Episode #144- Meeting consumer Needs: Explaining the Process

Are you ready to uncover the secret to exceptional customer service? 

We're digging deep into understanding and fulfilling your customers' emotional needs., I'll unpack the mysteries around your customers' emotional satisfaction and how acknowledging this can take your customer interactions from stress-inducing to spectacular. 

Drawing from real-world experiences, we’ll explore the impact of clarity and empathy on customer satisfaction, and expose how a lack of these can lead to disappointment and, ultimately, loss of business.
 
 In this weeks episode, we'll highlight the commonalities between the medical and auto and collision repair industries, and how small adjustments can make a world of difference in providing a positive customer experience. We'll discuss how confusion, lack of understanding, and the fear of making the wrong decision can negatively affect the customer's perception of your business. But fear not, we'll also reveal how to flip these negatives into positives through understanding and meeting the emotional needs of your customers. So, brace yourself for a mind-wrenching episode that promises to challenge your current perception of customer service and provide a fresh perspective on how to provide world-class customer satisfaction, through transparency of the repair process & meeting their emotional needs!

Transcript

Rick: 0:00

So what is the actual, real need of the consumer, regardless if it's in the medical or auto and collision repair industry? Well, realistically, it's so simple, yet it hides in plain sight meeting their emotional needs. See, we humans are emotional creatures. Our emotions control our perception of the world around us, and our emotions are created by our thoughts and experiences. Finding customer service or an exceptional customer experience is super simple and can be achieved almost every single time.

Rick: 0:38

Welcome to the MindWrench podcast with your host, rick Selover, where minor adjustments produce major improvements in mindset, personal growth and success. This is the place to be every Monday, where we make small improvements and take positive actions in our business and personal lives that will make a major impact in our success. Next level growth and quality of life.

Rick: 1:07

Hey, what's up everybody. Welcome to the MindWrench podcast. I'm your host, rick Selover. Thanks so much for stopping in. If you're a returning listener and haven't done so already, please take a minute and click the follow or subscribe button and then rate and review the show. When you rate and review the show, the algorithms for Apple, Spotify, google podcasts, iheart radio, amazon music and all the other platforms will see that it's valuable and show it to more people that have never seen it before, and hopefully it can help them too.

Rick: 1:34

I would really, really, really appreciate your help, sharing this word with your friends and family as well, and if you're a brand new listener, welcome. I hope you find something of value here that helps you in your personal or professional life as well. Please make sure to click the subscribe or follow button so you never miss another episode. How many times have you gone to a doctor's office to check on an ailment, unusual pain or nagging concern that you may have? And, after filling out several forums and questionnaires, you're assured to a room where you sit and wait and wait, and wait some more, till the doctor pops in, checks a couple things, pokes around a bit, asks a couple questions, wait didn't you just answer a shitload of questions on a couple forums.

Rick: 2:16

Yeah, and it proceeds to prescribe you a procedure, medication or send you off to a specialist and is out of the door within five to eight minutes. Did the actual doctor visit go so fast you didn't even get a chance to think of, let alone ask, the questions that you needed answers for. And how did you feel after that visit? Confused, disappointed, uncertain, maybe even processed.

Rick: 2:42

You know, like an oil change. On top of that, a month later, the explanation of benefits shows up with 25 line item charges that you don't even understand and a balance you would owe. That leaves you scratching your head, muttering four letter words out loud. Right Now, this absolutely does not apply to every medical visit that happens in the world, but this is a pretty accurate accounting of most of mine and my family's visits. Well, to be honest, for the most part the collision repair shop experience isn't much better. No, it's not. The average shop visit looks something like this Customer walks into the front office, waits to be acknowledged by the CSR on the phone or the estimator on the computer, or parts person that doesn't even really work there as you're just waiting on a check, or anybody for that matter.

Rick: 3:29

Finally gets addressed, asked if insurance or customer pay. This one confuses most right off the bat. They don't even know yet they're given some forms to fill out and then they wait and wait for the estimator. When the estimator walks, the customer outside to look at the vehicle, asks again if this is an insurance job or cash pay. Customer still not sure. Yet If yes, the estimator tells customer hey, we'll just work off the insurance estimate, which the customer doesn't really understand what that means either. If cash pay, the estimator continues to writing an estimate, totals it up, hands it to the customer and says something like let me know if you want to schedule it Now. We're booked up about five weeks, but we'll make it look just like new.

Rick: 4:11

The customer looks at the estimate. It has a flood of emotions after seeing this little vendor vendor of theirs will cost over 7,500 bucks and walks away wondering many things Like is this right? Why so much? It's just a small area damaged. Is this the right place to get my car fixed? And so many other questions. But mainly, what the hell should I do next? Or maybe they're coming back to pick up their vehicle after the shop that their insurance company suggested they get it fixed at. You know so it's guaranteed.

Rick: 4:41

And as they look the car over in the parking lot before they go in, they notice a dent in the rear part of the driver's door, along with the scratched trim molding above. It was not fixed, even though that damage definitely happened during the accident. They also notice that the front bumper gaps to the fenders and the grille look like a crooked smile. So when the end of the front office to ask about these issues, the estimator or CSR says something like well, that's all the insurance company would pay for. They didn't write it to repair the door dent or replace the molding. It must have been prior damage. You'll probably have to file another claim. And when you ask again about the fit of the front bumper cover, the shop says, well, it's an aftermarket cover. They never seem to fit like the factory parts. But it's all your insurance company says they'll pay for, even though your car is less than a year old. And as you look over the final bill, you see customer owes $225. Why do I owe more money? Isn't my deductible all I'm responsible for? Oh yeah, usually. But insurance wouldn't pay for a new tire and it was damaged and we had to get a factory part that they wrote for aftermarket and you'll have to pay the difference. Ah yes, another satisfied customer and another five star review on Google right Wrong.

Rick: 5:56

Although the medical and collision centers seem vastly different on the surface, at the core level that matters the customer experience. They are very similar. Customers or clients in both scenarios experience the same feelings of confusion. Am I at the right place? Is this the right service I'm receiving? What should I do next? What is the right thing to do? Or could be disappointment. I thought I'd be treated better. I'm not really satisfied. I feel like I was shortchanged or I felt like they didn't care about me. Or maybe it's lack of understanding. What is normal in this process? What should I expect from the service provider? What are my rights as a consumer? I feel uneducated in this process and a little scared of making the wrong decision.

Rick: 6:45

And, as Mike Anderson from Collision Advice says in his keynote presentation this year, people are more afraid of making the wrong decision than they are spending money. Have you ever looked in the mirror and said to yourself how come I'm not further along than this? Or why can't I ever seem to get ahead? You're frustrated with life, unsure of your future, wanting to make a change in your current situation, but too scared to make that next move. Maybe you want to reach that next level in life or in your business, but not sure what the right move is. Or maybe you feel the best thing to do is nothing at all.

Rick: 7:18

Many of you may not know, but, along with hosting my own weekly podcast, I'm a personal development mindset, business and life coach where I focus on helping people with self development mindset and how to make positive changes in their lives. And trust me, with all the negativity we've had to deal with these past two years, I think we all need some positivity, a positive change and a fresh approach to our life or our business. Sometimes talking to the right person can make all the difference. If you really want to start making those changes in your life, take action right now. Reach out and email, text, call or direct message me as soon as possible. Do it right now. I'll set you up with a free consultation call and pre-qualify you for either the one-on-one or business coaching that you really need to get your life or your business on the right track and success. Appointments are available right now.

Rick: 8:06

So what is the actual, real need of the consumer, regardless if it's in the medical or auto and collision repair industry? Well, realistically, it's so simple, yet it hides in plain sight Meeting their emotional needs. See, we humans are emotional creatures. Our emotions control our perception of the world around us and our emotions are created by our thoughts and experiences. Outstanding customer service or an exceptional customer experience is super simple and can be achieved almost every single time If we just understand this little fact of life and adjust our customer interactions accordingly in these four key areas Number one acknowledgement. Number two understanding. Number three transparency. And number four caring. These are the four key areas of adjustment needed, and all these can be accomplished through how we communicate with the customer. Let's do a quick breakdown in each of these areas to further understand what I mean.

Rick: 9:06

Number one acknowledgement. People have a deep need to be heard, listened to and understood. Once you let the customer talk, first explain their situation, do more listening than talking, and that means don't cut them off mid-thought and when they're finished, ask is there anything else? And then wait. Number two understanding. Once your customer knows you understand them, then they'll be open and appreciate you helping them understand the process. Okay, what happens next? What do I need to do? Who's my point of contact? How long does this repair take? Does the insurance company decide how my car gets fixed? If not, then who does? Walking someone through exactly what takes place and setting their expectations will reduce the stress, anxiety and fear of the unknown, which will instill the confidence that they need to feel good about your shop handling the repairs. And this is where having a rock solid repair planning discovery appointment with your client can help make all the difference in establishing complete understanding and confidence in your shop's repair process abilities.

Rick: 10:15

Number three transparency. Nobody likes to feel like they've been duped or had the wool pull over their eyes in any area of their life, but when repairing their vehicle. The auto repair industry already has an existing stigma of being a little shady to begin with. Right, your efforts in providing transparency at the start and throughout the complete process is absolutely necessary to eliminate this little mistrust. Constant communication, the no update update, making them aware of any parts delays, production stoppages or additional damage found, and including the customer on any email communications with their insurance companies will help foster an environment of trust with your shop.

Rick: 10:58

And probably most critical is number four caring. It has been said many times before that people won't care about doing business with you until they know you care about them. Showing things like empathy you know they just wrecked their car, maybe somebody was hurt. Did you even ask Compassion, courtesy and consideration during the complete repair process and some gratitude from your establishment after the job is finished? Think about thank you cards or a courtesy, detailed job 30 days after the repair, or maybe a gift card from a local diner as a thank you for choosing your shop are all great ways to show a little gratitude, and it could reap massive rewards later down the road.

Rick: 11:44

Now, if you stop and think about it for a minute, the human body hasn't changed since the dawn of man, right? And how the medical system processes people may never change from the way it is now. And for the most part, consumers or patients have come to expect this process and normally don't shop around when it comes to medical facilities right. But when it comes to collision repair facilities, they will most always shop around because at this point they only see it as a cost, unlike the human body. Vehicles are all very different from each manufacturer, each model each year, electric or gas powered, and the list goes on and on. And with all the technology advances in electronics, safety systems, radar, ladar, adas and everything else, having a proper repair planning process that involves the customer and meeting those emotional needs can make all the difference in the world to ensure an incredible as well as an effective customer experience first time and every time.

Rick: 12:48

Now, for those of you doubters out there and I know there'll be a few of you at least that think this whole subject is just too touchy-feely and it really doesn't make a difference and I'm not doing that shit. What am I supposed to give them a hug to? That's okay. You can operate your business however you choose. It is your business. I'm just merely suggesting a better process that has been extremely successful for some other shops.

Rick: 13:15

I've seen letters from customers to the repair shops saying how much they appreciated the time spent with them to explain the complete repair process, educate them on consumers' rights, educate them on OEM repair procedures and the safety concerns that are part of repairing a vehicle, and wait for it, how they'll tell all their family and friends to make sure, if they ever get in a wreck, don't take it anywhere else but that shop. Your best results will come from making these simple adjustments to how you handle your customers, how you meet their emotional needs. Spending the time to sit down with your customer and carefully explain how the process works, what to expect, all the steps that are involved will greatly improve not only your customer's experience but your CSI scores as well. Well, that's all I had for you today. Thanks again for tuning in. I really appreciate your support and I hope you have a great week. I can always be reached at www. rickselover. com, where you can find all my social media links podcast episodes, blog posts and much more. I'll see you in the next one.