New TEXT2DRIVE Study Reveals Technology Consumers Seek in Dealership Service Lane

CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–TEXT2DRIVE, a fixed operations customer experience suite designed to help automotive dealerships improve customer experience, increase profitability and increase CSI scores, today released the results of its proprietary study with consumers focused on satisfaction and retention of dealer service.

Research firm JD Power has learned that dealerships capture 88% of annual customer service visits within the first three years of ownership – but what keeps them coming back after that? According to a recent TEXT2DRIVE* survey of 1,000 U.S. drivers, 54% want a digital vehicle inspection (DVI) tool they can view on a mobile device to authorize recommended repairs. Nearly 53% want SMS communications and notifications, followed by pre-scheduled vehicle pickup at 48% and online payment and payment at 45%.

Why DVI? : When asked to identify the benefits of a digital experience that included a mobile-accessible inspection report with photos, videos and pricing, 53% of respondents said “a better understanding of recommended repairs” , followed by “clear quotes and price estimates” at 50. percent, and “approve and deny repairs remotely” at 47 percent.

Text to win: The survey found that only one in three respondents are very familiar with their vehicle’s factory-recommended maintenance schedule. He also revealed that text is the preferred communication channel for dealerships to keep owners on track with maintenance milestones. Nearly half of respondents said they would prefer to receive text messages for recommended maintenance reminders, just below appointment reminders at 57% and appointment booking reminders at 54%. In fact, texting was preferred overall by 42% of respondents, followed by email by 29% and phone communication by just 18%.

Knowledge of vehicle, confidence of steering owners to service lane: As for why respondents choose to have their vehicle serviced at the dealership, the majority (59%) believe the dealership knows their vehicle best, while 41% believe dealerships are more trustworthy, and around a third choose dealer service for convenience.

1 in 4 say the service experience exceeded expectations: Among respondents who had recently visited a service lane at a dealership, only one in four said their past experiences exceeded their expectations, while 57% of respondents said their dealership met their expectations. Overall, only 17% of respondents said their service experience did not meet their expectations.

“Like the emergence of digital retail tools in front-end departments, COVID-19 has helped service departments enter the digital age, and as we can see from our survey, there is no no turning back,” said Gregg C. Owen, CEO of TEXT2DRIVE. . “We know that technologies such as digital inspection, SMS and online payments not only increase customer satisfaction, but also the rate of completion of recommended service and dollars earned per repair order. This study confirms that these technological tools are essential to loyalty and profitability. »

Conclusion: Vehicle knowledge, confidence and convenience are the reasons vehicle owners choose dealerships over aftermarket repair shops. Drivers want digital multipoint inspection tools that allow them to review and authorize service recommendations. These results align with JD Power’s 2022 Customer Service Satisfaction Index study, which noted that customers are three times more likely to approve of repair recommendations when photos or video are included in the communication. . Additionally, results showed that text messages sent by service departments that provide reminders of upcoming appointments or status updates for work in progress are preferred by 42% of customers. TEXT2DRIVE’s survey results also show the promise of texting beyond simple reminders and in-service updates. The channel even surpassed emails for communications related to lease expiration and security reminders. Texting was also the #2 offer according to survey respondents, which would most likely keep their service dealer in business. In fact, texting is 3.75 times more preferred than phone calls.

To read the full investigation report, On the service record: examining the role of technology in service retention, including additional commentary and a breakdown by consumer demographics, visit TEXT2DRIVE’s online resource library.

*Methodology: In March 2022, TEXT2DRIVE surveyed 1,000 US drivers between the ages of 26 and 67 who had visited a dealership’s service department in the past five years. The survey was administered via Pollfish’s online survey platform. The goal was to uncover trends in customer satisfaction that might reveal ways for service departments to increase retention.

About TEXT2DRIVE

Since 2008, TEXT2DRIVE has provided communication solutions designed to help dealerships reduce costs, increase conversion rates, improve CSI and generate ROI. In 2022, the company launched its own integrated MPI solutions to add to its automated text communications, RO management solution and mobile payment tools. To learn more, visit text2drive.com.