The Problem Solver: Proven Strategies to Build Trust and Loyalty with Customers

THE PROBLEM SOLVER

PROVEN STRATEGIES TO BUILD TRUST AND LOYALTY WITH CUSTOMERS

Mohammad (Shah) Shahzad Automotive Engineer & Doctor of Motors Professional

FOREWORD ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Whether you are selling any product or service, satisfied customers are the most important resource and the foundation of your continued business success. They are the energetic fuel and forward force to drive your dealership business to the next highest level.

“Customer Delight occurs when the customer’s Perception of their experience of doing business with you exceeds their Expectation.” In formulaic terms: CD=P>E.

Research reveals, only “excellence” in service creates “Apostles,” and only “Apostles” bring long term-customer loyalty. The impact of customer relationship management (CRM) in the commercial marketplace cannot be undervalued.

As Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart said: “There is only one boss — The Customer! And he can fire everybody in the company from the Chairman on down, simply by spending his money elsewhere.”

With CRM, there is no strategic alternative for your organization except for a relentless approach towards customer centricity, to achieve the current and future profitability of a lifelong customer. It’s a proven fact that only satisfied customers are collectively signing our paychecks.

This Problem Solver e-book provides a comprehensive guide to help resolve the most common and critical concerns in the day-to-day automotive dealership business.

The prime objective of this e-book is to turn objections into opportunities, regain lost trust and to attain additional revenue by providing accurate solutions and recommendations with satisfactory resolutions. These will help maintain long-term relationships with the customers, and to provide positive experiences and increase overall business revenue.

It explains what customer satisfaction is all about, the benefits it delivers, and the context in which it is used. It delves into the tips and tricks that can be deployed, and how they can be implemented.

It shows how customer resolution best practices are used to enhance the achievement of marketing, sales and service objectives throughout life-cycle stages of customer acquisition, retention and development, while simultaneously supporting the broader dealership business goals.

This e-book has been formatted and derived from a wide collection of the best customer relations articles by the author, which were originally published in the Canadian auto dealer, an esteemed automotive industry magazine. You can achieve optimum results out of this e-book, based on decades of extensive automotive experience with real life examples and amazing research revealed by the author.

It can be used as the perfect guide workbook for coaching dealership staff to improve CSI customer satisfaction index. It is a great learning resource both for students of CRM and for managers wanting a better role in the dealership operations.

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

— Bill Gates

This e-book is based on academic and independent research to ensure that it is both theoretically sound and managerially relevant. It will make a substantial impact on the dealership business, with its focus on customer retention and lifelong loyalty.

“We can’t bring back the past…but we can learn from our past experiences, which we can put into practice today for tomorrow’s success” ~ Mohammad Shahzad, Author & Motivational Speaker

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my utmost gratitude and appreciation to my family — my wife and my children —for their invaluable lifetime of support, and leading to the launch of this e-book.

A special thanks to Todd Phillips, VP, Editorial Director of Universus Media Group for his full support from the initial interview to the final phase of this e-book.

I would particularly like to acknowledge the input of my colleagues at Brimell Toyota, now a part of The Drive AutoGroup, and to the wonderful people I have enjoyed associations with, who have contributed to this book. I thank you all for your support. The readers’ reviews and comments are much appreciated.

If you would like to get in touch about this e-book, you can reach me at mohdshahzad@rogers.com or autohealthdoctor@gmail.com

“If you take a sample of my blood, you will find nothing but 5W30 engine oil and A+ (Automotive Positive) blood group.”

That’s how author Mohammad “Shah” Shahzad describes his profession as an automotive engineer and enthusiastic Doctor of Motors.

Shah has embraced his pride and passion in the automotive industry since 1965. In 1968 he graduated with honours as an Automotive Engineer and came to Canada in 1970.

He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, NY, USA since 1983 and also holds an ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification by NIASE, USA and Canadian Multi Automotive Service Certifications since 1973, issued by the Ministry of Colleges & Universities, Ontario, Canada.

As a graduate in Automotive Business Management and certified in Customer Relationship Management from the Auto University, NJ, USA, and Toyota University Canada, he is an author of numerous papers on automotive safety, maintenance, and customer relations, and has held several key positions serving various worldwide automotive organizations in managing their diversified CRM dealership fixed operations, sales, service, F&I, marketing, and client & community relations.

He is a proud and active member of AJAC (Automotive Journalists Association of Canada) and enjoys cordial relationships with the OEMs and worldwide automotive journalists’ society.

He has been sharing his wisdom as an Automotive Journalist, Contributing/Managing editor, writer and columnist in local and international leading automotive magazines and newspapers, including: Canadian auto dealer, Canadian Car Owner, Canadian Technician, Autosphere, Auto Journal, Collision Management, TADA Hotline, Club Toyota, The Driver Magazine, Toronto, Weekly Voice Toronto, SNAP Toronto, Durham Citizen, Pakeeza Toronto, Crescent International Toronto, AutoMark, Auto Times, Reader’s Weekly, Dawn, Noyi-Waqt, Jang, Rabbita, Auto-Graph and Techno-Biz.

Shah strongly believes in giving back to the community as his prime obligation. He is an active member and passionate supporter of many non-profit organizations including Evergreen Canada and the Alternative Youth Centre for Employment (AYCE) Toronto.

As a mentor he has been supporting enhancing automotive skilled trades vocational training for students, as well as helping youth explore untapped and unlimited rewarding opportunities in the demanding automotive retail industry, and Social Services Network, to serve the community as an Automotive Transport Consultant.

He provides free advice to all members and new immigrants to help them find and maintain affordable and reliable transportation, according to Canadian safety standards, road, weather and environmental conditions.

Over the years, Shah has also received numerous silver, gold, master and championship awards including the “Doctor of Motors Professional” from automotive organizations, Toyota Canada and the industry. He has been generously sharing his expertise as a “Car Doctor” in automotive safety and preventive maintenance with the community through TV, live radio Car Talk shows and print media. He offers free seminars on Basic Car Care for motorists to achieve safety, savings and satisfaction on motoring. He is well-known as Dr. Shah.

He can be reached at mohdshahzad@rogers.com or autohealthdoctor@gmail.com

“We make a living by what we get, but we make life by what we give.”

~ Winston Churchill

MOHAMMAD (SHAH) SHAHZAD S.A.E; D.M.P AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER DOCTORS OF MOTORS AUTO JOURNALIST

“Automotive is my Motive”

MOTIVATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE QUOTES

“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.”

~ Henry Ford, Founder Ford Motor Company

"If you make customers unhappy in the real world, they might each tell six friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends."

~Jeff Bezos, Founder Amazon

Running away from any Problem only increases the Distance from the Solution; the easiest way to escape from the Problem is to Solve it.

~Anonymous

"My metric for success can be summed up in one phrase: earn customers for life."

~ Mary Barra, Chair and CEO General Motors

"Don't find fault. Find a remedy."

Henry Ford, Founder Ford Motor Company

“If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution.”

~Steve Jobs

Running away from any Problem only increases the Distance from the Solution; the easiest way to escape from the Problem is to Solve it.

~Anonymous

"It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money ... It is the customer who pays the wages."

~Henry Ford, Founder Ford Motor Company

"Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem."

~ Henry Kissin-ger

“Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.”

~James Cash Penney, Founder J.C. Penney Stores

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.”

~ Steve Jobs, Co-founder Apple

"Bill Gates' Success Factors for Microsoft 1. Long-term Approach 2. Passion for Products and Technology 3. Teamwork 4. Results 5. Customer Feedback 6. Individual Excellence"

~Bill Gates, Co-founder Microsoft

MOTIVATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE QUOTES

There is no I in our TEAM, but we have I in PIE to share!

~Mohammad Shahzad, Author and Motivational Speaker

"If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful."

~Jeff Bezos, Founder Am-azon

Dealing with people is probably the biggest problem you face, especially if you are in business. Yes, and that is also true if you are a housewife, architect or engineer.

~ Dale Carnegie

"Welcome every problem as an opportunity. Each moment is the great challenge, the best thing that ever happened to you. The more difficult the problem, the greater the challenge in working it out."

~ Grace Speare, Author

Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves.

~ Steve Jobs

“If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.”

~ Ray Kroc, Founder McDon-ald’s

“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises; he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.”

~ Mahatma Gandhi

“The goal as a company is to have customer service that is not just the best but leg-endary.”

~ Sam Walton, Founder Walmart and Sam’s Club

“You can’t make a decision based on fear and the possibility of what might happen.”

~Michelle Obama

“When a customer complains, he is doing you a special favor; he is giving you another chance to serve him to his satisfaction. You will appreciate the importance of this op-portunity when you consider that the customer’s alternative option was to desert you for a competitor.”

~ Seymour Fine, Author The Marketing of Ideas and Social Issues

“Thank your customer for complaining and mean it. Most will never bother to complain. They’ll just walk away.”

~ Marilyn Suttle, Success Coach

“Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without coming away better and happier.”

~ Mother Teresa

“How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself — so always think positively.”

~ Norman Vincent Peale, Author The Power of Positive Thinking

“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.”

~

Bear Bryant, Former College Football Player and Coach

“Inside of every problem lies an opportunity.” ~ Robert Kiyosaki, Author Rich Dad Poor Dad

"Understand that most problems are a good sign. Problems indicate that progress is be-ing made, wheels are turning, you are moving toward your goals. Beware when you have no problems. Then you've really got a problem. Problems are like landmarks of progress."

~

Scott Alexander, British Millionaire and Socialite

“The magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat customers like guests and employees like people.”

~ Tom Peters, Best-Selling Author

"Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the prob-lem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity."

~ Joseph Sugarman, American Author

"Face the simple fact before it comes involved. Solve the small problem before it be-comes big."

~ Lao Tzu, Philoso-pher

"Our greatest asset is the customer! Treat each customer as if they are the only one!"

~Laurice Leitao, Customer Service Professional SeraCare Life Sciences

"Solve it. Solve it quickly, solve it right or wrong. If you solve it wrong, it will come back and slap you in the face, and then you can solve it right. Lying dead in the water and do-ing nothing is a comfortable alternative because it is without risk, but it is an absolutely fatal way to manage a business."

~Thomas Watson, Jr. Former President of IBM and US Ambassador to the Soviet Union

Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business.

~ Zig Ziglar .

“Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.”

~Donald Porter, Vice President, British Airways

“We fail more often because we solve the wrong problem than because we get the wrong solution to the right problem.”

~ Russell L. Ackoff

“Problem-solving leaders have one thing in common: a faith that there’s always a better way.”

~ Gerald M. Weinberg

"Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds."

~ Norman Vincent Peale, American Author

"To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?"

~Jim Rohn, American Entrepreneur, Author, and Motivational Speaker

"Rather than denying problems, focus inventively, intentionally on what solutions might look or feel like. Our mind is meant to generate ideas that help us escape circumstantial traps -- if we trust it to do so. Naturally, not all hunches are useful. But then you only need a single good idea to solve a problem."

~

Marsha Sinetar, Educator and Author

TESTIMONIALS

“Shah’s strong analytical skills combined with his very caring nature make him a leader in the customer satisfaction field and a true ambassador of Brimell Toyota and the Toyota Brand. I am extremely pleased with the level of professionalism and personalized service Shah has provided to date. Shah has built a relationship of trust through his integrity, honesty, advice and actions. Shah is a credit to himself, his family, and friends and above all his employer. He has proven beyond doubt, dedication, and pride in serving his employer and Toyota customers.

~ Viola Roy, Dealer Process Consultant and Retail Sales Processes, Toyota Canada Inc.

“I just wanted to take a moment to thank you, Shah, for taking the time to meet with our guest from TMC, Mr. Harada and with Henry Mori our executive coordinator. They were overwhelmed with your processes, passion, drive, attitude and dealership. They are both very impressed. I have been impressed with everything you have done and are working towards and it is nice to be able to "show off" a dealership that is without doubt a leader and on the "cutting edge" of new ideas. Once again, thank you for sharing your philosophies, processes and plans with these gentlemen, it was very much appreciated. Wishing you continued success.”

~ Mike. MacLean, Manager, Field Relations, Toyota Canada Inc

Good afternoon Shah, Mr. Harada was very pleased with your efforts to exceed your customer’s expectations and is interested in obtaining a copy of the presentation that you showed us. I will be very happy to forward it to Mr. Harada on your behalf. I have been assured that any material that you choose to share will be held in the strictest of confidence, and will be used for research and comparative purpose only. Thank you for your time; it was truly a learning experience. “

~Jennifer Barron, Director, Lexus Division, Toyota Canada Inc.

“Dear Mohammad, The key to our success is communication and we are grateful that our discussion gave us the opportunity to share a goal of Customer Satisfaction leading to increased Customer Retention. By sharing your views on customer relations practices within dealership and how you achieve them, provided us valuable insight. Additionally, your comments concerning the type of direction that you felt would be beneficial to the front line staff within dealerships, will be given consideration for the future training programs.”

~ Danielle McCabe, Toyota field Customer Relations Toyota Canada Inc.

“Hello Shah, we are investigating the development of “Best Practices” for data capturing at al Toyota dealerships, in an effort to “Kaizen” the quality of all customer information gathered. We are aware of Brimell Toyota’s excellent processes and attention to details in this regard. I was wondering if your processes for data capture, data entry and data management are documented, and if I could have a copy to review. Thanks very much for your time and assistance”

~Linda

Bartlett, Customer One CRM Toyota Canada Inc.

TESTIMONIALS

“Dear Shah, you have prepared an accurate, informative, and entertaining presentation with appropriate examples and props that is suitable for community and school-age groups. Children, parents, caregivers and teachers can learn how to “Stay Safe” in their home environment. Shah, you are to be commended for your efforts in injury prevention and spreading of the “Stay Safe” message in the community. We wish you continued success with this program”

~ Jane Goebel, Product Safety, Health Canada

“Dear Mr. Shahzad. Your support of our project was received with excitements and appreciation. The students are pleased that their efforts have been acknowledged. Their motivation to connect with nature and create more environmentally focused initiatives at our school has been enhanced by such recognition. Toyota’s support of Evergreen Learning Grounds and our school is very much appreciated. Thanks you so much for your generosity. Enthusiasm for nature and respect of our environment continue to thrive here at Woburn School.”

~Gale Ferguson, Principal, TDSB. (Evergreen Canada)

“I would like to thanks you, Mr. Shahzad and Brimell Toyota for taking the time to help out. We appreciate your willingness and generosity in supporting the Toronto District’s Science and Technology program. It is amazing to see good people like Mr. Shahzad channel their efforts into the right areas and change an unfavorable situation into a favorable one. Thanks you once again for your support.”

~Ryan Coelho, Manager, Science and Technology, TDSB

“Expect the exceptional!! Going above and beyond the unspoken needs of a customer have been effectively practiced. Mr Shah took personal accountability and responsibility to recognize my needs. The success of a business is the values the employees practice and implement, by embracing and valuing diversity practicing inclusion and prioritizing customer satisfaction makes a huge difference. Congratulations!! And keep it going Thank you.”

~ Firdos Rub, Director, American Express

“I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation and praise for the level of service I have received from Mr. Mohammed "shah" Shahzad in your customer service dept. Mr. shah went out of his way to solve a problem. You should be proud of such a member of your staff who goes an extra mile to provide the level of service that is truly remarkable. It was a pleasure dealing with Shah and I will certainly recommend your dealership to all my friends and family. Once again “thank you Mr. Shah and keep up the good work... cheers!”

~Arif

D. Bank Manager

Source: Toyota Canada and CRM Brimell Toyota (Top 10 of 155 Tributes and Testimonials)

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CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMUNITY AFTERWORD

Thank you very much for reading this e-book and congratulations on all the new knowledge you have acquired. The information in this e-book is not found in too many books on CRM customer relationship management. You have now been exposed to some of the most powerful and effective techniques, concepts, philosophies, and processes to win and keep customers for life. The bottom line is simple: positive customer retention is the best business strategy and the master key to opening the treasure to your success.

However, regardless of how effective these strategies are, being solely exposed to them is not enough. To achieve the best results, you must implement them in your day-to-day dealership operations. There is no doubt that it is only through implementation that you will be able to achieve your desired goals.

This e-book has provided you with all the essential supporting tools and now you have all the secret recipes to resolve your problems. So go ahead ... mentor your staff, grow your dealership business even in the toughest economic periods, and implement strategies to generate customers for life.

Wishing you the best of luck with all your endeavors.

Cheers, Mohammad (Shah) Shahzad