Beyond Exceptional

"The Ultimate Goal" of any visionary company or dealership is to ensure that every customer and their respective families should come back and buy every car from them, they would ever own for generations. To achieve this "Ultimate Goal," they keep on constantly looking for the best ways to deliver beyond exceptional and best-in-town purchase and ownership experiences to each of their valued customers and every single time to stand apart from their competition. 

The firm foundation for beyond exceptional and best-in-town purchase and ownership customer experience is, of course, your people. I don't believe that companies or dealerships can deliver beyond exceptional customer service with average people on their floors. To give beyond exceptional and superior customer experience, they would need beyond exceptional, engaged, enthusiastic, and energized people. These people are known as Service Advisors, Front-Line Officers, and Customer Experience Officers or Service Leaders.

In this book, you will thoroughly explore the basic concepts of a beyond exceptional Service Advisor or Customer Experience Officer. Why is it so important to be a beyond-exceptional Service Advisor or Customer Experience Officer? How do these service leaders set their vision and make it a reality? How do they think, act, and behave to stay ahead of the rest in the industry? How do they deliver consistently superior and beyond exceptional customer service for every customer? How do they effectively overcome problems and challenges on the service floor? How do they promise and over-deliver on their commitments? How do they always hold themselves to the highest service standards? How do they boost customer satisfaction and turn them into raving fans and brand evangelists?

Why This Book? 

As you know, Service Leaders are: 

• The brand Ambassadors of your company, dealership, or brand. 
• The greatest influencers of future sales. 
• They are the difference makers.
• They handle more challenging customers than others. 

But unfortunately, this is the less focused area in dealerships or any company. There are no plans in place for developing and polishing their leadership capabilities, competencies, skill development, and capacity building to handle inquiries, complaints, and most challenging customers more confidently and effectively on the service floor. Recognizing this gap, I penned this practical guide to empower Service Leaders in confidently managing inquiries, complaints, and challenging customers on the service floor. 

This book is not a guesswork; it is a result of nearly 23 years of my extensive work with Honda, Toyota, and DFSK Pakistan. Beyond Exceptional is packed with actionable insights, practical tools, learning models, proven frameworks, and best practices to create service excellence and customer delight on the service floor.    

5C FRAMEWORK - The DNA of Becoming Beyond Exceptional

I have structured my book, Beyond Exceptional, around the "5C Framework" to deliver top-notch, heart-touching, and memorable customer experiences on the service floor.  After reviewing this synopsis, you will understand the concept of this framework, implement it in your daily work, and become part of this great learning. 

Each section of the book has been well crafted and provides valuable insights that can be digested, reflected upon, and put into practice. 

Please allow me to walk you through each "C."

CORE represents the firm foundation of beyond exceptional Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers. The biggest difference between successful Sales & Service professionals, amazing CEOs, astonishing Entrepreneurs, and unsuccessful people isn't intelligence, opportunity, or resources. It's the belief that they have in themselves to make things happen. This section delves into the "High Five Core Beliefs" of Beyond Exceptional Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers that empower them to leap into dreams and aspirations. 

I have outlined the High Five Core Beliefs, which are the lynchpin of exceptional service leadership:

Believe in yourself - > Believe in your vision -> Believe in Your Skills -> Believe in Service - > Believe in your customers.

CHARACTER explores the high-impact habits that distinguish Beyond Exceptional Service Advisors. In this section, you will find how world-class Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers think, feel, act, and behave on the service floor.  World-class and extraordinary Service Advisors normally do 95% of things through the power of their high-impact habits. The 7 Winning Habits of Beyond Exceptional Service Advisors are summarized in the acronym

ADVISOR:

Action Plan -> Demonstrate courtesy -> Vivid Walkaround -> Interact with Candor-> SUPER Listener-> Offer Maintenance Solution -> Resolve All Customer Concerns.    

COMPETENCE is the ability of ultra-high-performing Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers to run and manage the service process efficiently & effectively to ensure a seamless, consistent, and reliable customer experience on the service floor to keep the customers happy. In this part, we will explore the key skills or competencies of ultra-high-performing Service Advisors to run the "Service Process" smoothly.

Here’s the service process flow:

Appointment ->Reception-> Job Dispatch & Production->Quality Control ->Delivery Process ->Post Service follow-up.

CARE delves into the DNA of super-elite and Beyond Exceptional Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers. They are always held to the highest service standards while serving their customers. In this part, we will explore how they instantly connect with their customers to captivate their attention and interest to build a strong rapport, how they solve their customers' problems, and how they manage their precious time and energy to fulfill their promises. I neatly summarized the DNA in the acronym CARE.

CONNECT – covers critical aspects like First Five Seconds, Twenty-Second Elevator Pitch, and Rapport building, enabling Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers to make solid first impressions and build strong connections with customers.

ART OF COMPLAINT HANDLING – This section delves into the company’s and Service Advisor’s philosophy/mindset toward the Voice of the Customers (VOC), Customer Service Philosophy, and Keys the Service Advisor needs to know as a standout complaint handler, and the complaint-handling process to handle normal and serious complaints on the service floor.  

RESPECT TIME –Respecting your customers’ time and your own time is the key to service excellence. This section emphasizes the time and energy management for the Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers. When you respect your customers’ time by responding to their inquiries and complaints on time, they will feel more valued, important, and respected. They will remain loyal and likely come to your dealership or company repeatedly.   

ENSURE YOUR PROMISES - I emphasized that the service advisor must honor their commitments as customers want to surround themselves with the people who tell it like it is. Who are candid? Who are fortified? Who are spectacularly honest. Service advisors are driven by trust. Under promise and over-delivered.      

CRAFT GOALS & KPI: In this part, we will explore how remarkable Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers can set challenging and stretch goals for themselves to stay on top of their game. We will also explore; how remarkable Service Advisors or Customer Experience Officers can craft and measure

In essence, "Beyond Exceptional" is a result-driven guide born out of practical experience and a commitment to elevating service standards. Each section offers actionable insights, making it a valuable resource for Service Leaders seeking to enhance their skills and deliver beyond exceptional customer experiences on the service floor.