4 things scooter dealerships need to start doing right now
I am at a conflict… Do I try and help my fellow scooter dealerships in the industry understand what they are doing is destroying their market(s), slowing killing them, and help them get better, thus making them more competitive with me OR do I sit back, let them all slowly die, and then take over? I have had to check myself a couple of times and ask myself why I am really in this. The answer: I want to have a significant impact on our world. I see an opportunity for the scooter industry to be a top growing industry in the US, but right now I feel like most dealerships are blowing it by selling sh*t products and offering the poorest in customer service. I go into dealerships and get the feeling that the owner or teams in there couldn’t give a crap whether someone walks through the door or not. WHY ARE YOU EVEN DOING THIS?! If you don’t love it, then why waste a second of your time doing it. #mindblowing Life is short. Go do something you LOVE.
Here are some things you need to do asap and I am sorry that they sound super basic, but like I said, most of you are missing the boat:
1. Step up your customer service game. Do you put yourself in the customer’s shoes? Are you looking at things from their perspective? What does your showroom look like? Is it clean? Is it full of inventory? When a conflict/problem arises are you more worried about keeping the $20 the customer is disputing over or are you more concerned about keeping the customer? Do you or your team even greet the customer when they walk through the door? (Most places don’t).
2. Stop selling sh*t and stop competing on price! Seriously, do you think you are building a quality reputation by selling the cheapest Tao Tao or Peace Sport scooter you can find? You may get the sale and make a quick $300 on the scooter, but did you know that when your customer has problem after problem, they lose trust and are going to someone else? (they come to me and I take over on all their service from that point forward) That doesn’t do you any good! You need to sell products that won’t fall apart on your customers. Once you sell your customer a product, you need to back it up! Customers need that reassurance that you are going to be there when something goes wrong.
If you are selling the cheap scooters because you are trying to beat out your competitor on price, you will ultimately lose. We don’t compete on price. We compete on service. We compete on quality. We have competition selling (sh*t) scooters at $699 — $799. Our lowest priced scooter? $1099.00 but it is the best scooter at this price and we back it with a parts AND labor warranty through our dealership. If a customer breaks down or has an issue, we are there to help. It’s all about the service!
Don’t get me wrong. My team and I aren’t perfect by any means and we have made our fair share of mistakes, but you want to know what the difference is? We care! WE OUT CARE EVERYONE!
3. Stop telling me you don’t need Facebook. Most of you say, “I have had this business for 20 years and we have never had Facebook.” Sorry dude… you are going to get your @$$ handed to you by some 21 year old kid that is getting in the game and does have a Facebook account. If you knew all the things my team and I are working on and developing social media wise, your mind would be blown. I am on social media platforms you have never even heard of. Get on it! It’s an opportunity to get closer to your customers!
4. Network and get involved in your community. It took less than a year before people started saying, “Collin, you know everyone in Gainesville.” Obviously I don’t know everyone in Gainesville, but I do know A LOT and am proud to say they are my friends. I have an entire network of friends and supporters who are there for me and look out for me. We also have made it one of our core values to Serve a Higher Purpose and be a vital player to giving back to our community. That doesn’t mean just handing out money to charities and organizations that ask for it, sometimes it means volunteering your time. Get involved.
These are EASY things that SO MANY businesses (in terms of our industry → scooter dealerships) are NOT doing. So do it!
Want to learn how to make more significant changes in your retail store? Follow my video blog here: http://www.collinaustin.com/video/ Together we can make the retail game BETTER!
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