JCB Škoda, SEAT and Cupra Crawley implements digital self-service to improve customer satisfaction and boost revenues
20 Dec 2023
Top performing and rapidly expanding Škoda, SEAT and Cupra dealership adopts digital self-service solutions to improve customer service and revenue potential.
Established in 1998, JCB is a growing family-owned dealer group retailing new and used cars and providing aftersales support to customers across Kent and Sussex. The group operates 21 state-of-the-art dealers representing brands including Dacia, Kia, Renault and Volkswagen.
One of JCB’s flagship sites is in Crawley, specialising in Škoda, SEAT and Cupra vehicles and serving a densely populated catchment area that includes Crawley, Gatwick, Haywards Heath and parts of Greater London.
JCB Crawley’s sizeable aftersales department features nine service bays and employs eight technicians, two full-time service advisors and one service administrator.
According to Paul Jacobs, JCB Crawley’s Aftersales Manager: “Our aftersales department has grown considerably in the last three years due to increased business on the sales side. We now see an average of 20 to 25 bookings a day, which means footfall can be high at peak times when customers arrive to drop off and pick up their vehicles. This can place pressure on our staff, who want to give the same high standards of service at all times of the day. Longer queues can also be frustrating for our customers.”
Embracing a digital solution
To ease these pressures, JCB Crawley adopted Tjekvik’s digital self-service solutions in November 2022. The digital check-in and check-out technologies eliminate the need for customers to wait for a service advisor to become available. Instead, they can check in and check out their vehicles at a time and place convenient for them, either in advance on a dedicated mobile-optimised site, or via an easy-to-use touchscreen kiosk located inside the showroom. Customers can use the kiosk to highlight the location of their vehicles, securely drop-off their keys in dedicated in-built lockers, and purchase additional value-added items.
After an initial training period in which staff were briefed on how to use the tech, and how it could integrate effectively with JCB’s existing dealer management system, JCB Crawley immediately saw the benefits. Queues lessened, customers were happier, and staff felt less pressured during peak times.
Unlike many dealers that adopt Tjekvik’s solutions, JCB Crawley also decided to employ a dedicated dealer host, Steve Martin, who introduces customers to the Tjekvik kiosk, ensuring a seamless check-in process for those less familiar with such systems. “Like with anything new technology most customers were initially ‘mistrusting’ of the device. Similar to the first-time travellers used automated check-in and bag drop-off at airports. Having Steve ‘babysit’ customers while using the device makes a huge difference. We have only just covered 6 months with our new processes, so there are still customers who have not experienced the ‘host/Tjekvik’ interaction at Crawley. Coaching and showing our customers the benefits still has a way to go and undoubtedly we shall benefit from the next 6 months.” adds Paul.
As well as helping customers check in on-site, JCB Crawley’s dealer host Steve pre-calls customers the day before their booking to encourage the use of Tjekvik’s home check-in solution. This process has contributed to a 10-15% increase in home check-ins, with as many as 80-85% of customers checking in from home on occasions. Kiosk check-ins have reached between 60-70%, on average. “I find it quite rewarding to take the reins from the get-go. Handling the pre-call and overseeing the entire process. It's genuinely fulfilling to witness the whole journey and see the tangible results” adds Steve.
The arrival of digital check-in has also enabled JCB Crawley’s service advisers to spend more time with those customers who require additional support, as well as on other tasks that would previously have been spent processing customers. The pressure to upsell items is also reduced, with Tjekvik’s systems automatically presenting JCB’s preferred products and services to customers during the digital check-in and check-out process.
Impressive results
Paul says: “By implementing digital self-service and transforming our front-of-house processes, we’ve been able to offer our customers a more convenient and engaging omnichannel aftersales experience. Customer satisfaction has improved, with human interaction and digital solutions combining to great effect. Customers are loving the technology too, with many commenting on how easy the check-in process now is.”
During the first year of use, 64% of JCB Crawley’s customers checked in from home, totalling 1,953 bookings, while kiosk check-ins reached 52%, equivalent to 1,771 bookings. During the latter three months, home and kiosk check-ins rose to 74%.
Dealer revenue has also seen an uplift, thanks to the new digital tools taking some of the burden for upselling value-added items. During the last three months of 2023, JCB Crawley upsold £32,143 worth of products. The best-selling product amongst customers has been a brake fluid change, which alone has raised an additional £5,518 of revenue. In 2023 JCB Crawley also had 286 service plans and 104 spare wheel kit requests. A total of 187 customers also requested valuation requests on their current vehicles during digital check-in, highlighting how Tjekvik’s solutions can potentially drive car sales.
Key statistics:
over £32k in added value in 3 months
nearly 2000 appointments
64% checked in from home
74% used kiosks
187 valuation requests
By utilising Tjekvik’s technology and adapting it to their needs, JCB Crawley has been transformed into a top-level performer thanks to better efficiency, profitability and customer satisfaction.
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