IDS: Sealing Communication Gaps in RV Service, Parts Dept. – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
EDITORS NOTE: The following is courtesy of IDS, a leading Dealership Management Systems (DMS) provider.
When daily tasks pile up, communication can easily take a backseat—leaving both team members and customers out of the loop. However, maintaining clear and consistent communication isn’t just a best practice — it’s essential for staying competitive.
Customers expect regular updates on their service and parts orders—even if the update is that there’s no update. The worst thing for a customer is feeling forgotten. Consistent communication builds trust, enhances satisfaction, and helps prevent issues that arise from miscommunication during the repair cycle.
Communication Best Practices for Dealerships
To ensure a seamless customer experience, your team should follow these key communication practices:
- Update at least once a week. Even if there’s no progress on a work order, let the customer know. No update is still an update.
- Gather details upfront. Collect as much information as possible before the job starts to minimize surprises and set clear expectations.
- Be transparent. If new issues arise mid-job, communicate openly and provide solutions.
- Request feedback. Gather customer feedback after every job to improve service quality.
Automate and Standardize Communications
Maintaining a high level of communication takes effort, which is why leveraging your dealership management system (DMS) is crucial. With customizable text and email templates, you can automate key updates, streamline communication, and build stronger customer relationships.
Some communications that can be templated and/or automated include:
- Alerts when an appointment has been created
- Alerts when a work order has been created
- Work order status updates
- Parts order status updates
- Requests for work order approvals
- Pick up date notifications
- Requests for customers to rate their experience
This flowchart by IDS illustrates how automation can create a more efficient and connected communication process between your Service and Parts departments and your customers: See the flowchart.
