Monday, April 7, 2008

How to Have Perfect CSI (Well...most of the time)

Take the Detroit Tigers...

...Please take them!

Just kidding. Take the Detroit Tigers. They have the second highest pay in the league. They have a pitcher who threw a no-hitter last year, they have a future all-star catcher who is about to get hit 2500 (if he hasn't done it yet) and they have a coach who still wears cleats (and one time smoked a carton of cigarettes by himself during a rain out.)

What don't they have? A good score right now. As of today they are 0 and 6 and about to play Boston who will probably cream them.

Why am I bringing this up? Because of CSI--your score. You could sell 30 cars a month and have a terrible CSI and odds are that your manager will look at your score instead of your sales. Why? Because they probably get paid on it! One thing is for sure--dealerships get spiffs from the auto companies and they usually depend on having good CSI scores. Also, it's bragging rights for dealers (my guys are .05 ahead of you! Hahahaha) and the white color executives at the manufacturer like to pore over numbers and say how good they are doing, even if their sales are tanking. I can hear it now... "Hey--we lost 23% in sales last year" "Yeah--but our 'top box' is now 82.665 percent!" "Good job! Keep up the good work."

Ugh.

Well, we have to live with it so I'm going to tell you my secrets to having perfect CSI (well, most of the time.) I have perfected these techniques over the years and normally have the highest CSI in the dealership. There was a point, last year, where I was actually at the bottom of the barrel but I was very stressed out at the time and hated the car business. Well, I'm back to almost loving the car business (if the American Axle strike would end and we would stock up on inventory I would love it again) and my CSI is back to 100% completely satisfied.

OK--so in no particular order, here is what I personally do to maintain perfect CSI (well, most of the time.)

I have a sample CSI that I show my customer after they do their paperwork. Here is what I tell them. "Biff, here is a copy of a survey that you are going to receive from GM in about 2-3 weeks. I need two favors from you. Favor one, please fill it out and send it in and favor two, please put that you are completely satisfied." I then point to the completely satisfied section. "It's kind of like my report card--completely satisfied is the only score that helps me pass. Any other score, including very satisfied, fails me. Pretty strict, isn't it?" Usually the customer agrees with me. Then I add, "I would never ask you to lie for me but please just do me this favor. This survey is very important to me and the dealership. Could you please help me out and put completely satisfied? But if you can't, don't lie for me. Just please call me first and let me know what's bothering you so I'll at least have the chance to make you happy. OK?"

I know it's a long speech but it works to set up the customer.

The day they buy, I send them a post card that is all colorful thanking them for their business and reminding them to call me if they have any questions about their car.

The day after they buy, I call them to see if they had any questions about their car. By then, they sometimes have the post card and actually thank me for sending it.

14 days after the sale, I send them a letter reminding them about the CSI and asking them for referrals.

A couple of days later, I call and ask them if they received the CSI in the mail yet. If not I say, "Do me a favor--call me the moment you get it. I'm trying to track how long these take to get to my customers because some have said that haven't received it yet." Who is going to say no to a favor?

If they say yes, "Did you fill it out yet?" If not, remind them to "take care of you" and put completely satisfied. If they say that they filled it out say, "Did you take care of me?"

OK--back to the guy 2 paragraphs up who promised to call you when he gets it, ask him to bring it up to the dealership. "Hey--can you bring it by? Some of my customers have said that it is different and I'd like to have a recent copy to check out--it would really help me out." I love that phrase, by the way. Practice it... It would really help me out. People like helping others.

OK--a couple of observations here.

  • If you treat your customers like dirt, they will blast you on your CSI.
  • If you make any promise to a customer, no matter how minor, and you don't keep your promise, they will blast you on your CSI.
  • If your customer has any problem with their car between purchase-date and CSI-date, they will probably blast you on your CSI. Unless, of course, your service department does a fantastic job taking care of them.
  • If you kept out any lack of features that your customer wants and they find out, they will definitely blast you on your CSI.
  • If you don't call them to thank them (or at least send a thank you card) they will most likely blast you on your CSI.
  • If your F&I treats them bad, they will blast you on your CSI (even though it wasn't your fault...)
OK--I know what you may be thinking. What is the use of manipulating my customers with letters, post cards, etc. just to get them to say they are completely satisfied? Well, I really believe that the big whigs don't care if a customer is completely satisfied--they just care if they put completely satisfied on the survey.

So--you're in a war and your job is to take the machine gun nest. A good leader will not tell you step by step how to take it out but give you a nudge in the right direction and say, "Do what you have to do but I need that machine gun nest taken out."

CSI is the same way. The big whigs don't care how you do it--they just want it done.

By the way, Detroit Tigers, I don't care how you do it--just start winning! This is getting embarrassing!

Marv Chomer
www.CarSalesAssistant.com

p.s. If this article helps you in any way, please pay it forward and check out my Car Sales Assistant 2008 software that will help you sell more cars!

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