Key performance indicators and targets could be called two of
the enemies of life of the first decade of the twenty-first
century. Great in theory – but in practice?
We have had the Renaissance, the Enlightenment; the Industrial
Revolution – we now have the Age of the Tick Box and the Target.
But do we do any better? Is business more efficient or
effective?
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Vehicle sales and motor finance have been caught up in a new
frenzy of activity; but has it really been thought through? Vehicle
sales have started to pick up, albeit encouraged by the scrappage
scheme, and the OEMs’ captive finance companies appear to be making
finance available to help move the market forward. Simultaneously,
selected new car prices are rising.
This new-found momentum in the marketplace would appear to be
accompanied by a significant growth in marketing effort. Certainly
there has been some return of press advertising for vehicles and
finance. But perhaps the most significant moves would appear to be
the growth using internet and telephone cold calling.
While such efforts are positive and may signal some return to
market recovery, if not normality, just how effectively are those
precious marketing budgets being used – and monitored?
Measuring the motions
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By GlobalDataI come back to the ‘tick box culture’. The familiar mantra –
“this conversation may be recorded for training/quality purposes” –
could be a paper tiger, or a means of deterring abusive responses
to the unsolicited call halfway through a well-earned drink or
dinner.
The ‘recorded call’ might be a means of monitoring call centre
staff, but for what? The call centre staff objective is to make as
many completed calls as possible to achieve their ‘daily hit rate’
– another ‘culturespeak’ phrase.
Fine. Make a million calls to earn a bonus, or keep the job – so
what? Is that working to the benefit of the beleaguered industry,
or is it working against it? Unless the exercise is taken right
through to its conclusion, positive or negative, it can help
destroy prospect and customer goodwill.
A simple case in point: I have had three calls in the past month
as part of a German prestige car manufacturer’s marketing
programme, presumably generating leads on behalf of its local
dealer, for their name is mentioned. Yes, I listen politely to
their patter, but I’m like that.
The conversation typically goes something like this: “Thank you
for your attention – let us send you a brochure.”
“I’m very interested in acquiring a certain sports car model in
the range you are promoting and would like some specific
information about it.”
“We’ll send you a brochure.”
“No – I already have the brochure, but I need some specific
information. I need to be able to put a folding wheelchair in the
boot. I need the internal measurements of the boot. If necessary I
could buy a different wheelchair that fits the boot.”
“Yes sir, I don’t have the information. I’ll ask my superiors
who will contact you within 48 hours with that information.”
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nobody has bothered to contact me,
either to follow up on a sales lead or with the relevant
information.
The call centre has three electronic boxes ticked as ‘calls
completed and brochures sent’. And one potential customer with
three sets of identical brochures, no answers provided, no
follow-up call, and a bank balance set aside to part buy a car
earning no interest.
I suppose it’s one way to reduce consumer debt, but that’s not
the object of the exercise.
Danger in numbers?
My challenge is a simple one: Quality or quantity? I’m sure I’m
not the only prospect to slip through the net of ‘call targets’. I
probably represent three cases, three ‘completed calls’ ticked. Job
done – send the cheque.
How do we, as a motor trade and motor finance industry get away
from the tyranny of ‘objectives in numbers’ and ‘tick boxes’ to a
qualitative response, which actually follows up customers’ queries
thanks to a comprehensive follow-up process? What do we actually
want the call centre to do for us?
I could make the effort, and contact the dealer to ask for the
information – but I’m buying and he’s selling. Is the ‘tick box
culture’ replacing old fashioned selling?
Professor Peter Cooke, KPMG Professor of Automotive
Management, University of Buckingham
