It’s a slippery slope that leads away from your store.
Last issue I discussed the partnership Ford has put in place with Best Buy Canada and Future Shop. With this arrangement, the role of advising consumers on matching their electronic devices with Ford’s SYNC system will be handed, partially at least, to staff at Best Buy and Future Shop locations.
I think this is a big issue, and judging by the feedback I received, it seems others agree. A letter I received from a Ford dealer in St. Thomas, Ontario, highlights some of the issues associated with helping customers connect with increasingly complicated and varied personal electronics with increasingly complicated and varied in-car systems:
Interesting article but I think you missed the main point.
The question is… with all the technology built into these cars, whose job is it to train the customer and provide support on all these features?
• Most sales people at domestic dealerships are well into their 50s and more (I have one that’s 72). They are not in a position to assist these customers.
• Most sales people will also agree that for a $200-300 commission on a small car, they won’t invest too much time in going over these options.
• Should service be the one to train and educate the customer? Warranty does not pay. Most service people are paid on selling retail work not training customers to use their options.
• If a customer’s phone is sync’d and working great at delivery and three months later it is not, who will assist them? Sales? Service?
• Imagine if the customer bought the vehicle out of town or at another dealer.
I believe this is becoming a big concern at many domestic dealerships.
Just my thoughts.
Sincerely,
Bruce Dumouchelle
Co-President
St. Thomas Ford Lincoln SVT
Clearly, this news item warrants time and thought, even if at first blush it seems straightforward. Consider again the question Bruce asks: “With all the technology built into these cars, whose job is it to train the customer and provide support on all these features?”
There isn’t one right answer here. It could be dealership staff, certainly. It could be Best Buy staff. Maybe it’s not an either/or question, but rather a blended model. Imagine Best Buy locating kiosks inside dealerships, staffed by Best Buy employees.
A small footprint kiosk selling a limited range of phones, GPS devices and other items, staffed by someone who can assist with connecting and configuring their devices could perhaps be the best of both worlds. It would relieve the burden of training from the dealers, and would potentially create a great opportunity for Best Buy to extend their visibility. Customers would have the convenience of getting answers, and even acquiring new phones and such, all in one place. All of this is not hard to imagine. It’s really not much different than having a Starbucks outlet in a Chapters bookstore.
I don’t have the space to consider all the options here. My bottom line is this: regardless of who provides the staff or bill for the training, I think there’s risk, big risk, in having a conversation a customer wants to have move to someone else’s location.
Fight to keep the conversation under your roof.
Thanks for your feedback, Bruce. I really appreciate it.
