"One of Our Hallmarks is That All Our Employees Are Trained to be Your Guide"
Implementing the 3-Foot Rule
"At our dealership, we take great pride in the consummate courtesy and fine manners shown by all our employees.
Lost? Misdirected? It Will Be Our Pleasure To Guide You!"
Looking to find a specific person or department?
Searching for your car parked behind our service area?
"It will be our distinct pleasure to accompany you to your destination on our property, or just as importantly, to get you proper directions if you should need to find a specific location outside our dealership."
Unlike other retailers, where finger pointing is followed by a verbal off-hand remark, “Yeah, it’s behind that door down there,” is the accepted modus operandi, at our dealership, every one of our employees from top to bottom will be delighted to walk with you to find exactly who or what you need. It’s a personal touch, and it’s one that our customers seem to really appreciate. Content with a disinterested finger pointer? Go somewhere else. Expecting a first class guide? You have now found our dealership that you may consider your home away from home.
How do I implement the process?
Simply put, the 3-foot rule requires all employees to greet and offer to assist any customer who happens to come within 3 feet of the employee. It promotes teamwork and customer enthusiasm.
It encourages the building of relationships and it fosters an attitude of friendliness that is often missing within retail establishments. This is especially true of the auto industry.
Conversely, there’s nothing quite as rude as making eye contact with someone and having him or her walk right by you without even saying “hello”. Sadly, this happens more than we’d like to believe or accept.
The 3-foot rule promotes an attitude of service that customers find refreshing.
It also builds trust in your dealership because customers subconsciously interpret that action as getting something for nothing. You are actually giving away your time for free!
To implement this process at your company, simply call a meeting and inform the team of your new strategy. Explain what the 3-foot rule is, and model for them how it works.
Use wisdom to determine what type of greeting is best for different locations. For example, if a person is in the showroom and headed toward the restroom, it’s not necessary to greet them the same way you would as if they are walking on the lot.