Using Video to Drive the Customer Experience

When dealers first started using TruVideo to share Service videos, the goal was to help customers better see and understand the repairs that were needed on their vehicle. Quickly, the video experience was seen to successfully accomplish this goal.

Then learnings continued — and the results exceeded that initial goal. Consumer trust went up; and dealers reported seeing an immediate increase in consumer experience (CX) scores.

Actual Service Customer Feedback

“Thank you so much for this video. I’m so happy you do this. Usually when you take your car in for service, you don’t know what they do, you just have to take their word for it. Your service is outstanding, thank you so much!”

“Amazing, thank you so much. The video explained much of my concerns and it was nice to see how the filters were looking.”

“Wow. Best run-through ever, have never seen a video. Call me to discuss when you have time.”

“Excellent video. I love it. That’s why I am a loyal customer.”

“I love this video showing the component of the vehicle that needs repair. That’s awesome. Thank you. Great job!”

“I like the video. Nice to have a connection to the person working on my car.”

Positive Effect on Net Promoter Scores (NPS)

Customer scores and comments about their video experiences were so positive, multiple OEMs took notice. One OEM partner, who is viewed as a leader in video utilization, shared some of their data for this report.

From the beginning, the OEM compared repair orders accompanied by a video communication to those without. They tracked customer experience metrics and revenue. And in their first year of digital service, their NPS showed a sharp increase in Service Intent to Return when a video was included: a gain of four points. Accompanying this jump in customer sentiment was a simultaneous rise in revenue. Research across multiple brands conducted by TruVideo reinforced these findings with even more pronounced results.

OEM Results: Single Brand Over One Year
Sample size: More than one million repair orders

TruVideo Results: Multiple brands
Service Intent to Return: Seven points increase

Service Video Results

More Views Increase Understanding
On receiving a Service video, the average customer watches it more than once — and some, two times or more. This raises the question: if customers receiving videos find it necessary to view them multiple times to fully absorb their message, how does the experience differ for other customers? Without video, customers can’t see what needs to be repaired, must speak to an intermediary rather than hear directly from the Technician, and may struggle to recall the details accurately when conferring with a partner or friend. Transparency and understanding are vastly improved for customers who receive videos.

Sharing Promotes Greater Buy-In
It was also discovered that many customers who received Service videos share them with at least one other person. This could be because there is more than one decision-maker involved in the transaction, or because the customer requires the opinion of a partner or friend. Whatever the reason, the exact inspection information — direct from the Technician — now reaches everyone in the communication chain; this has not been possible before. We’ll examine the effects of this further in the next section.

Fast Responses Are Good For Business
Customers who receive Service videos not only understand their repair needs better; they appreciate the convenience of being able to watch on their own terms. The end result is that customers are happier — and respond faster. This is especially good news for the dealership because Service departments are selling a highly perishable item: time. Keeping bays busy and reducing the downtime of waiting for approvals are key to operating more profitably.

Fixing the Communication Chain

One item that had not been anticipated prior to research was video’s effect on the communication chain. Prior to the use of Service videos, the path from Service Technician to consumer was a multistep process with diminishing returns. Here’s one example:

Upon completing a multipoint inspection (MPI) of a customer’s vehicle, the Technician posts six recommended repair items. The Advisor limits the Technician’s recommendations to four due to:

• Fear that the overall price might scare off the customer
• Concern that the Technician might be overselling
• Lack of experience or thorough understanding of the repair

After the Advisor tries to verbally explain these four recommendations to the customer, the message must somehow be communicated from the customer to a second decision-maker or trusted confidant. Confusion occurs and another recommendation is lost.

By the end of the communication chain, the message barely resembles what had been initially recommended. Needed work has been omitted, forgotten or rejected due to miscommunication. The customer is dissatisfied with the lack of transparency. And the Service department is given the go-ahead to complete only two of the original six recommendations — losing two thirds of the total sale it should have made.

Video Makes Communication Seamless

By adding video, the above dynamic changes completely. The Technician’s complete message — including a personalized walkthrough of needed work on the customer’s vehicle with full explanation — can be sent directly to every member of the communication chain. With no confusion. No loss of information. And much greater potential for higher ROs.

The consumers who have experienced Service videos have spoken. With their greater understanding, increased buy-in, faster response time, higher NPS Intent to Return, and better communication from end to end, it’s time to learn from their experience — and share it with your own customers.

See how CDK ServiceView powered by TruVideo can improve your Service business HERE

Previous: How Video Is Changing the Service Business
Next: How Video Affects ROI

About This Article
Contents of this article are adapted from the ROVI (Return On Video Investment) Report, which was compiled from research conducted by TruVideo. The leader in video communications for the transportation industry, TruVideo powers CDK ServiceView — where its insights derived from more than seven million video views help increase consumer engagement and increase partner ROI and NPS.