Jeff, it seems that maybe I misunderstood but I took "And this may be why you DO NOT outsource your off hour website chat" as a stance on why dealers shouldn't outsource after hours chat. Again, I say that this isn't my ideal situation and that you can find partners who do it really well OR do after hours chat realllly well with the right in-house team, culture, and training, but to conclude that after hour chats or outsourcing chat are bad ideas completely... I think is unfair. I disagree with that notion because I have tested and tried and found partnerships that worked and chat companies that work within the structure of the dealerships I was working with. We've concluded as a group that not every dealership structure works for the other and that humans err... so I assume we're only debating specifically after hours chat through a vendor?
Does every single service now need partnering on the dealership side... yes. I agree with Yago that the insane pricing structures we've created make many things difficult. However, in this industry we take service from the vendor to a whole new level. Have you worked with salesforce or chat providers outside of automotive or any services outside of automotive? Every company that I've ever worked before and after joining the Automotive industry has taken partnership and work on my end to get it where I need to be... especially with customer service. I'm starting to rant so I'll stop there to see your responses, but why are the rules so different in automotive. I haven't heard a single real reason why it should be. If I want something in the right tone, voice, or way for my company... I demand it, work with them, and monitor to make sure it sticks. That's me anyways...
Alex, I believe that handling chat well doesn't come down to scripting, but moreso...
1. Training the individuals on customer service first and foremost
2. Providing them with scripts that give them every if/then scenario we as dealers are faced with (and when there is a new scenario... have the whisper feature to get a manager more apt to answer get in there, then create a new if/then scenario to add to the list)
3. Teaching them how to use scripts loosely instead of in a robotic manner
4. Most importantly, coaching them on the VOICE of the dealership and engraining in them the culture you are trying to promote. Simple things like mission statements, service values (like the ritz carlton), and providing each person a contact to reference on the floor if needed all help make chat a great way to drop the walls before they get there, increase appointments and show ratios, and sell cars.
I don't know if that answers your question?
