On the last day of the Driven Brands "Limitless 2024" Conference in Dallas, after everyone had their coffee and eggs, Bart Mazurek, vice president of consulting for the Automotive Services Group at CCC Intelligent Solutions, presented the numbers to attendees as the keynote speaker.
Mazurek had one big message: Make the keys handoff more seamless. This might seem odd considering customers are not walking into the shop during the happiest moment of their lives, but time is crucial.
He based this on data from CCC’s recent “Moments of Truth” report, for which CCC commissioned a study of 2,400 consumers who filed a first-party claim between 2021 and 2023.
“What they really want to hear is, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith, we’re going to write a thorough estimate. We’re going to take good care of your car, and we’re going to get it back to pre-accident condition,’ and that’s it,” Mazurek said. “They just want their expectations set because it’s very possible that it sounds complicated.”
He then asked the audience, “Who here offers free Wi-Fi at their shops?” As expected, most raised their hands.
Mazurek continued, “What about good coffee?” Many raised their hands. “Doughnuts? Love me a doughnut!”
His last question was, “Guess what?” The audience waited a few seconds for the answer. “They don’t want it! Why? Because of liquid expectations. The perfect drop-off has nothing to do with being in your shop. They hand you their keys, you hand them the rental car keys, and they’re out in five minutes.”
He said lobbies should not be seen as a draw, but as an indirect way to show that an operator’s shop is the best for the job.
“Cleanliness reflects on the business you run and gives the consumer confidence that they’re dropping it off at a professional business,” Mazurek said.
