Take care of the customer and they will take care of you!
Dealer/Customer relationships can make or break your Lease’T’Own® business.
The Lease’T’Own® process starts with changing your frame of mind on what you’re actually doing. You are not selling cars anymore – you are now providing a service.
You are helping the customer by allowing them to make periodic payments towards the ownership of a vehicle.
You are helping them out when no other dealer would.
You are giving them a way to get to work, to get their kids to and from activities, and to move forward with their daily life.
You are a HERO in their eyes!
Your relationship with the customer is no longer “make the sale and get them off the lot” and it’s definitely not adversarial. Your relationship needs to be one of open communication, respect, and nurturing. You want this customer (and their friends and family members) as a customer for life not just for one sale.
You’ll be seeing the customers on a recurring basis when they come in to make their payment. Developing the relationship can be as easy as making friendly chit-chat with them, ask something personal, compliment them. It’s like developing any other relationship. Get to know your customer!
The relationship you develop with your customers will bring you many benefits. When you’re looked at as a “friend”, your customers will:
COMMUNICATE WITH YOU – Open communication with your customer will let them know it’s OK to call you and talk to you when they’re having a problem with the car or with paying you.
PAY YOU – They will choose to pay you, their friend, over paying someone they don’t know.
TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOUR CAR – They’ve committed upfront money and made weekly payments and soon this car will be theirs. They also know they’ll be in each week to see you and you’ll see the car.
RETURN THE CAR – Along with taking better care of the car, the customer knows that if they get into a financial bind, they can return the car to you and walk away with no further payments or penalties. There’s no need for them to trash the car because they know you aren’t going to be sending the repo man to come get it.
COME TO YOU FOR THEIR NEXT CAR – Your customer knows that even if they have to return the car to you, it’s OK – they are still on good terms with you and they can come back to you when they get back on their feet financially. You’ll put them in a different car when they’re ready. Remember…you want customers for life!
TALK ABOUT YOU TO THEIR FRIENDS & FAMILY – Word of mouth advertising is the best kind of advertising for Lease’T’Own®
– it’s free and personal referral is powerful! Building a good relationship with your customer is like building a walking and talking advertisement.
Starting to visualize the concept yet? Take care of your customer and they will take care of you!