Using technology to improve your service check-in process

Providing a favorable customer experience from the service department relies on speed and ease of procedures. Effectively streamlining these factors can be achieved via interactive kiosks.

Providing technology that speeds up potentially complex processes is one way to win customer approval. There is nothing quite as frustrating for a consumer as feeling stuck when all he or she wants to do is check in and go. While one answer to this conundrum is fielding a huge team of employees, that simply isn't a viable strategy for the vast majority of dealerships. Instead, it's time to turn to technology to ensure the service department moves smoothly.

"Digital interfaces paradoxically let customers be more open in how they express their wishes to dealerships."

Keeping the line moving
There are several advantages to installing high-quality touchscreen kiosks as part of a dealership's service process. These devices combine an appealing physical presence with a wealth of information, while simultaneously offering a platform through which consumers can share their information with the dealer in real-time. Interactive kiosks become a benefit to the employees on the floor and effective time-saving and clarity-enhancing platforms for consumers.

• Quick and effective interaction: When it's time to check in and register a vehicle for maintenance, consumers with access to an interactive kiosk can simply start the process immediately, entering their data into the system. This frees a staff member to continue in a more proactive sales role, while the consumer can pull up all relevant data on his or her own. If there's a challenging query, it's possible to call an employee, but if not, there's no need.
• Part of a growing trend: Some dealers may find that their automated customer interactions are especially interactive because they fit in with a general movement toward automated tech. The Harvard Business Review interviewed Harvard Business School assistant professor Ryan Buell and found that self-service increases the ability of clients to engage in behaviors that might embarrass them face-to-face. Buell gave the example of ordering hard-to-pronounce items and giving specific instructions - the digital intermediary paradoxically lets customers be more open in how they express their wishes to dealerships.?

Auto service is a great industry to transform via touchscreen kiosks.

• Young people are comfortable with digital: The millennial generation is better attuned to digital processes than those that have gone before, and this has changed the way they react in stores. According to RetailWire, young people are more likely to feel satisfied resolving their issues without ever speaking with staff members than members of older generations in the same situation. Providing this experience could help dealers ensure that young customers feel satisfied.
• Built-in advantages: If business owners use high-quality hardware and software for their service kiosks, they could reap a number of extra benefits. For example, these devices could serve as a great way to connect with visitors later, by giving them the chance to sign up for email newsletters and other updates. Kiosks also collect information on how users interact with them, meaning operators can determine which options are effective and which features might be too obscure or difficult to access. This type of intelligence will help kiosks evolve over time and ensure the devices can provide even better service after updates to their software.