Cars.com's Jack Simmons shares best practices independent dealers can use to build a great online reputation, driving more customer engagement, loyalty and higher sales.
2. About Me
Jack Simmons
• Dealer Training Manager, Cars.com
• Over 35 years of automotive retail
experience
Connect with Me:
dealers.cars.com/facebook
dealers.cars.com/twitter
jasimmons@cars.com
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3. What We’ll Cover
Understand how reviews have changed
the game – completely
Integrate reviews into your processes to
identify your fans and get them talking
Establish a response process, including
how to turn detractors into advocates
Promote your great reputation to level the
playing field and differentiate your store
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5. How JetBlue Made it Better
“You deserved better – a lot better – from us last
week, and we let you down. Nothing is more
important than regaining your trust.”
– David G. Neeleman, founder and chief executive of JetBlue
6. Banks Listen to Avoid Disaster
Tweet Volume
Source: Javelin Strategy & Research
7. HBS: Reviews Level the Playing
Field for Local Restaurants
What researchers found:
No preferential treatment for
Tip: Fish Where
bigger brands the Fish Are
Yelp is a great place
Higher-quality consumer to find a restaurant –
are you focusing your
feedback for indys vs. chains
efforts on the sites
consumers use to
shop for a vehicle?
5-9% increase in revenue per
+1
one-star increase
Source: Harvard Business School: Reviews, Reputation and Revenue: The Case of Yelp.com. Michael Luca.
8. Reviews are Good For You!
5x Visitors to Cars.com who read reviews are 5x more
likely to contact a dealer.
Consumers who read reviews on Cars.com are
2x more engaged: they spend twice as much time on
site and view twice as many pages.
91% Price isn’t everything – 91% of shoppers said they
would use reviews when deciding on a dealership.
Source: Cars.com Internal Reporting, DriverSide/Kelton Research Study, April 2011
9. Which Dealer Would You Choose?
Source: Cars.com Internal Reporting; DriverSide/Kelton Research Study, April 2011
10. Turn Your Fans into Advocates
Share feedback
Listen to feedback
Monitor across the Internet
across the
dealership
Correct any
Acknowledge and
Respond reply to feedback
underlying issues
at the store
Deliver a positive Ask satisfied
Ask customer
experience
customers to write
a positive review
Share positive Reward sales,
Promote reviews with
prospects
service staff for
success
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11. Start With a Good Experience
The best way to manage risk is to start with
an exceptional experience at your store.
• Top-down commitment
• Service-driven culture
• Recruit for success
• Process
15. Keep Negative Reviews in Context
The
Number of
Reviews What to do if you get a
negative review:
• Address and fix problems
An Credible The
Educated Website
Review Reviews Itself
• Respond professionally
• Offset with more positives
Balanced:
Pros and
Cons
Tip: a few negative reviews make you more credible.
16. Take Control of Comments
I’m sorry you had a bad experience here
at Simmons Automotive, and I’d like to try
to make things right.
Please contact me to discuss at any time
via e-mail at jasimmons@cars.com,
or call 312-601-5000.
17. Identify Areas for Improvement
I emailed twice about a
It had rained the night car and got no response.
before, and apparently they When I called and asked
left the windows open in the about the car, he said,
rain all night. "oh we sold it," and didn't
suggest another car or
see how else he could
help me.
Instead of telling me it
was broken, they duct- First, the salesman tried to get me
taped it back on and put to sign a blank loan form...
the new tire on over it!
18. Commit to Change
Use customer feedback
to adjust process
• Take ownership of what
went wrong
• Correct staff issues
• Improve service quality
• Address policy issues
21. You Just Have to Ask
• Mine your CRM
database for review
prospects
• Target happy Tip: Don’t recreate
customers the wheel!
at the point of sale Some sites that have
reviews, like Cars.com
• Create collateral have electronic and
printed materials available
directing to your to you at no cost.
review sites
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23. A Reviews Success Story
Greenway Dodge Chrysler & Jeep
9051 E. Colonial Dr.
Orlando, FL 32817
Review Metrics
• Cars.com: 4.7 stars/225+ reviews (since February 2011)
• DealerRater: 4.7 stars/ 550+ reviews
• Google+ Local: 4.6 stars/180+
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24. It’s Part of Their Culture
• Buy-in from top management
• Integrated into recruiting and training programs
• Tied to performance metrics and compensation
• Process implementation in every department
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25. Offering the Right Staff Incentives
How Greenway
Rewards:
• Tied to compensation
• Spiffs & contests
• Recognition
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26. Tools That Help Drive Volume
Campaign materials:
• Reviews landing page at
ilovegreenwaydodge.com
• Point-of-sale cards
• E-mail template
• Strong social media
presence
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27. Making it Personal With Video
In his videos, Ricky
includes:
• Thank-you for recent
purchase
• Reminder to leave
feedback
• Instructions for writing
a review
• Contact information
Ricky Lopez, Internet Sales Director
Ricky also records reminders for upcoming sales and
service appointments, all for free via EyeJot.com
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28. On Negative Reviews…
“We don't mind if we
get a bad review.
Nobody's 100% – if
they are, people
worry you're writing
them yourself."
"We call the customer
to see if we can make it
right – they may either
take it off or amend
their review."
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29. By the Numbers
10x Internet vehicle sales up 1,000%
3x Closes 3x as many Cars.com-
attributed leads
Some Drive
90+ Brings in out-of-market business
Minutes
Source: Greenway Dodge
Also joining me today is Lauren Beaubien, a member of our Dealer Solutions team, who will be joining me for the Q&A after my prepared remarks.
How reviews have changed the game – completelyIdentifying your fans and getting them talking on your behalf Integrating reviews throughout your operations to build volume and differentiate your brandEstablishing a response process, including how to turn detractors into promotersMeasuring your success and driving even better performance
From Huffington Post: “United Airlines passenger Dave Carroll had his Taylor guitar destroyed by the airline's baggage handlers during a flight last year. After United repeatedly declined to reimburse him for the damage, he wrote a now-famous song decrying their customer service and their brand. It was funny, justified and smart. The damage to United's brand was undeniable.”Was 16.7M views on YouTube worth refusing to replace the guy’s guitar?United eventually fixed it, but you don’t hear much about that because second chances are hard to come by.
Another airline came forward and did the right thing – apologized and took responsibility for fixing the problem.In late 2006, massive ice storms prompted JetBlue to cancel numerous flights, but due to poor processes and poor communications, passengers were sitting on runways for hours, stranded with no recourse in cities for days, and generally mishandled despite a workforce who was eager to be part of the solution – all JetBlue needed to do was say the word.“We had so many people in the company who wanted to help who weren’t trained to help,” he said. “We had an emergency control center full of people who didn’t know what to do. I had flight attendants sitting in hotel rooms for three days who couldn’t get a hold of us. I had pilots e-mailing me saying, ‘I’m available, what do I do?’ ”AfterJetBlue’s meltdown, David Neeleman stepped up to the plate and apologized – promptly. This is incredibly rare for a CEO to do, and ever rarer for it to be timely. We are sorry and embarrassed. But most of all, we are deeply sorry…You deserved better – a lot better – from us last week and we let you down. Nothing is more important than regaining your trust.Neeleman said he was “humiliated and mortified” and acknowledged that customers and staff (notice how he cares about his staff, not just his customers) had been through “hell”. Neeleman didn’t end there, he made appearances on the Today show and the “Late Show with David Letterman”, and introduced a “Customer Bill of Rights” that will go into effect. He also said that each passenger who was on a grounded flight for over 3 hours will receive a free roundtrip ticket as well as a complete refund.The moral of the storyThe lesson here is apologies work, especially when they are sincere and backed up with “we’re going to make it up to you and we are making a plan to prevent this from ever happening again”…that is what regains trust.Neeleman turned this situation into a great opportunity for JetBlue to be a role model for other airlines – not in how they fell, but rather in how they dusted themselves off and rose again to lead in customer service. Sometimes it takes a few mistakes to rededicate yourself to your goals.
Big companies are also listening to consumer reactions online and making adjustments to avoid making huge mistakes. The banks ultimately reversed their decision due to backlash, which included significant Twitter activity.
http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/12-016.pdfA Harvard Business School researcher did a study in the fall of last year on the effect of Yelp on restaurants and found that for every one-star increase in Yelp rating, independent restaurants saw their revenue increase anywhere from 5 to 9 percent. Furthermore, “chain restaurants have declined in market share as Yelp penetration has increased,” suggesting that online consumer reviews have become more influential than other forms of reputation.5-9% increase in revenue for each 1-star increase – ONLY TRUE OF INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS, chains so no impact!!!No preferential treatment for bigger brands – that means a level playing field! In fact, because chains are a “known entity,” people were less inclined to write detailed, quality reviews, and since quality matters, it actually gives independent restaurants an edgelevel playing field + better content = big opportunity for independent businesses!!How it works:Power is given to the consumer, not the brandNo preferential treatment for bigger brands – level playing fieldContent matters --the researcher found that consumers respond more strongly when a rating contains more information.In fact, because chains are a “known entity,” people were less inclined to write detailed, quality reviews and since quality matters, it actually gives independent restaurants an edge – level playing field + differentiationThe effect was seen only in the case of local businesses vs. chains – power of reviews to help differentiate your brand Yelp is where consumers go to find a restaurant, so just make sure you’re focusing your reviews efforts on where consumers go to shop for a car. -- good analogy!
Bottom line: reviews drive more conversion, more engagement and are what consumers want.
Also note: Studies have also shown that having more reviews has a higher impact – even if the rating is lower. (bazaar voice financial services company?) Plug for volume
This may sound like a simple tip, but often times we get so focused on resolving less than positive feedback, we forget to acknowledge positive comments that are left. Take this opportunity to show customers you listen and that you appreciate their acknowledgement of the experience you delivered. This goes a long way toward showing shoppers you are engaged, responsive and customer centric dealership.
Instead I recommend that you put negative reviews in context. Do they have one bad review among 10? Well, than that is actually a positive. We know that negative review is actually going to help your store more than hurt. How could that be right? It’s simple… A negative review that is balanced by positive reviews actually lends to the credibility of reviews overall.We know that shoppers look at the overall volume of reviews, they weigh negative reviews in relation to the number of positive reviews, they look at the tone, attitude of the reviewer and they also are understanding that outdated reviews, older than 12 months, may no longer paint an accurate pictureSo what if your store only has a negative review? The first step is to focus on building up your review volume. What if youare consistently getting negative feedback? This is a great opportunity to take a step back and look at your service and your process? Is this an opportunity to train and coach staff? To actually improve your store? What else can you do in light of a negative review? You can respond, and often times thatresponse to a negative situation can build a more loyal customer or convert others to your brand by seeing how youhandled a negative situation. So let’s get into some tips for how to respond.
So how do you respond to negative comments?Directly address the customer’s concernTake the conversation offline by inviting the customer to contact youOn Cars.com, you won’t have a direct means to contact the reviewer, so this is critical. Leave your phone number, leave your email. Most consumers at this point are not looking for resolution, but it shows review readers that you extended an olive branch.Save the discussion of “the facts” for when you and the customer are speaking privatelyRemember that your response influences current and future customers
These are from actual reviews – you can’t make this stuff up! Don’t just track what is being said, listen to what is said and use the information to improve your processes.Animate this slide to have these go one at a time – What should you do here? Next one?
Again, we are not talking about putting lipstick on a pig. If you continually have issues, you’ve got to make fundamental changes to fix problems in the store.Take ownership of what went wrongCorrect staff issuesImprove service qualityAddress policy issues
I want to stress the importance of truly building your net of advocacy. You can’t just go out and buy it or bribe shoppers to contribute. Consumers sense what is real and fake. On one dealer site, a consumer sensed the feedback was too good to be true and noticed patterns in the content that led them to believe the dealership was padding reviews. They contacted the local media. Don’t “buy” reviewsBe wary of companies who promise to “clean up” your reputationAvoid having staff, friends and family contribute reviews
In many cases, it just boils down to making the ask. Customers are happy to provide feedback if you give them the platform and ask them to speak on your behalf. Mine your CRM database for review prospectsRepeat buyersLoyal service customersTarget happy customers atthe point of saleCreate collateral directingto your review sites Website banners and buttonsE-mail templatesQR codes on in-store signage
On Ricky Lopez’s first day on the job as internet sales director at Greenway Dodge Chrysler & Jeep, General Manager (name?) asked him what the dealership needed to do to drive more business from their internet sales department, which was selling just a few dozen cars per month.For Ricky, the answer was simple: process, with a heavy focus on customer reviews.
The fact that (GM name) was so invested was a major point in Ricky’s favor, and (GM name)’s trust in his abilities and their alignment on what it would take to take the dealership to the next level paved the way for Ricky to implement a strong, well-defined reviews strategy.Ricky trains Greenway staff on how to monitor for reviews, how to respond and how to ask for more. The dealership also makes Reviews a central point in the recruiting process. Essentially, if you're not willing to go out and get reviews, you won’t be working here.Let’s face it, money motivates, particularly when you’re dealing with salespeople. Greenway incorporated reviews into its compensation policy by making it mandatory that staff acquire 3 reviews per month in order to receive their performance bonus.Ricky also incorporated Reviews throughout Greenway’s business – not just the Internet Service Department, which had been the main driver of review acquisition before he came on board. Now, Asking for reviews are as big a part of the dealership’s day-to-day activities as other core activities in every area of the dealership, including floor sales, F&I and Service, and he has a dedicated person to responding to make sure no review goes unanswered.
Greenway mandates 3 reviews from each sales and service professional – or they don’t get their bonus. To sweeten the pot, the dealership runs contests each month, rewarding the sales and service pros who get the most reviews to dinner for two and other spiffs.Reviews are included in the metrics displayed internally about each professional on staff – and competition is more heated than if they were on the PGA Tour!Customers are also invited to join in the fun – oftentimes, loyal customers are encouraged to help their sales or service professionals win the contest – “I’d love to win so I can take my wife out for a night on the town!”Reviews also help staff build their own personal brand. In fact, Greenway shares that they’ve seen shoppers drive an hour and a half to work with their best salesperson based solely on the reviews they read online.
Ricky personalizes his efforts by recording a customvideo thanking every customer for their recent purchase and asking for their feedback, including instructions on how to access his review pages. He also records videos thanking shoppers for visiting his store, as well as reminding customers of their sales and service appointments.He suggests EyeJot.com, a free tool that hosts the videos and offers the ability to send the content to the customer via e-mail. Customized e-mail featuring your message and brand, doesn’t have “suggested videos” like You Tube does (who knows what shows up there), etc.
How one negative review paid off big:Used vehicle of interest sold while first-time buyer was delayed in the F&I processGreenway reached out to try to make things right; put him in a better model at a discount for his troubleCustomer’s sister was so impressed that she bought a new vehicle from Greenway herself!“We had a customer that was in here, and he was trying to get approved - call him into get approved because he was a first-time buyer, in the meantime the van he wanted to buy was sold. We got busy, went back to him and told him it was sold, he got mad, don't buy from -- lie to you, send the car from underneath you We always send a letter out within 3 days of a customer’s visit saying, ‘we hope you were happy, let us know if something didn’t meet your expectations.’ GM got an angry letter back from him -- Ricky called him, had him come back – ‘we have other used cars, we can hook you up because of the misunderstanding (discount)’ got him into a better vehicle with lower mileage at a lower price. His sister came with him and liked what she heard so much that she bought a new car.”
Internet vehicle sales up 1,000% over the past three years. The dealership attributes much of this success to its reputation management efforts.Since incorporating Dealer Reviews into their sales and service processes early last year, Greenway now closes 3x as many Cars.com-attributed leads.Bottom line: reviews drive more conversion, more engagement and are what consumers want.