What is an Ambassador Customer?
Every good dealer has a number of ‘Ambassador’ customers. These customers are ‘off the scale’ satisfied. They’ll go out of their way to let others know how pleased they are with the service, attention and value. Then, there are the handful of dealers who have customers that raise the ‘Ambassador’ bar to an even higher level.
I call these customers ‘Passionate Fanatics’. These are the customers that will not only go out of their way to ‘sell’ your dealership to everyone they meet. These folks will get into a virtual fist fight to defend you against any negative criticism!
These ‘Ambassadors’ are not necessarily the customer that provides you the highest overall gross per sale. They aren’t even the customer that buys the most vehicles from you. They are the customers whose expectations have been greatly exceeded. Customers who truly love what you do, what you and your business stands for, and trust you implicitly. These customers refer everyone they meet to your business.
Identifying Ambassadors
Identifying ‘Ambassadors’ (and Passionate Fanatics) is a worthwhile marketing investment for every dealer. For starters, ask your team members…not just sales, but every department to help identify ‘our most satisfied…and happiest customers’. The front-line folks know who is unhappy and who is happy and who is ‘very happy.’ Reports from initial delivery surveys, unsolicited letters of thanks, phone calls, conversations with service advisers, F&I people, receptionists and even unexpected positive social media posts are all avenues of discovery.
Several years ago, over dinner with a dealer friend we talked about his internal customer service department. I asked what they did. He told me they were primarily fire fighters putting out brush fires with authority, responsibility and budget to try and make folks happy. We discussed the concept of taking some of that budget and doing things for customers who have had issues, but actually ‘like us’.
On analysis, we deduced that approximately 30% of our complaints were from people who would never be happy no matter what.
40% were just looking to get a fair solution.
30% were ‘loyalists’ who wanted us to be aware of a problem. These ‘loyalists’ cared about reputation and their relationship without business. By the end of our dinner we decide to put more of that ‘fix’ budget into the ‘loyalists’ bucket.
Since that time the dealership has enjoyed higher overall CSI in both internal and factory measurements.
Developing Passionate Fanatics
I learned the concept of developing ‘Passionate Fanatics’ when I owned a restaurant several decades ago. It was found that no matter what I did for some customers who complained, I could never win them over. But I found that when I did something special for a regular customer who often expressed satisfaction, brought friends and gave gift certificates, my actions of gratitude would win our business even greater loyalty. These ‘PF’ customers loved us, wanted us to do well and be profitable.
Once I asked a ‘PF’ customer why he and his wife were coming in to eat only on Wednesday evenings. His answer blew me away. He said he realized that during the summer months, we had heavy tourist business on weekends and he’d rather dine on a night that would actually help us rather than just building up a longer wait line on a weekend. That’s love folks.
Imagine if you had a customer come to buy a car from you on a Wednesday morning because he didn’t want to take the time of a salesperson on the business Saturday afternoon…since he knew he was going to buy from you anyway. Here’s something interesting. Many of my ‘Ambassadors’ became ‘Passionate Fanatics’ when they would refer friends to my restaurant and we would subsequently welcome those referred customers with a cocktail on the house.
Ideas For Your PF Customers
‘Ambassadors’ might write great reviews for you on Dealerrater but a Passionate Fanatic will go out of their way to challenge a negative review even enlisting other friends and customers in the process. Ambassadors will do a great job on a customer testimonial for your advertising, but a Passionate Fanatic will ‘sell’ you with ‘from the heart’ passion you can’t write a script for. And speaking of taping customer testimonials. Line up some of your ‘PF’ customers, turn on the camera and watch what they say. The best advertising you will ever create to tell your story.
A Ford dealer friend in the Northeast has a list of about 300 customers he labels his V.I.P. Ambassadors. Several times a year he holds special events to honor them. Often he will buy tickets for all of these customers to a spring flower show. Several times he has hired a hall and a popular local band for a ‘Oldies but Goodies’ dance night. Free admission for his VIPers. A cash bar benefits the local Kiwanis.
In the Midwest a Lincoln dealer offers free windshield wiper inserts to his VIP list every year. Installed by salespeople at a special barbeque welcoming event.
Some dealers are now experimenting with bar-coded/proximity labels that notify the dealership when the vehicle is on the dealership property. Everyone loves being appreciated. Imagine how your ‘Ambassador Customer’ would feel if the little gold window sticker on the back window initiated a personal greeting from someone at the dealership, especially in the service lane. And imagine the additional sales opportunities.
Just say thanks!
Sometimes it is nothing more than just a simple recognition and formal THANK YOU to the people who love you the most as demonstrated by their loyalty, their good words and their trust. Recognizing the marketing power of your very best customers may help grow your business and your bottom line in ways you can’t even imagine. Because it will create a positive atmosphere of service in all departments by all team members. My friend Bert Boeckmann, one of the greatest dealers in automotive history says: “It’s always the same basic thing, treat customers right. Always have a servant’s attitude. If not, please go work for my competitors.”
Here’s to spectacularly successful 2017!
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