Smart Business Magazine, December 2019

18 Smart Business Cleveland December 2019 CUSTOMER SERVICE 101 ADAM MOON Customer service IS your business Employees are your most powerful tool to continually satisfy customers We live in a world where everything can be personalized from a Coca Cola bottle with your name on it to a personal shopper at Giant Eagle to building your perfectly unique new BMW As a leader you cant ignore the fact that all of this marketing and business preparation is assembled to customize a level of service for each individual Everyone is different and its important to really listen to what customers are saying Its not about telling a customer what you think they should do its about assessing and understanding a customers needs and wants You need to treat everyone who comes to your business as an individual with independent desires Do your best to work with these customers along their journey by providing the best customizable experience they could have to find an agreeable outcome for both parties Your employees are your most powerful success factor In order to deliver a first class performance employees must adapt respect and trust the independence they are given to act as a role model for others and understand that customers hold the key to victory as a company If you focus on your people and build a culture they can thrive in they will in turn take care of your customers If your employees come in to work and are willing to put in the time and effort with a positive attitude it translates to your customers experience If your employees are having a good time at work then your customers are going to notice that energy and have a great experience as well Its the small things that customers take note of the most For example if you walk into our dealership our employees know that if theyre within five feet of you they need to greet you and make sure you have everything you need It doesnt matter if they already saw another employee do this We dont want anyone to feel intimidated or not welcome were all glad theyre in the store Transitioning to a more personal customer experience relies heavily on having a brand that supports your initiatives Building a new BMW for a customer has become standard for us as we typically we see about 20 BMW orders come in each month BMW USA has created an intuitive Build Your Own tool that customers and employees alike take advantage of daily Theres a great sense of joy for a customer of any business when they are able to pick up a product that is exactly what they ordered Our mission statement over the last 30 plus years of business has been to create the ultimate experience for customers Your ability to build a team that can personalize that journey for your customers can go a long way toward achieving enduring customer satisfaction Customer service isnt just an important part of your business it is your business Creating that personal relationship with your customers has never been more critical ADAM MOON Center operator BMW of Westlake Adam began working in the auto industry in 1984 He joined the Ganley Automotive Group in 1991 at Ganley Dodge West in Cleveland working in fixed operations as a parts and service manager for 15 years During this time he served as president of the Cleveland Area Service Managers Guild and is a three time recipient of the Chrysler Five Star Award In 2011 Adam was brought in to manage Ganley BMW in Middleburg Heights He then opened BMW of Westlakes new facility in 2014 440 887 0000 www bmwofwestlake com