The December IMI lecture evening took place at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin last Thursday. The theme of the lecture was “Managing & Selling Value for Money” and it was presented by Richard Owen of AIT Training Developments.

Richard explained how good aftermarket service was now absolutely key to the profitability of many motor industry businesses. He also pointed out that despite many dealers investing many millions of Euro in premises and showrooms it is still good people that are the most vital to making a business profitable.

Using acted out examples, Richard demonstrated how the difference between good and bad customer service was costing businesses in terms of lost business, but also explained how some organisations were also losing out by turning customer service into a process at the expense of customer care. This he said meant that the interactive human element of the customer relationship was being lost. 

He then pointed out that when dealing with a customer it is important to get the situation and setting right and have the right person in front of the customer. This means someone who has the time and empathy to understand the needs of customers as individuals, can develop trust and make the customer understand and feel positive about their buying decisions. Richard said that to ensure this happens it is important to get a firm grip on the skills, abilities and personality profiles of key customer facing staff.

Throughout the presentation actual examples and demonstrations were given to illustrate points. In particular it was shown how a service operation’s profitability can be boosted with the right policies and staff. In particular it was pointed out how up-sold services impacted directly on the bottom line. A real life example was given of how investment of around €30,000 pa in an additional service advisor, given the time and tools to up-sell had generated an additional service profit of €260,000 for one service department.