The Service Department can help sell, too

The Service Department often can assist in the team effort of selling extended warranties. When it comes to talking mechanical breakdown, Service personnel have more credibility than anyone else.
Our customers were usually introduced to the Service Department before leaving the dealership. Some dealerships take it a step further and involve the Service Department in the delivery process.
The service manager can review the scheduled maintenance. At the appropriate moment, he could suggest an extended warranty. For example:
Service Manager: Ms. Customer, I just noticed that you don’t have the extended protection. Is this a mistake on your contract?
Customer: No, there was no mistake, I didn’t want it. I’ve always considered extended protection a rip-off!
Response Option #1:
Service Manager: Would it surprise you to know that I personally have extended protection on my own vehicle? Even though as an employee I can save money on labor, the parts alone make it a good deal. I’d highly recommend that you reconsider taking advantage of it. Take my advice, you don’t want to own any vehicle without it.
Response Option #2:
Service Manager: If I didn’t have a service, background, I’d probably feel the same way. The problem lies in your expectations. You expect this vehicle to be perfect forever. Anything short of those expectations can cause you dissatisfaction.
That’s why I stress extended protection. When you have a problem after the warranty has expired, you become unhappy with (a) the vehicle, (b) the dealership and (c) me. To prevent that from happening, I encourage all my customers to enroll. That way I can still maintain customer satisfaction even when they have a mechanical breakdown. Customers usually don’t have a problem if someone else pays for that problem.
Response Option #3:
Service Manager: Part of my job is to make sure you are satisfied. A future problem won’t be as big of a deal if someone else pays for it. By making you a satisfied customer, you are more likely to come back and buy other vehicles in the future.
I’m sure your expectations are very high about the quality of our products. They should be. We have the best quality I’ve seen in years. However, if something were to go wrong outside of the original warranty, you are not going to be a happy, satisfied customer.
It’s my job to offer you the best service advice that I can. I know how high some repair bills can be. So, believe me when I tell you it’s in your best interest to protect yourself just in case something unexpected does happen.
Telephone Follow-up
Steve trained someone in the dealership to follow-up on those customers who didn’t buy the extended protection. Here is the basic phone script.
Sally: Mr. Customer, my name is Sally Smith and I’m calling from XYZ dealership. I’m our dealership’s customer service representative. I’m following up to confirm that you are happy with your recent vehicle purchase. Is there anything we could do to improve your ownership experience?
Customer: No thanks, we’re very happy. I appreciate your following-up.
Sally: Mr. Customer, may I take just one more minute of your time. I’ve noticed that we will soon be approaching 30 days after the sale. I wanted you to know that you still can enroll in the extended protection plan. This will give you peace-of-mind after the manufacturer’s original warranty has expired.
Customer: We’re still not sure about that program.
Sally: As your representative, my primary job is to ensure your satisfaction. We want to earn your future business. The only way we can earn your loyalty is to meet and exceed your expectations. If anything should ever go wrong after the original warranty, we know we might not have a happy customer.
Unfortunately, sometimes things can go wrong. With extended protection, we can better satisfy you. For your convenience, we could set up a partial payment if that would be more convenient for you.