In today's retail world, the old phrase, "You only get one chance to make a first impression," has never been more applicable. That's especially true when dealing with first-time customers.
One poor interaction or a series of poor interactions can turn a customer off — not just for a moment, but forever. Here's a recent example.
A few weeks ago, I rented a car to drive to a tire dealer event some 400 miles away from home. I used our company's online travel booking system to reserve a mid-size sedan from one of the big national car rental agencies.
I had no prior affinity or preference for the agency that was recommended to me. It just popped up as my first option.
I scheduled the car for pick-up at 7 a.m. at a local airport, with the stated intent of returning the vehicle a day-and-a-half later.
The day arrived. I decided to get an early start, arriving at the rental car desk at 6:30. A clerk was standing behind the counter.
The only customer present, I walked up to the counter and began to explain that I was there to pick up my car.
Without looking up, the clerk cut me off in mid-sentence and said, "We don’t open until seven. Have a seat."
“OK,” I replied. I stepped 10 feet away from the counter. To kill some time, I began checking emails on my phone.
Another clerk appeared at the desk. He pointed to a row of chairs and barked, "Sit down over there, sir."
I remained standing and continued to check my emails. (It's a free country, right? And I wasn’t in anyone's way. In fact, there was nobody else around me.)
At seven, I walked up to the desk. The first clerk, who had reappeared, said to me, "You can't cut in line. There's someone ahead of you." Seeing nobody in front of me, I asked, "Where?"
"Over there," she replied and pointed to a man who appeared to be in his 80s. He had walked up behind me.
Out of politeness — and thinking the second clerk would reappear and check me in — I turned to the older gentleman and said, "Go ahead, sir."
The other clerk never reappeared. The first clerk and the customer then proceeded to hold a 15-minute conversation before she handed over his keys!
It took much longer than it should have, but I eventually received my keys and was told where to find my car. I walked out to the spot and found a subcompact that was not much bigger than a three-row golf cart. It certainly wasn't a mid-sized sedan!
Already behind schedule, I threw in my bags, slid behind the wheel, started the car and headed toward the highway for a long, uncomfortable drive.
Mission accomplished, the next day I drove back to the airport, arriving an hour ahead of schedule while hoping for a smooth, trouble-free drop-off.
I drove into the rental car return area, expecting to see an employee who would check me in, take the keys, print a receipt and take possession of the car — a common process at most airports in the year 2024.
There was no such person.
I had no choice but to park the car in the spot where I had picked it up. I then walked into the terminal, with the intent of handing over my keys to a clerk at the rental desk, grabbing a receipt and heading home.
No clerks were there. The lights were off. The place was empty. (At five on a Saturday afternoon?)
Looking around, I eventually located a small drop-off box with two slots. One marked "rental agreement" and one marked "keys,” with no further instruction.
I put the keys in the first slot and dropped my rental agreement in the other slot. Then I noticed a sign that said, "Your receipt will be mailed to your address." (Mailed?)
That sealed it for me. The previous day, I had made up my mind to never patronize this car rental company again. The lack of customer service at drop-off reinforced my decision.
Why did I share this story? To get you thinking.
When customers - especially new ones - walk into your store, do your salespeople stop what they’re doing, look them in the eye and greet them in a friendly manner? Do scheduled appointments at your dealership start and end on time? Do your employees always deliver promised products, prices and services? Does your dealership have a process in place to ensure that every customer experience is positive and memorable?
Longtime, loyal clients who have done business with you before might be willing to overlook a few customer service blunders. Customers who are new to your dealership won’t be as understanding.
It doesn't take much to lose a casual customer. And when they’re gone, they’re gone.
