Business

Auto Transport: Tips for Improving Customer Service and Boosting Your Business

In 2020, customer service is everything. Customers are talking about you online and in-person, and these opinions go a long way in informing others on whether or not to choose your business over a competitor. Online reviews on Yelp, Google, and Facebook are all playing a larger role in how customers view different restaurants and retail chains.

These reviews don’t apply solely to traditional consumer shopping destinations. Especially when it comes to companies that are less frequently required but no less important, word of mouth can play a major role in differentiating you from a competitor. If you run a car shipping business, here are a few ways to improve customer service.

As you know, car shipping comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. In some situations, you’re shipping cars on a mode of open transport, while other situations require enclosed transportation trailers. No matter what way you’re choosing to transport a vehicle, the end goal is always the same: get the car from point A to point B safely. In this line of business, there are a few common situations that will occur that may try your customer service team. It’s important to be ready for these kinds of questions and complaints so that you can always provide consistent, customer-centric support.

Car Arrived Damaged

While it’s your worst nightmare and the customer’s, too, when a car arrives damaged that doesn’t mean that you’ve completely burned a bridge. In these situations, it’s vital that you have agents who are capable of listening to the customer’s frustrations and deescalating the situation. Remember that it’s much easier to keep an existing customer than it is to attract a new one. As a result, you want to make sure that you’re always prioritizing the customer’s point of view in any interaction with them, especially when something has gone wrong.

Keep in mind that you and the customer both likely have insurance for these kinds of situations, and offer to help them file an insurance claim. Even for more costly scratches and dents, if the customer trusted you with their vehicle, you must make things right.

Questions About The Process

Sometimes, someone will call your customer support agents wanting to know more about how car transportation works. This is understandable since many times someone won’t have considered the ramifications of shipping a car until they’ve needed to get a vehicle across the country.

Be sure to instill in your customer support team the importance of patience and a willingness to have the heart of a teacher. An agent who is able to clearly and caringly explain how the car shipment process works, as well as any fees associated with transporting a vehicle, is much more likely to convert a caller from curious consumer to full-fledged customer.

Completing An Order Over The Phone

If you plan to schedule transportation jobs over the phone, it’s vital that you are able to do so in accordance with appropriate security measures. Utilizing a PCI compliant call center is crucial if you want to meet the minimum data encryption standards for credit card processing over the phone. Just as proper security protocols must be followed when you’re accepting credit card payments online, that same level of care needs to be used when call agents are taking orders.

While there is a larger margin for human error, if you use software from a platform like Bright Pattern, you can build in call-outs and pop-ups for your agents to follow to ensure that PCI compliance is properly enforced at any time that a sale is taken over the phone. This can give you and your customers peace of mind that everything will go smoothly and their data isn’t being put at risk.