Survey: Yes, Your Service Department Waiting Room Really Matters

The results of CDK’s recently released Service Shopper 4.0 report prove fixed ops customers really do notice the quality and contents of dealership waiting areas.
The majority (75%) of the survey’s more than 2,000 respondents said comfort is “critical.” Just over half (53%) said they would wait in the dealership’s service lounge; CDK analysts said dealers should offer options beyond killing time on the sales floor.
“About a quarter of all respondents said that a dealership with a nearby dining option appealed to them,” they stated, in part, in a release announcing the survey results. “You could take a cue from many Airbnb hosts and provide a list of walkable destinations. If a customer’s service visit is going to take longer than initially expected, consider treating them to lunch with a gift card to a nearby restaurant. A member of your Front Office could also shuttle them to and from the restaurant in the newest version of their car.”