A special on an oil change plus a manicure? Maybe a free workout class while your tires are rotated? Why not hit a few golf balls while you wait?
We live in the age of experiences. Some dealerships have taken that experience to the next level.
For many dealerships, long gone are the days of cold coffee and outdated copies of Sports Illustrated. They have worked to create waiting room experiences that excite their customers—and keep them coming back. Here are some of the best in the business.
Lincoln-Mercury/Land Rover-Jaguar (Merritt Island, Florida)
This dealership in Florida has it all. When you purchase your car at their dealership, you become part of the “Island Club” and have access to all the perks, like a full weight room, an arcade, a movie theater, a barbershop, and more. They also feature a kids’ playroom called Cartoonz and a coffee shop called Carbucks.
But their perks go beyond fun benefits to a concierge service and a tracking app that makes it easy to follow along and track your car when it’s in the shop.
They understand that big, flashy perks only go so far if you don’t provide convenient service to your customers. But their amenities definitely make it a destination for local customers.
Lexus Escondido (Southern California)
Lexus Escondido in California invests in what they call AutoJoyment. Their three-story complex is a local attraction for everything from art and sports to meetings and events. It offers upscale shopping centers, restaurants, coffee, a private library, a play area for kids and even a golf simulator! With resident artists and a community meeting space, it goes far beyond basic amenities and truly “wows” their customers.
Other Lexus dealerships also offer unique perks, like a dealership in San Antonio that provides massages while you wait for your service. One in Wichita, Kansas lets you leave your car for service while you go on a trip—and takes you to the airport for your flight.
Priority Toyota (Chesapeake, Virginia)
This Toyota dealership rolls out the red carpet for you and your car, offering a full-service experience. They have amenities like a café, movie theater, beauty salon, and play area to make sure their customers are comfortable and entertained while they wait.
But along with that, they offer convenience with 72 work bays to keep appointments fast and efficient. Probably faster than their customers would prefer, especially if they’re in the middle of their favorite movie!
Prime Motor Group (Massachusetts)
Looking at trends from other hospitality industries gave this auto group an idea to make their waiting rooms more engaging for customers. As arcade bars and restaurants have popped up around the country, they tapped into this idea. Prime Motor Group operates 26 dealerships in New England and decided to add some fun to their waiting rooms with pinball machines and vintage arcade games. This gives customers a way to occupy their time while they wait (and a flashback to their childhood!).
To keep it interesting, one of their Toyota dealerships has a fish petting zoo! Anything to keep customers entertained.
Big Two Toyota (Chandler, Arizona)
Your car isn’t the only thing getting a makeover at this dealership in Arizona. With a full spa, Big Two Toyota offers manicures, pedicures, facials and more. But it’s more than a flashy amenity.
The additional services they offer have made an impact on their business and the consistency of service traffic.
According to their assistant general manager, their service department traffic would typically peak on weekday mornings as customers rushed to bring in their cars before work. Now their business is consistent throughout the day as customers are more willing to wait and use the time to work remotely or pamper themselves.
The Most Important Amenity: Customer Service
While fun amenities and big experiences are exciting and memorable for customers, nothing takes the place of good, old-fashioned customer service. Your dealership might have the best amenities and biggest facilities, but if you don’t keep your customers first, none of that matters at the end of the day.
Amazing amenities never amount to much if you don’t truly care about your customers.
Lay the foundation of an amazing dealership experience and outstanding service and then support it with amenities to keep your customers entertained.
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Fixed operations are an essential component of a dealership’s future and the investment these dealerships put into their customer experience supports that idea. While not every dealership can invest in a movie theater or shopping center, there are still ways to keep customers and their experience on the forefront of your minds in the services you offer. Experiences matter. So create an outstanding experience for your customers with the resources you have.
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