Car Wash M&A, The Podcast Episode 5 Overview
HOW RETENTION EXPRESS HELPS CAR WASH OWNERS
Retention Express offers a cost-effective, outsourced customer experience solution across all touchpoints to help owners gain a competitive market advantage. As a white label call service, Retention Express works with each owner and operator to establish a playbook with custom scripts and resolution options so that representatives can take action when the call arrives. Bobby Thomson, the founder of Retention Express, discovered that lack of response to customer concerns caused a lot of churn for car wash owners, and a timely, streamlined way to address those calls can make a huge difference in retaining memberships and keeping customers happy.
As Bobby shares with Lanese in the latest Car Wash M&A episode, “We open up all channels for a consumer to communicate [on behalf of] that brand, not only through a phone call, which was forwarded to us, but [also through] email. We open up to a live chat; we open up texting. We can do social media through private messaging when people reach out.” By engaging in many communication channels, customers can share their concerns in a convenient, easy method they are comfortable with and they are more likely to receive a quick and satisfying resolution.
PARTNERING WITH AMPLIFY WITH LAUNCH OF AMPLIFY VENTURES
Amplify Car Wash Advisors announced the launch of Amplify Ventures, a new vertical within the firm, and a partnership with Retention Express is one of the first components of that vertical. At Amplify, we recognize that addressing customer concerns in an efficient and effective manner is a pain point for many car wash owners and operators. That’s why we are excited to partner with Retention Express to help alleviate some of that burden on car wash staff and management, while also providing the car wash customer a better experience and strengthening their relationship with the brand.
As Lanese shares in the episode regarding the launch of Amplify Ventures, “The car wash industry is catching up on a lot of these technology advancements that really show that our business and our industry are continuing to elevate professionally. And with that, we have this opportunity to keep expanding on these solutions and these new technologies that are helpful to car wash owners, and that is what we are doing. That’s what our goal is: to keep this ball going forward and offer more solutions to car wash owners.”
THE IMPACT OF FIRST CALL RESOLUTION
At Retention Express, the goal is to resolve a caller’s issue during the first call if possible. Because of the close work and established procedures already in place once Retention Express partners with a car wash business, agents responding to calls are empowered to take action that often resolves the issue within that first phone call. Retention Express staff members have access to point of sale platforms for the car wash businesses they serve; this ensures quick and effective solutions for customers. In situations where a first call resolution is not possible, agents work quickly to touch base with the car wash owner or manager and then promptly get back to the caller to ensure that the issue does not remain unresolved.
As Bobby states in the interview, “We [at Retention Express] help solve and really work to a win/win solution at every level we can. And the best way to create a high level of customer experience is to create a first call resolution. People don’t have time, for a $30 membership, to call you back eight times. They don’t want to do that! And if you put them in that position to do it, there’s only one loser in that situation! It’s going to be your brand.”
WATCHING THE BACK DOOR AND PROTECTING MEMBERSHIPS
In addition to helping customers feel satisfied that their concerns are heard and quickly addressed, another valuable aspect of the system is the data collected during the calls. Because agents are answering the phones thirteen hours a day, seven days a week, they quickly notice trends and concerns. If there is a technical problem or another issue on site, agents can often identify the problem quickly and notify the car wash owner or manager about the issue so that it can be addressed immediately.
As car wash folks know, weekends are usually busy and not the time when staff are in the office addressing issues that come through email submissions or phone calls. Rather than those voicemails and messages pile up, Retention Express agents are available throughout the weekend, responding to and documenting the concerns that come in so that managers and other staff members are not inundated on Monday morning with a back up of concerns that need attention.
Want to dive deeper into car wash M&A information? View all Car Wash M &A, The Podcast episodes here:https://amplifywash.com/podcast
