I recently explained why utilizing a customer relationship management (CRM) tool in your service drive can help you win business and maximize your service potential. From phone calls to appointment scheduling, to recommending upsells, each service appointment is an opportunity for success.

But what if the appointment doesn’t happen?

How do you handle missed appointments in your service department?

When a customer misses their appointment, you likely reach out to see if they’re still coming. But what if the call goes to voicemail and the text goes unanswered? Once the appointment has come and gone with no sign of your customer showing up, what’s your next move?

You could make a list of all the customers who missed their appointment and call them to try and reschedule, but how do you decide who to prioritize? Do you call based on the easiest services to fit in, who is most likely to show up, or who’s appointment will bring in the most profit? And how do you determine all these factors without spending unnecessary time figuring it out?

With a list that’s automatically created and ready to go, prioritized based on the criteria you set, your day can move with ease. You know exactly who to call, and when. And while you’re working through the list, all the customer information you need is on your screen in the customer’s profile. You have access to what services were just missed, if they have any previously declined services, and so much more.

Which brings me to my next question.

What services are you talking to your customer about when you call to reschedule their appointment?

If you’re only asking about the services they just missed, you’re missing out on the opportunity to add additional work and increase your profits. Take a moment to see if there are any previously declined services on your customer’s profile before rescheduling their appointment.

The more a customer learns about a specific job and understands its benefits, the more likely they are to have it done. If you see a service listed in their profile under previously declined, you know they’ve heard about it at least once. If you mention it again on the phone, even if they decline, your team is well-positioned for another opportunity to make an upsell once they’re in your service drive.

Now that we’ve discussed how to handle and maximize opportunities when an appointment is missed, I have one last question.

What if you could avoid missed appointments altogether by automatically reminding customers about their upcoming service?

Once an appointment is scheduled, you shouldn’t have to worry about your customer forgetting and not showing up. Some customers don’t think about communicating with the dealership when they realize they won’t make their appointment. Getting reminders may be the thing that prompts them to reschedule or cancel rather than just no-show.

With the right CRM, a results-based schedule allows you to set up appointment reminders, sent automatically to your customers, in the perfect order. If you set an email to go out, then schedule a follow-up call, you won’t be prompted to call the customer until after the email has been sent. This will save your team time and guarantee the reminders make it to the right people.

Implementing a CRM in your service drive can significantly improve your customer’s experiences and your service potential. By efficiently handling missed appointments, utilizing your customer’s history for upsell opportunities, and automating appointment reminders, you’ll streamline your service department’s operations and enhance your overall customer satisfaction, leading to more business, and maximized service potential.

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