About Car Loan

Car Dealership Customer Service Tips

Your new car (or your new car dealer) is giving you a headache. There’s a problem and the customer service you’ve received hasn’t been good enough. You feel like you’ve done your part, but your problem is still unresolved. How do you get it solved?

Even if you left previously with a negative experience, your local dealer is still the best person to work with to resolve your complaint. Local dealerships are interested in creating loyal lifetime customers, and they know the best way to do that is by making you happy. A dealership can spend a fortune on advertising trying to attract customers, but statistics show that good customer service is by far the best way to keep them.

But before your local new car dealer will help you, they need to believe that you’re going to be a good future customer. It’s much easier for a dealership to justify helping you (especially if it costs money) if they believe they will earn that money back in the future. The best way to convince a dealership you’re going to be a good customer in the future is to show them you’re a good customer now.

The best way to show you’re a good customer is to be nice. Restrain the urge to shout or swear - a smile might not feel as satisfying now, but it will get you further. Staff that resent you probably aren’t going to be too helpful towards you. Make an effort to get along with the dealership employees - they’re probably as frustrated with the problem and eager to get it resolved as you are. Get what you want by giving the staff a reason to want to help you!

While being pleasant will help you get what you want from your local dealer, working with the dealership’s General Manager (GM) will help you just as much. GM’s have the full backing of the manufacturer and they have the power to do just about anything to solve a customer service complaint. Keep in mind that many dealership general managers are powerful enough to get senior manufacturer sales executives on the phone at any time - they’re absolutely capable of getting the manufacturer to do something for you. They are also usually experienced professionals that know how to help. Make sure you ask to speak with the GM when you have a customer service problem.

In the rare case that speaking with the GM of your local dealer doesn’t work, the next step is to call the manufacturer’s customer service hotline (the number can be found in your owner’s manual). You should try to contact the local regional office as well. While the local regional office will probably just refer you to the national hotline, you may be able to speak with a regional Toyota executive. Persistence is key.

In sum, your local dealer is the best place to start if you’re trying to resolve a customer service complaint. Be courteous and polite always, and give people a reason to want to help you. Remember to speak with the general manager, and if that doesn’t work, keep calling the manufacturer’s national hotline and regional office. Persistence pays off when you’re looking for great customer service!

Custom Search