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How the Mormon Church Turned the “Book of Mormon” Into Roses: A Lesson In Marketing

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mormon_rose“…there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

In 1890, Oscar Wilde wrote this quote in his classic book “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. The character, Lord Henry, says this to a painter when the painter expresses his desire not to show a painting. While this certainly wasn’t the beginning, one could say that this quote perfectly expresses the desire of most businesses and is just as true today as it was 124 years ago.

The goal of any business is simple: to be talked about. This includes all areas of public interaction including advertising, promotion, publicity, public relations, social media and reputation management. A story that illustrates a few of these involves the circus and an elephant.

“If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying “Circus Coming to the Fairground this Saturday,” that’s advertising. If you put a sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed, that’s publicity… and if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.”

To bring that story current, you could add:

As people start talking about the elephant trampling the rose garden, that’s social media. And, by apologizing and repairing the flowerbed of the mayor, that’s reputation management.

No matter which area illustrated above you are discussing, the goal is to get people talking about you. Sometimes, what they are saying is unflattering. In these cases, you have two choices, to address the issue or to embrace it. Most experts in publicity, public relations, social media and reputation management would advise that you address the problem in one way or another. Sometimes that involves telling your side of the story publicly. Sometimes it involves making the issue right for your customer. And sometimes it involves embracing it and finding opportunities.

When the creators of South Park released their uber-popular musical, “The Book of Mormon”, the Mormon Church had several options. They could raise a big fuss about it that probably would have assisted the musical itself in achieving more buzz and publicity. Instead, initially, they chose to essentially ignore it. In a great article by an Episcopal priest, she described how the Mormon Church, when confronted with the popularity the show had achieved, made the decision to use the show as a means of proselytizing. Missionaries began handing out books and pamphlets in front of the theaters. The Church itself began advertising in the actual playbills. And what they found was that theatre-goers were interested in learning more. Certainly the musical itself mocks their religion but they believe that it doesn’t matter which path a person takes to embrace their beliefs.

The Mormon Church realized that this musical attracted people that were more than likely not Mormon and didn’t understand their religion. Rather than sitting by idly and being the butt of this musical “joke”, they saw this as an opportunity to educate theater-goers and spread their message. And it worked. According to the article “street contacting” is one of the “traditional ways for missionaries to reach potential converts.” This practice is challenging and they might only give out a few copies of their Scriptures each day. When a couple of missionaries chose to hand out Scriptures in front of a theatre showing the musical, however, they gave out an entire box of books in under an hour.

Just as in Oscar Wilde’s famous quote, the Church discovered that having people talking about you is better than not having them talk about you.

In their story, after the elephant tramples the mayor’s rose garden, rather than trying to explain to everyone why the elephant was bad, they shared the beauty of rose gardens.

And more people stopped to smell the roses.

Google+ Ditches Zagat Ratings, Returns to Consumer Friendly 5-Star Ratings

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Google can’t seem to make up their minds. That being said, they sneakily introduced a change that I believe most businesses (and consumers) will welcome.

In May of 2012, Google implemented their Zagat rating system which was confusing for both businesses and consumers. The 30-point system just didn’t make sense to most people including, most importantly, consumers.

As you can see by visiting any Google+ local page, they have reverted back to the 5-star rating system. Ultimately, this makes more sense as not only is it easier for the business to understand why their rating is what it is but a consumer intuitively understands what the number “means” in relation to reviews left by other customers.

The biggest thing is that it seems to have been rolled out completely in that the rating now exists inside and outside Google maps and whether you are logged into Google or not and you don’t need to have an upgraded listing as a business owner.

For the score to show, your business must have at least 5 reviews, however.

It isn’t quite updated everywhere yet. It’s still showing the Zagat score in the old version of Google Maps and in Google+ Local search results but I anticipate that this will all be conformed in due time.

I, personally, welcome this about face and think it’s good for both businesses and consumers.

What are your thoughts?

[Note: Thanks to 3GEngagement for the tip!]

Jimmy Johns and the Customer Service Fail [UPDATED]

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Jimmy Johns is a local sandwich joint. This was our experience on Customer Appreciation Day. They deserve every bit of this criticism. You never know who that customer you’re mistreating is or what they know how to do. Spread the word and show them that they should pay better attention to social media. It’s a two-way street. You cannot control the conversation, nor can you ignore it.

Here is a picture of the sandwich she was given:

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We went to Jimmy Johns on “Customer Appreciation” Day. My friend ordered by number with NO special directions. She got a sandwich that was LITERALLY turkey on bread. Nothing else. She called to see if they’d replace it and the response was “sure, but you have to wait in line again. We have lots of other customers.” I posted to their Facebook page hoping that someone at their corporate office would care but all they did was delete my post. (edit: they responded after I wrote this). I guess they didn’t care. This was more like anti-Appreciation day. My office is in the same building as their store and we eat there A LOT. Do they care? If you want a sandwich fast that may or may not be what you actually ordered and don’t care about customer service and want to support a corporation that could care less as well, then feel free to patronize this establishment. If, on the other hand, you appreciate customer service, quality food and a caring business, I wouldn’t waste even a dollar here. The impression we have of them was completely ruined on the one day that they wanted to “appreciate” their customers. If this is how they treat customers when they want to appreciate them, it’s all downhill from there. Thank you, Jimmy Johns for caring about us, your customers, on your Customer Appreciation Day. Good thing Subway isn’t far away!”

[UPDATE 10/26: Jimmy John’s corporate office sent me a $10 gift card and apology letter. I must admit that the letter didn’t seem like a form letter so it did seem sincere. The store itself didn’t (and still hasn’t) acknowledged that the problem even happened.]

The Game-Changing Google Program Auto Dealers Can’t Afford to Ignore

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Google’s online ventures are usually anything but under the radar. Yet recently, in what may be a game-changing play, the search engine giant quietly entered the third-party lead provider business for car dealerships.

The beta version of Google Comparison Ads for Autos (which is unofficially being referred to as “Google Cars” within the industry) was launched to very little fanfare a few weeks ago in the San Francisco Bay area. The service invites participating dealers to send their inventory to Google, allowing consumers direct access to inventory, price comparison, and the ability to request quotes from within Google search results. As shown below, the program—and associated inventory—is prominently displayed on page one of a relevant search.

While the program is currently limited to dealers within the San Francisco Bay area, program-specific search results are available throughout the state of California, not just for people located within the Bay area—contrary to what others are reporting. As evidenced by the above screen-grab, I did not have to change my location to get Comparison Ad results, and I live almost 500 miles away, in Southern California.

Google is currently testing a number of similar Comparison Ads programs for other products, including credit cards, CDs, and checking and savings accounts. Results have been controversial, with many advertisers in these industries reporting dissatisfaction, especially since Google is not obligated to play by its own rules and is, in effect, competing with its own advertisers. In November 2011, Google temporarily suspended its Comparison Ads service to the mortgage industry with plans to reboot the program after revamping it.

While specifics of the program for auto dealers have yet to be announced, Google is promoting the new service with the following program highlights:

“Higher-quality leads: Our leads come directly from motivated, purchase-ready consumers who have specifically chosen to contact your dealership. Leads are unique, never resold, and delivered immediately to you.

Free inventory listings: You can have your inventory shown to consumers on Google for free, even if you decide not to receive leads.

More than just inventory: Consumers can choose to connect with you even when you don’t have a specific car in inventory. We know that you can order the car, dealer trade, or find other solutions to help consumers get the cars they want.

Greater control over leads: You choose how much you’re willing to pay for a lead and target consumers based on distance and specific type of car, so you get the leads that are most valuable to you.”

This is all the information that Google currently has publicly available about the program. However, the operational processes used in the suspended Comparison Ads program for mortgages may offer additional insights. Here’s a run-down of how the program functioned:

1. Google looked at maximum bids placed by each competing bidder and then set a reserve price based on those bids. Once set, the reserve price was the minimum fee bidders would have to pay to appear on a desired search results page.

2. Anyone bidding below the reserve price was dropped from the auction. Google also dropped the bottom 10% of bidders who bid at or above the reserve price.

3. Results were then displayed (in this industry’s case) from lowest to highest APR. This leads me to believe automotive results would be displayed with the lowest prices first.

Furthermore, this is how, in an unlisted video, Google described the highlights of the program to the mortgage industry:

• The ads were included in the “Sponsored Listing” section but are not counted in the AdWords auction.

• Pricing was pulled directly from the companies’ “pricing engine product feed,” which would presumably be the equivalent of a dealer’s DMS or pricing tool, and updated multiple times per day.

• Bids could be highly targeted to reach the consumers most likely to convert, and an advertiser could place different bids for each targeted criteria.

Google mentions that they are working on a different ranking system for the mortgage program (one of the reasons provided for its suspension) in which Google will reward high-quality advertisers using factors such as:

• Accuracy of offers as determined by mystery shopping

• Turnaround time on lead follow-up

• Customer satisfaction as measured by surveys

It is probably safe to assume that Google will eventually apply these ranking criteria across all industries serviced by their Google Comparison Ad program.

Google is promoting the Comparison Ads for Autos program as a way for dealers to source fresh leads from consumers’ Google searches, but given the above information I have several concerns regarding how beneficial the program will really prove to be.

First and foremost, Google claims that the leads generated by the program are “unique,” yet in the final step of a lead submission, the program offers the consumer the choice to contact other dealers who may have similar cars available. A single person inputting a lead and requesting contact by multiple dealers would hypothetically generate multiple leads, a complication Google does not currently address.

On a related note, Google is telling consumers that even if they are interested in a particular vehicle that has already been identified by VIN, they may be able to get the same vehicle from another dealer. As Google puts it, “if you see a particular car (specified by a unique VIN) showing in a dealer’s inventory, you may be able to get that car from other dealers as well. Dealers often times trade inventory with each other, so you can buy from the dealer that you prefer.” Thus, Google is negating the edge a dealer may have in winning the consumer’s business simply by having the exact vehicle they are looking for in stock.

In addition, while Google says that dealers can list their inventory on the program free of charge, it is unclear what would happen to any leads generated if the dealer chose not to “pay to play.”

For those who are willing to pay, Google allows dealers to “[choose] what [they’re] willing to pay for a lead.” According to Automotive News, the price-per-lead is determined via a bidding model, with dealers competing for prominent positioning within search results for their inventory.

The final component of the program is that Google emphasizes the protection of consumer privacy. There are three ways in which a consumer can contact you as a participating advertiser:

1. Inbound Phone Lead: This comes via a Google-generated phone number; the consumer’s phone is blocked from the advertiser’s phone system.

2. E-mail Inquiry: The advertiser is given the consumer’s name and the details of the product they are interested in, but the consumer’s e-mail address is masked.

3. Request a Call-Back: The advertiser is given a masked phone number with which to call the consumer.

Google states that lead delivery is compatible with CRMs, but how those leads would actually populate is unclear.

The fact that Google commands such a large percentage of internet searches means that this program is a potential game-changer. Google’s ability to position this program wherever it likes, regardless of its other ad programs, may mean that dealers are forced to participate to remain competitive. Because Comparison Ads currently appear just above the first organic search results, these results will likely divert a portion of traffic that would otherwise have gone directly to dealers’ websites.

Not only will Google’s Comparison Ads for Autos impact many components of your online marketing efforts, including search engine optimization strategy and pay-per-click campaigns, but it may also even affect the lead quantity that your current third-party lead providers are able to offer you. Obviously, dealers would be well-advised to pay close attention to the program as it develops.

via the July 2012 edition of the 3 Birds Marketing newsletter

Why You Shouldn’t Brag About That Pounder

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As an avid social media user and an automotive industry professional, there is something that’s been bugging me.

I see people on social media bragging about that “12-pounder” they just closed (for those not in the industry, a ‘”pound” is equal to $1,000). To me, this really screams “unprofessional” and I also see it as detrimental to the reputation of the person posting it, the dealership represented by that person as well as further contributing to the stereotype car dealers have been struggling to change.

Look, as a salesperson, commissions are how your living is made, I get that. As a dealership, profit is how you pay your non-commissioned employees and overhead, I get that as well. It’s always nice to make money. I also believe that a salesperson and a dealership SHOULD make money. The salesperson is not there to work for free and all dealerships need to make money to keep the doors open. I also believe that most customers understand that a dealership needs to make money to stay open and don’t have a problem allowing the dealership to make some.

What I have an issue with is people who brag about the insane and, some would say, inappropriate amount of profit they managed to negotiate out of a customer. You made a big sale, good for you. Don’t go and brag about it on Facebook. Don’t tweet about it.

Social networks are designed to interact with people. You never know who is listening. Do you really believe that the person in your social network that sees you bragging about these huge deals wants to buy a car from you?

I’m not talking about some high-priced or hard-to-get car. I’m talking about the Honda salesperson (as an example) who is bragging about making $12,000 profit from a single sale. Really? Great, you made money but to many consumers (including your friends and family) what you did was reinforce for them that they shouldn’t buy a car from you or your dealership.

I know many dealerships who have internal policies on how much profit a finance department is allowed to make by limiting rate markup and pricing on back-end products and I believe that is a wise (and honorable) practice. Front-end profit is restricted, for the most part, by the banks. In most cases, they’re not going to let the customer finance $20,000 over sticker regardless of whether they agree to or not.

I personally think that, while the “big fish” you catch may offer immediate gratification, they will hurt you in the long run. Do you really believe that the customer you just buried isn’t going to figure that out eventually? Do you think that person is going to tell their friends and family that they should buy a car from you?

Then to actually go on social networks and brag about it? That’s just insane. You might as well brag about how much money you scored when you mugged the old people in the alley because, excluding other like-minded auto people, that’s what you just did.

How would you feel if you signed a contract with a vendor for services and discovered a month or two later that you were paying three times the rate that other people were? What if that vendor then went on Facebook and bragged about it? My guess is that you wouldn’t be happy with them or their company.

Look, this is only my personal opinion. You don’t have to agree with me and you’re entitled to sell your vehicles for as much (or as little) as you choose to. That being said, I do think that it is important to give ALL your customers a fair deal and, should you choose to make a huge profit from a single customer, you shouldn’t brag about it on social networks.

If you feel different, please comment and let me know why.

When Customers Attack

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Dealers are continuously struggling to keep customers happy. Most dealers want their customers to be happy as a happy customer can lead to more sales through word-of-mouth and referrals. CSI scores in both sales and service are essential in many ways to dealerships and can cause a multitude of problems if they’re not up to par.

Sometimes dealers are unfairly treated by customers for minor things, however.

I came across this video on YouTube quite by accident and was absolutely astounded.

I wasn’t searching for that particular dealership nor was I searching their brand or even searching their area. I’m about as far away geographically from the dealership as you could get so I can’t even blame geographical relevance. In fact, I had very broad search terms. This video still showed up on Page 4 of a Google search.

The video’s description makes this even more astounding:

“The dealership provides free Wi-Fi internet access to it’s customers, while waiting for their vehicle to be serviced. One problem: It doesn’t work.
Watch me walk around nearly the entire dealership, only to get a signal enough to grab a few bits of data, and crap out. There was a point I got a good signal, but it never returned.
It’s very hard to see, but you can see that the signal meters remain red pretty much the whole time, until the media player shut itself off. At that point, I gave up. My car was about done anyhow. This is the ONLY part of Ron Bouchard’s that is not good. Sorry Ron. 🙁
EPIC FAIL Internet.”

Seriously?

This YouTuber knows the power of the internet. He’s uploaded over 1,500 videos and has amassed over 2.5 million views. He’s in a dealership that he even agrees on video deserves its 5-star rating and states in the video description that this is the only part of the dealership that is not good yet he feels compelled to make a video complaining about the lack of free wi-fi despite it being advertised in the service waiting area. It’s obvious that he didn’t “mean” any harm but this dealership now shows up ranking high for search terms like “car dealer” and “fail”. In the comments, he follows up TWO YEARS LATER, stating that the wi-fi still didn’t work.

Reputation management begins with knowing what’s being said about you.

This is completely unfair to the dealership but it’s a perfect example to illustrate the importance of perfection in your customer’s dealership experience as well as the importance of monitoring what people are saying about you online.

What would you have done had this video been made about your dealership?

All Salespeople Are Liars

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For almost 3 years, I have been posting a comic every day on my Facebook account. I do this because I like to think I bring a smile to at least one person a day. I look through comics every morning in my attempt to share a “good” one. Yes, believe it or not, I do put effort into choosing which comic I post. I’ve started noticing a disturbing trend. Many comedians use reality-based comedy and it seems this also translates into comics. Syndicated comics, by their very nature, are designed to be funny and appeal to the masses. I see comics like these below on a regular basis and, personally, I do not find them funny. In fact, quite the opposite.

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We all know that the history of sales (especially car sales) has earned us a bad and, some would argue permanent, reputation amongst consumers as being deceitful, manipulative and… well.. liars.

I think everyone can agree that, as an industry, there have been a lot of changes in how car dealers do business. Some of these perception-shifts have been due to the fact that consumers not only have more access to information but also because they have access to more dealers. In the past, consumers were limited to dealers in their local area. The number of dealers they could realistically get prices from and shop was limited by how many they could physically visit and how much time they had on their hands.

The increase in the amount of information available to consumers brought the ability to access more dealers in less time. It has also brought consumers a quick and easy way in which to analyze not only different prices via internet quotes but also to identify who they want to do business with. There have been many debates and opinions over time in various automotive industry forums on how dealers should interact with customers and how much information they should share as well as hostility towards consumers, vendors, OEMs and websites for sharing information which effects a dealer’s ability to profit from a sale. In my opinion, this only fuels the stereotype. Consumer’s have access to this information and it isn’t going away. Attempts to take it away and/or make it less available only serve to promote the negative image. Consumers already don’t trust dealers. Hiding (or reducing) the amount of information available to consumers will only make them trust dealers less.

No matter what you do, you will not be able to change this stereotype for our industry as a whole. You can, however, change how you do things at your store… which is a step in the right direction.

Here is my opinion on best practices:

  1. Be transparent. If a customer asks for information, give it to them. It doesn’t matter if they ask you in person, over the phone, via an e-mail or via a 3rd party lead submission. Chances are they already know the answer. Any attempt to dodge, evade or avoid answering the question will make the customer think you have something to hide.
  2. Establish and maintain a solid online reputation. Yes, consumers are increasingly looking at the various review sites and using that information to help decide whether to do business with you.
  3. Give consumers “real” numbers up-front. Many consumers already know most of them anyways. Don’t try to undervalue trade-ins or manipulate numbers on a pencil. The days of “scraping them off the ceiling” are over. This is an “old-school” mentality and its only outcome is detracting from your dealership’s integrity. They may still buy the car but they won’t leave with a great impression of your salespeople or dealership. Of course consumers are looking for a “good deal” but, I believe, they appreciate honesty.
  4. Get rid of bad apples. If you have salespeople or management staff who lie to customers, play games, or fudge numbers or information. Fire them. They will only hurt you in the long run. Customer don’t have loyalty because you didn’t earn it from them.
  5. Take care of your customers. Your customers are your life-blood. Dealerships have more income potential in fixed-ops than in sales. Treat them like royalty and they will come back.
  6. Pay attention to your customers. Many dealerships never contact customers post-sale until the dealer believes they may be in-market again. Follow-up processes should not simply be about selling them another car. It should be about appreciation. Call them on their birthdays and anniversaries. You have a better shot at selling them another car by not trying to sell them another car.
  7. Stop treating salespeople as expendable. Most customers don’t expect their salesperson to work at your dealership long. Be a company people want to work for. Reward and encourage employees to stay around. Get rid of managers that are quick to replace salespeople. Customers will notice.
  8. Engage your customers. Don’t just pop in and out of their lives to tell them about your upcoming sale. Once you’re in their lives, stay there. Use social media, blogs, newsletters, customer appreciation events, and any other tools you can to remain not only in their lives but in their minds.

While doing these things won’t change the perception of our industry as a whole, it CAN change the perception of the most important person in existence….

Your customer.

How Reviews Stop Buying Decisions

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First, it’s been way too long since I’ve blogged. For those who care, I apologize. I’ve been very busy in my new role with a great company, 3 Birds Marketing, and I’m very grateful that they invited me to join their team.

We all know that reputation management is mandatory in today’s digital world. Consumers have increasingly more information at their fingertips and there are more choices than ever out there. With auto brands barraging consumers with marketing, consumers are continuously relying on reviews to help make buying decisions. Studies show that consumers have more confidence in reviews left by other consumers than any other type. Everyone knows the importance of building and maintaining a solid, balanced reputation across all the review sites.

When can reviews actually stop the buying process?

I’m NOT talking about someone choosing WHO to buy from necessarily. Part of the problem is that consumers are so overwhelmed by reviews about your PRODUCT that not only is it essential to maintain a great reputation as a DEALER but to also pay attention to reviews about your brand and models.

Here’s an illustration I found that details pretty accurately what can happen:

original

Has this ever been you?

How do you prevent consumers from progressing past panel #1 in that comic?

Imagine this scenario… A customer comes into your dealership. They find a car they like. They go online on their phone to see if they want to do business with YOU. While reading your dealership’s reviews, they also come across product reviews from consumers saying positive things not only about YOU but also about the car they are trying to decide upon. After deciding they are comfortable with you, it’s possible that a consumer wouldn’t then feel the need to progress to product reviews on other sites and it could help avoid the progression illustrated in the comic.

In addition to not only building a solid reputation online across ALL review sites (not just focusing on a single site or two), why not also encourage your customers to say great things about your BRANDS and models?

There’s no reason why you can’t ask your customers to write a review about the car they purchase from you. Not only does this add to your reputation but it provides relevant and fresh content that could assist your dealership in not only appearing in name searches on Google but also brand and product searches.

There’s no reason why you can’t leverage consumer product and brand reviews on all of your review sites that can assist your dealership in gaining exposure that your competitor wouldn’t have.

If a consumer is trying to make a decision NOT on whether to do business with YOU but on whether to purchase your PRODUCT, a good mix of both types of reviews can certainly help prevent consumers from progressing to indecisiveness.

Buying Reviews and Car Dealerships

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In the last few days, there has been national media coverage of a vendor on Amazon who decided to “stack the deck” and buy reviews. The two articles, one on Gizmodo and one in the New York Times, told the story of a company selling cases for the Kindle Fire on Amazon who included notes in the packages asking for positive reviews from buyers in exchange for a full refund of the purchase price they paid.

Within the automotive industry, there have been (and still are) companies that promise to increase your online reviews and, while they claim the reviews are all genuine, people paying attention can easily dissect the fact that they are not. I wrote an article in June of 2011 that investigated one company, Review Boost, that was suspected of doing just this in which I interviewed the owner.

Most dealers do not participate in or knowingly hire any companies that do this.

One statement in those articles, which was included in the letter to consumers who purchased the Kindle Fire case, caught my attention though.

“We strive to earn 100 percent perfect ‘FIVE-STAR’ scores from you!”

Does this sound familiar?

Most dealerships have a time, usually in their delivery process, in which the customer is “educated” that they will be receiving a survey from the manufacturer and how important it is for the dealership to receive top scores in all areas. Some dealerships even get as detailed as having a copy of the survey with the desired answers highlighted and reviewed with the consumers. I know dealers who ask the customers to fill it out and bring it into  the dealership in exchange for something – a free oil change, t-shirt, etc. Some ask for the survey to be returned blank (which they obviously plan to fill out themselves) and some just ask them to return a completed survey which they can then read and decide for themselves whether to return it or not. I know dealers who will even RDR the car with a different address if there is heat on the deal so that a customer never gets the survey at all.

While this is certainly not identical to the vendor in the articles, in which they offered a refund for the product in exchange for positive reviews, it’s pretty close.

Reviewing a CSI survey with customers when they buy a car is skating a fine-line especially when there’s coaching involved. When you throw in a free oil change or some other incentive, it’s the same thing. Every dealer knows that they aren’t supposed to do this. However, CSI scores can be tied to future incentives from manufacturers so dealers are always under pressure to keep their scores high.

The problem with any of this is that you never get an opportunity to truly improve. You don’t get real feedback on what (or who) is broken in your process. Even though these aren’t “public” reviews and are only viewed by the manufacturer and employees of the dealership, the opportunity for improvement still exists.

You should embrace the opportunity, take your lumps when they come, and do your best to solve the customer’s complaints or criticism with your CSI surveys just as you would with your online public reviews. Even though consumers might not see these when choosing your dealership, making sure that ALL your customers are happy by attempting to solve issues they may have had, whether you received the feedback publicly through an online review or privately through CSI survey feedback, will help you grow as a dealership.

Embrace all reviews, both negative and positive, public or private, and use them as a learning experience and an opportunity to fix broken processes, clean house of cancerous employees, and become a better dealership.

I guarantee that by doing this, you’ll see less negative reviews.

BMW Dealer Customer Service Fail Goes Viral

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A customer comes into your dealership because the warning lights come on in his Certified Pre-owned BMW after your service department tells him to bring it in immediately. He comes in and your first tier tech tells him the lights only apply to an emissions issue which doesn’t apply in his state, promptly turns the warning lights off and tells the customer he’s “good to go”. The customer leaves and two days later, the steering fails on his car while driving 65-75 mph on the freeway causing him to crash off the side of the road. When he complains to the GM, no apology is given and he’s told to bring the car back in. He expresses concern about his trust in the dealership and says he wants to go to a different one and is told that he can only bring the car there.

He then goes online and starts asking questions in a brand-enthusiast forum. After getting some information and advice from his peers, he meets with the GM at the dealership where, after expressing his concerns about the dealership’s service quality, the GM asks “then you shouldn’t even be in my office wasting my time”. The customer then agrees to let the dealer pick up his car via flatbed to look at it but is denied a loaner car.

Someone at your corporate office sees his online forum posting and has the corporate LAWYER call the customer requesting that he remove his online posting. He refuses and takes the car to an independent mechanic where he is told that the codes indicate issues with “steering and stability control”.

BMW North America gets involved. They ask the customer to bring his car into a different dealer and promise to fly in a team of specialized engineers. They confirm the steering and stability issues, charge him his $50 deductible and only fix two issues that are covered under his CPO warranty. Neither the corporate office or the dealership will explain to him what was wrong or take any responsibility and, when asked why, they say they “don’t appreciate that (he’s) made this a public issue on the forums.”

Yes, this really happened. What a train wreck.

The dealership? BMW of North Scottsdale. (a Penske Automotive dealership)

This story made the website “Jalopnik” yesterday. The article (in which the dealer is not only named but linked to) “Did a Dealer Ignore a Faulty, Dangerous BMW?” has received 27,334 unique visitors and has 209 comments. In one day.

The original forum post has 327 comments on it in less than 30 days and has been viewed by 27,956 unique visitors.

The Jalopnik article is now in the #6 position on Google Page 1 for a search for the store’s name, four spots up from their DealerRater page.

 

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We’ve all experienced irate customers. We all make mistakes. There were so many opportunities for customer service to appear by so many different parties (technician, service manager, general manager, corporate office, manufacturer, the second dealership, and, of course, the corporate lawyer), yet it never did and now the dealer and BMW have a PR nightmare on their hands.

One forum poster actually said this: “Scottsdale BMW got a pretty good rating at dealer rater…shall we change that?”

What would you do if this happened at your dealership? How would you handle this?

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