Leaving Out the Multipoint Inspection? You’re Missing a Huge Opportunity
By Ted Ings, Executive Director
Wouldn’t it be great to improve your hours per RO, and subsequently your dollars per RO?
That’s one of the goals in every service department nationwide. For a small store that averages 500 repair orders per month, adding 0.2 hours to every repair order at an effective labor rate of just $75 per hour pulls in an extra $7,500 per month in revenue. Adding a half hour per RO? That’s $18,750 per month!
And yet, many dealerships across North America still don’t emphasize the need for a complimentary multipoint inspection during every service visit. It’s not only missing out on an opportunity to add RO sales, but the customer isn’t being served well.
What a Multipoint Inspection Does
The reasons to perform a complimentary multipoint inspection are obvious to most, but let’s review them.
- It lets the customer know of any repairs needed that haven’t yet been noticed.
- The multipoint inspection adds value for your customers who love to get something for nothing!
- It opens up opportunities for additional sales – much more than you’d expect.
- It’s an easy to read ‘report card’ for a customer’s car – pass needs attention, and fail.
The most important benefit is with the customer relationship. Think the customer trusts the dealership more or less when they get a red-yellow-green checklist back from the technician? Of course, they trust the service department more!
How Do You Encourage the Multipoint Inspection?
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It’s a service for your customer that should be done absolutely every time. The red-yellow-green checklist should be complimentary for the customer – complimentary, not free. Complimentary is a higher level than free.
WHO NEEDS TRAINING AT YOUR DEALERSHIP?
Advisors and technicians need to know the benefits come not from the vehicle report card itself, but from the added work that results from it.
Emphasize the Reason for a Multipoint Inspection
The customer who asks for an oil and filter change should hear that you’ll be doing a multipoint inspection too. The same goes for anyone who asks for any repair – loss-leader, service, or repair of any kind. It should be second nature: “We will perform a complimentary multipoint inspection today also; a report card for your car. Here’s why.”
Advise the Customer Benefits
When the RO is being written, let the customer know a multipoint inspection is being done.
- “It’s been a while since your last visit, and the winter was particularly harsh. We’re going to do a complimentary multipoint inspection to look for anything that might need attention. Is that okay with you?”
- “Your trip next month will take you far away. Let’s make sure you don’t have any issues while you’re gone. Are you alright with that?”
- “Your service contract is going to expire soon. Perhaps we should see if anything needs to be done before then.”
WHO IS TED INGS?
Who can resist saying yes when the benefits are so clear? Plus, the report card is done complimentary!
The sales opportunities will happen as a result of providing a multipoint inspection for every car, every time. Don’t believe it? Try it! If you aren’t doing so already, make the multipoint inspection mandatory. It will absolutely boost your RO sales. And while you do it, you’re going to build trust with your customers.