feel good.
So what could she have done differently?
Well, first of all, she could have acknowledged Helen's frustration.
She could have said something like, helen, I understand that this is incredibly inconvenient and I'm so sorry for the wait.
Okay.
You know, just something to show that she understands how Helen's feeling.
Right.
So just acknowledge the customer's feelings.
Exactly.
And then she could have offered some alternative solutions.
Like what?
Well, maybe she could have offered to put Helen on a cancellation list.
Okay.
Or maybe she could have suggested that Helen check with her insurance company to see if they cover rental cars.
Oh, that's a good idea.
You know, just something to show that she's going the extra mile to try to help.
So it's not just about delivering the bad news.
Right.
It's about what you do after you deliver the bad news.
Exactly.
It's about how you handle the situation.
Right.
And how you make the customer feel.
And I think this is a perfect example of why Joseph Cifolino decided to try this call coaching program.
Right.
Because he wants his team to be able to handle these kinds of situations.
Exactly.
In a more professional and customer centric way.
Right.
He's not just looking to catch people doing things wrong.
No.
He's looking to coach them up.
Exactly.
And help them improve their skills.
And ultimately that's going to lead to.
Happier customers and more loyal customers.
Absolutely.
So let's listen to the last part of the call.
Okay.
We'll come back and wrap things up.
Sounds good.
So Ashley's Agreed to have Eddie, the manager, call Helen back.
Yeah.
And that's the end of the call.
But I feel like she missed another opportunity here.
I agree with you.
What do you think she could have done?
Well, she could have gathered more information about the radio problem.
Yeah.
You know, she could have asked Helen some questions, like is it happening all the time or just intermittently.
Right.
Or does it affect anything else in the car?
Yeah.
That would have given Eddie a better understanding of the situation.
Right.
And then maybe she could have offered some temporary solutions.
Yeah.
You know, maybe there's a reset button or something that Helen could try.
Right.
Or maybe she could have suggested that Helen bring the car in for a quick diagnostic.
Yeah.
Even if they couldn't fix it right away, at least they could give her some peace of mind.
Exactly.
And again, it's all about showing the customer that you're on their side and you're trying to help.
It's about taking ownership of the problem.
Exactly.
And not just passing the buck.
Right.
So this call has been a great example of how even small details can have a big impact on the customer experience.
Yeah.
And it's also been a great example of how call coaching can help dealerships like Acura, Wappinger's Falls improve their customer service.
I think Joe's gonna be really happy with this program.
I think so, too.
I mean, he's already bought in.
He's already seeing the value.
And I think once he sees how his team can improve their skills.
Yeah.
He's going to be a believer for life.
Absolutely.
So for our listeners out there, what's the main takeaway from today's deep dive?
Well, I think the biggest takeaway is that every customer interaction matters.
Okay.
No matter how small it might seem.
Right.
You need to treat every customer like they're the only customer you have.
Yeah.
And you need to make sure that your team is equipped to handle every situation with empathy.
Absolutely.
And professionalism in a genuine desire to help.
That's right.
Because at the end of the day, it's all about building relationships and creating loyal customers.
Absolutely.
So I hope that Joseph Cifolino and the team at Acura at Watpigers Falls continue to use this call coaching program.
Yeah.
And I hope that our listeners out there will take these lessons to heart.
Yeah.
And start thinking about how they can improve their own customer service.
So for all of you listening, we'll leave you with this thought.
Okay.
Think back to a time when you had an amazing customer service experience.
What made it so great?
What did the company do that made you feel valued and appreciated.
And how can you take those lessons and apply them to your own business?
Yeah, great question.
Because at the end of the day, we all want to create those wow.
Moments for our customers.
Absolutely.
So until next time, keep diving deep.
The seal yoop.