AutoNation Lets Customers Peek at Next Gen Ideas

AutoNation, an automotive retailer, has opened its customer experience improvement list to its customers. Like many other brands, including trendsetter-in-sharing-ideas-with-its-customers Starbucks, Auto Nation is hoping not only to cash in on free ideas from customers, but also to give them the opportunity to vent as well. It’s well known that pointing out one’s own flaws defuses the wrath some customers bring. At this time, the split between good ideas that spring from creative thinking and those that are born from bad experiences are about equal.

Dealership experiences are fraught with problems. So much so that many people who are excited about getting a new ride are equally dismayed at the prospect of having to deal with the dealers. Sleazy sales tactics, price changes, pressure tactics, and last-minute switch-a-roos are common in many people’s psyche.

We've all met someone like this

What AutoNation is doing is absolutely correct–listening to their customers. When car buyers complain and when they share ideas, they are giving the dealership chain a gift. They are saying exactly what they want and how they want it. All the dealer has to do is collect and prioritize the responses, then start working on the list.

Wait a minute. Is it really that easy? 

Well, it’s easier to talk about than to do, but it doesn’t take rocket science or even fancy software to start your own Voice of the Customer program.

Start with a list of questions to ask.

Avoid generic questions like “How did you like our dealership?” Be specific, instead. Try “What prompted you to come into the dealership today?” or “What was the highlight of your visit today?” and/or “Were you uncomfortable at any time during your visit today? Please tell us about it.” Give your customers and visitors permission to speak openly with you.

Decide on a way to capture the answers.

Use a logbook. Have someone interview the sales team at the end of their shifts. Set up a free SurveyMonkey account. Follow the path of least resistance to get the most responses.

Meet regularly to make improvements to the business and communicate back to contributors/complainers.

Schedule six months of meetings in advance with a creative person, an analytical person, and a financial decision-maker. The creative will turn raw comments into ideas for improving the customer experience. The analytical person will help you narrow down to the best implementation. The financial decision-maker will think through and prioritize what gets implemented in an order that’s economically efficient and acceptable to the owners/leaders of the dealership.

Summary

Competitors might think its a blunder to expose so many potential negatives. However, a year from now, AutoNation will have gone through hundreds of problems and ideas, acted on some of them, and, in the end, improved the dealership in the eyes of the customers and employees. And that can only mean an improved bottom line as well for investors and owners.

You can see the AutoNation site here: manyhttps://www.autonationideas.spigit.com/Page/ViewIdeas.

You can share you own great customer experiences right here.  Or, your bad ones right here.