Customer Service in a Matchbox
For those of you who are members of APA, you know that we speak about leveraging our efforts for better customer service.
With strategic leverage, one unit of effort from us can provide multiple units of benefits to our customers.
One simple example of this is the use of Matchbox cars (or any small affordable scale model).
The matchbox cars shown cost $2.15 each. You can get them at Coles, Woolworths, Target, Big W, Toys R Us and other toy shops. There are other brands available too, like Hot Wheels. There are models of many manufacturers available. I have found Matchbox and/or Hot Wheels cars for: Mercedes-Benz, Land-Rover, BMW, Lexus, Subaru, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, Volvo, Nissan, Honda, Jeep, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, Ferrari, Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Lotus, Bentley and others.
How can these scale models be used? Here are a couple of examples:
1. Customer’s children. Let’s face it, a car dealership can be a boring place for kids. If your customers have children who are clearly not enthralled by the experience of car-shopping, you can present them with a matchbox car to entertain themselves for a while. It may not work with every child every time, but I’ve personally had a lot of success with this. The kids seem to appreciate it, as do the parents. It creates some goodwill and often puts the parents at ease because their kids are no longer disrupting their efforts to buy a car.
2. Customer follow-up. When customers have ordered a car from me and had to wait more than a week for it, I have sent them a scale model of their car with a hand-written note saying “Here’s a small one while you’re waiting for the big one!” In one instance, the customer put it on his desk, where it elicited enquiries from his colleagues, which subsequently generated several referral sales.
I do not suggest using your scale models in every situation with every customer. Exercise your good judgment to decide when it is appropriate. It is only a small financial step to take to invest in a few two-dollar scale models, but you will be amazed at what they may help you achieve (unexpected sales, referrals, customer feedback, etc.) By making this small investment you have already distanced yourself further from the average salespeople out there who expect their managers, dealerships and manufacturers to do everything for them and pay for everything.
We’ll talk more about leverage and customer service in the future, but for now, what other ideas do you have for using scale model cars to help your business? Ideas are welcome as well as real examples of how you have used scale model cars to help your business.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sean,
I have used scale model cars for follow-up. Obviously you have to choose the right customer. For example one guy I had been speaking to for weeks was a horticulturalist. We got on very well but he was unnecessarily prolonging his decision. So I sent him a scale model of the car he was looking at with a note: “if you water it and it doesn’t grow, you’d better call me and I’ll plant a big one in your driveway.” He phoned me laughing ans said “OK. let’s do it. Get me a big one!” It’s been an ongoing joke between us. He has remained a great repeat customer and has referred me several more clients to me.
We were talking with a fleet client about a deal for twenty vans. My sales manager bought a scale model of our van through the parts dept. We took it into the workshop and got the guys to paint it in our client’s corporate colours. Then we printed their logo from their website and stuck it on each side of the van. We gave it to the client with our pricing. We weren’t the cheapest but we got the deal!
As suggested in discussions with Sean, I gave several customers who had placed forward orders “a small car while they waited for the big one” and when I have visited clients at their workplace and they are undecided. I leave them with a small car for their desk. Both get a great response.
This is a fantastic idea.
The idea of giving the kids something to do while at a dealership is something often over looked and is something that I have touched on on my blog.
A great CEM and CRM method.