Do you recognize this too? Lived by the issues of the day in the after-sales department, something that applies every day and which not only has an effect on customer satisfaction, but also on the workload of your employees.

The chaos within the process creates ambiguity and miscommunication, which causes actions to be performed that the customer has not asked for or actions to not be performed that the customer has requested. A digital after-sales process ensures that all customers are optimally served by means of a standardized working method and digital recording.
Your customer feels more involved in the process when he/she is kept informed about possible costs and progress by means of a photo or video, processed in a transparent overview.

With the transparent and clear communication of all completed work (including photos and videos) and any additional work that is found on the basis of predefined (and adjustable) checklists, your customer feels involved in the process. In addition, a digital after-sales process ensures that everyone in the process can keep track of the status of the work order in real time. This ensures that there is less unnecessary walking and that waiting times for the customer are shorter.

So, by working clear, faster and transparent with the help of a digital aftersales process, you ensure that customer satisfaction increases. And we all know that a happy customer is a returning customer!

It seems to be an increasing 'problem': high workloads.

In 2020, the workload in the Netherlands was higher than ever. Despite the fact that these figures have now decreased, the workload remains high (partly due to the corona crisis). Relieving the pressure at work has therefore become very important. If this does not happen, the risk of long-term outages and, in some cases, the economic damage will be enormous.

We already talked about moving work to the customer in a previous blog. But there are more solutions like this one:

Working 'off stage'. This was already more common outside the automotive industry, but it can also be applied within the automotive industry. How nice is it that by working from home, your service advisor is disturbed less often and they can do their work digitally and in real-time.

Also central guarantee employees can work faster and undisturbed in this way. Where we see that warranty advisors make a round every week to various branches to collect the paper workorders, they can now view the files that need their help digitally and in real-time. And again, they are not disturbed by people who come to their desks to ask any questions.

In addition, you can help your receptionist by installing a keylocker, where your customers can leave their keys in a safe and at the same time leave comments, adjust contact details themselves and digitally approve the work order. Not only does this save workload for your receptionist, but it saves your customers (valuable) time.

In other words, centralizing and digitizing your aftersales process. With this you do not only create a digital overview in which everything is easy to find, but a lower workload by reduced walking and less and shorter waiting times.

Shifting work from your company to the customer: it happens more and more.

At a number of supermarkets, you can scan and pay for your groceries yourself without staff having to attend(other than checks). Several airlines allow you to check in in advance to avoid queues and long waiting times. It has been shown that customer appreciation and customer satisfaction increase when you offer the customer the choice between, for example, a self-scan and a cash register. And satisfied customers are lasting customers. Why aren't we doing this in the car business yet?

Especially in the time we live in now, in which 1,5 meters/6 ft distance is still required, there are plenty of options that we can offer the customer to minimize their contacts with others. The companies mentioned above do not only offer a contactless option, but also a 'personal' option such as the usual checkout with cashier or the check-in desk with staff who can help you with your questions. You can offer the customer the same choice in the car company:

Deliver the keys to the receptionist, to whom they can indicate their wishes or complaints regarding the car OR the fastlane for key delivery in a keylocker, where they can leave comments, adjust contact details themselves and digitally approve the work order.

Not only does this save the customer (mainly in the morning) waiting in line at the service desk, it also saves your service advisors time. Time that he or she can use to serve the customers who need it even more personally.

So, it is also possible in the car company to shift work from the company to the customer! When will you offer your customers the option?

When we think of sustainability and environmental awareness, we often think of solar panels, reducing the use of plastic, and using green energy. But what few companies realize is that paperless or even paperless working has a major impact on the environment. The paper industry is the fifth largest energy consumer in the world. Not only because trees are cut down to make paper, but also because fossil fuels and chemicals are needed to produce paper. The frequent - and often unnecessary - use of paper therefore has a huge influence on your company's CO2 footprint.

Besides the CO2 footprint that your company leaves behind, printing the workorders is not free. The average cost for printing one A4 sheet is €0.13. A workshop passage uses an average of 8 A4 pages. With 220 workable days and 3.2 cars per mechanic per day, that means €732.16 non-billable costs per mechanic, per year.

The solution: a digital work file. The digital work file is not only good for the environment, but also for your wallet.

Originally, the workorder is a piece of paper indicating which work must be performed on the car. Furthermore, important information about the car is recorded, such as additional work found, used items, parts and the mileage. It has also become a preparatory document for the warehouse and it is passed between reception, chief and warehouse.

In this way, a paper workorder is handled and moved by 8 different people in the process. It is logical that the workorder gets lost regularly, resulting in a time-consuming search. Furthermore, the document covers an average physical distance of 3.2 km!

That can be more effective! It is time to switch to the digital work order and a digital after sales process.

A brief overview of some of the benefits:

- You save paper. That is good for the environment and your wallet.
- No more walking and waiting. Your mechanics can be so much more productive. They no longer have to go to the reception or warehouse with the paper workorder, but can simply continue working while the workorder can be viewed online by those involved.
- No more searching for a paper workorder. Everything about the work order and the car in one overview. The car history is also easy to find.

Higher efficiency in the workshop starts with the small things. The mechanic or receptionist walking back and forth to ask clarity from a colleague is a very normal thing. Yet, this may cost 30 minutes per mechanic per day! What if we could turn that wasted time into productive (billable) hours? If we add up the cost of printing.. 

The tire is a crucial product, not only for the safety of the car and driver, but also when it comes to after sales. Tires are a product that generate a lot of customer contact, but it is also an important revenue generator within the company, especially during the tire change weeks.

The tire change weeks in the Netherlands start every year around the last week of October and the last week of March and most dealers mainly focus on changing as many summer tires as possible to winter tires (and vice versa). But the tire change weeks are about much more than just changing tires as quickly as possible: it is the perfect opportunity to (finally) provide the customer with that little bit of extra service. For example, checking the windows for stars or cracks, because these quickly get worse due to the temperature differences. By not only changing the tires, but also looking at the general condition of the car, the customer can go on the road again with a safe car and a satisfied feeling.

But are there enough tires in stock for all your customers? Earlier this month, Tires in Stock concluded that there is a significant shortage of winter tires this year. In fact, winter tire stocks have never been this low in the past 10 years. One of the reasons for this is the winter tire obligation in the French mountains; a large part of the stock went to France for this reason. In addition, or perhaps because of the former reason, the all-season tires are extra popular this year. The share of all-season tires has doubled since 2016. One of the main reasons that customers are increasingly opting for all-season tires is the saving of time and money by not having to change every six months. This continuing trend will have consequences for your company, which is why it is important that your customers leave with a satisfied feeling. After all, a satisfied customer is a loyal customer, which in turn generates more turnover.