Technician Dave Hill, London Road Garage Ltd, tests out the My Service Trust platform from Smart Garage Solutions, providing garages with the software to create, send and track personalised customer videos.
Possibly the most important part of the customer/garage relationship is the element of trust, which, in an ideal world, would not be an issue. Unfortunately, the motorist will often have very good grounds to be distrustful of vehicle repairers and therefore we find ourselves, on a daily basis, faced with the challenge of wining the customer over to the fact that we genuinely want to offer an honest and professional service.
Many of us, for a while now, will have been aware that the main dealerships have been utilising the convenience of modern, internet based multi media technologies that allow them to send their customer an email with a link to a short video of their vehicle whilst in the workshop. Demonstrating any defects that have been found, the technician usually has a few minutes to show any issues, along with a commentary, explaining what the video is showing. The use of this type of video breaks down the barriers that traditionally exist between the technician, the workshop controller, the service receptionist and finally the person responsible for authorising the repair.
Video cuts straight to the chase, with the ‘what can’t speak, can’t lie’ approach that video provides. This type of service is no longer the reserve of the dealerships and is now available in a cost effective and professional package, courtesy of Smart Garage Solutions and their My Service Trust product.
A one off payment followed by a monthly subscription buys you the hardware and access to the My Service Trust dashboard, a web based application accessed through your web browser.
Once a customers contact and vehicle details have been added to the database, the technician will record a short video, showing the customer exactly what has been discovered. The hardware consists of an Apple iPod, a protective case and a hand held grip, which allow the mechanic to comfortably record steady video, along with commentary.
Although not everyone is immediately camera confident, most will soon lose any inhibitions and it quickly becomes as natural as speaking directly to the customer.
Care needs to be taken to make sure that the video presents the workshop in the right way. For example, the traditional sing along to songs with substituted key words, although hugely entertaining in the workplace, may not be so well received by the customer.
In addition to this, a workshop resembling a car boot sale ravaged by a tornado may not present the workshop as intended either. This video presents an opportunity to showcase a tidy workshop environment that will hopefully provide further evidence to the customer of your professional approach.
The video created is saved within the My Service Trust app on the iPod and once uploaded, it automatically syncs and is viewable through the web Garage Dashboard portal. Notes and quotations can be added before sending to the customer’s email or mobile phone as a text message. There is a call back request feature, that makes it easy for the customer to request a call, or they can choose to contact the workshop in the normal manner. You can even track when the link has been opened or the video has been watched.
It is all very slick and easy to use and the service seems to be well received with all of the customers who have benefited from a video message.
For those wanting to add this type of feature to their operation, My Service Trust does the job very nicely.
