The recall lasted for two years, although there were all kinds of troubles, but it did bring income to THE 4S shop: a recall order settlement amount is not big, and the gross profit is low, but the number of recalls placed there can bring hundreds of thousands of output value in a month. In recent years, with the general decline in the maintenance output value of 4S stores, the recall is undoubtedly a new growth point.
In 2016, When I attended the semi-annual summary meeting of automobile manufacturers, the general manager of Japan mentioned in his speech that he was sorry for the trouble brought to the special shop by the recall of airbag generator. At the same time, I would like to express my gratitude to the special shops for their efforts to restore consumer confidence.
This impressed me a lot: it has been almost two years since the recall of the first batch of airbag generators. There have been several rounds of recall of airbag generators of various models, involving millions of cars. It is indeed a huge project.
1
The first batch of recall notices of airbag generators were issued in the second half of 2014. The reason is that when airbags are deployed in collision, the gas generator shell may be damaged and shell fragments may fly out, which may hurt the passengers of the vehicle and cause potential safety hazards.
Before the manufacturer issued the recall notice, it also specially conducted a video training, which the general manager, after-sales service, customer service, parts manager and the claimants of the three guarantees all had to attend. Video conference announced the content of the recall, the implementation of the steps of the details, the corresponding Q&A. The parts involved this time are airbags, and the first nationwide recall of more than 10,000 vehicles, naturally dare not despise. After the manufacturer’s video training, the store organized a mobilization meeting. In addition to conveying the spirit of the manufacturer, the arrangement of the store was announced at the meeting, and the person in charge of each link was determined.
Recall the implementation main steps: customer service frame code listing, according to the manufacturer issued by matching in computer system to find out their store customer, then send message or call to customers, tell customers vehicles recalled, knew the pulse of customer to store time at the same time, and then query schedule an appointment, if can arrange, will give customers confirmation of air time to shop. After that, each customer service member should submit the list of appointments to the front desk for summary before leaving the office every day.
After the customer arrives at the store on the appointment date, the service consultant will conduct a “loop check” on the customer’s vehicle, register the condition of the vehicle, and put on a “three-piece set” (seat cover, steering wheel cover and shift lever cover). Check the computer to confirm that the customer’s vehicle to replace the airbag generator, but also copy the vehicle driving license and the repairman’s ID card, and then print the work order to the workshop.
One process takes about ten minutes to run.
When the manufacturer issued the recall notice to our 4S store, it also released the recall news to the whole society through the news media. When most car owners hear about airbags and know that they are part of personal safety, they will naturally worry that our customer service calls soon burst, with all kinds of problems following:
“Is this airbag going to explode if I open it?”
“Won’t it explode without changing the airbag generator?”
…
In the face of the owners of various questions, each customer service can only kindly according to the manufacturer’s information patiently to answer.
There is a “time difference” of one and a half months from the announcement of the recall to the implementation of the recall, so that the parts manufacturer can prepare spare parts for 4S stores. However, many car owners do not understand this. Customer service staff can only explain patiently to customers that the implementation of the recall requires the “replacement” of the airbag generator and the daily delivery quantity of the parts is limited, so the implementation of the recall needs to make an appointment.
As the recall has been implemented for more than a month, and no appointment has been made in the notification stage, the customer began to fret. One customer said, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t change your explanation for the time being. I agree with all of you, but after what you said, I always feel that there is something pending in my heart.
After half a month of telephone bombing, the mood of the car owners gradually calmed down, the customer service department of the number of calls to consult slowly down, “notice” work is an end. More than a month later, the work of “booking” clients began.
2
The key factor of the whole recall process is whether the spare parts of the airbag generator to be replaced can be supplied on time every day. At the very beginning, the parts manufacturer opened the order, and the daily order quantity was not limited. Their staff also organized a WeChat group with us to communicate the supply information at any time.
Our store orders 40 a day according to the reception capacity. For a while, there were no problems, but then one day, the delivery truck arrived and we saw only 25 on the delivery list. Is responsible for the parts manager, hurriedly send WeChat messages parts manufacturer “how so much less”, thought that the other parts of coco long directly back to the phone, apologetically said: “your shop area replacement air speed is faster, our inventory is not enough, so the order of normal cut, now we are trying to transfer from the other area, especially to the phone, please be understanding.”
Parts manager listened to the phone, the feeling is not good — dealing with the general business personnel in the past, this section chief said directly out of stock, it can be seen that this recall involves a wide range.
The next day, when the store ordered again, it found that the ordering system had been set to “maximum order quantity”, and a store could only order more than 20 items a day.
After “limited supply” for a period of time, the parts manufacturer sent a letter to 4S stores across the country, saying, “Due to the insufficient estimation of the recall situation, the supply of parts cannot keep pace. Now the supply is temporarily suspended. Please do a good job in explaining to the customer.”
By this time, our heads were overextended — which meant that almost all of our scheduled clients would have to call one by one to cancel and reschedule — and we couldn’t see the customer’s face on the other end of the line, but inevitably, it was anger.
What’s more, according to the general situation, the store will still have dozens of phone calls every day, consulting, checking the appointment progress, an endless stream. The customer service staff are afraid to tell these customers that they are “out of stock” for fear that they will get emotional. We can only say: “The number of appointments is too large now, we can not confirm the appointment time, we will inform you when to change.”
Fortunately, most customers accept the customer service explanation, but there are exceptions.
One day, after listening to a phone call, customer service xiao Ling poked a few times on the paper with a pen, then took off the headset phone, “bang” fell on the table. Ring move attracted the same office of customer service manager, manager words gentle, ask: “what’s wrong?”
Small reiki said: “This customer, ah! I bought a second-hand car and drove it for a month, but found that it had been hit and there were many problems. After reading the news and knowing the recall information, I made three phone calls in three days to ask when to make an appointment and when to change it. I explained that I could not make an appointment for the time being, but I will inform you as soon as I get any news. Then he said we lied to him about how his car was broken and how much it would cost to fix it. ‘You are all liars! ‘No sooner had I told him gently that we weren’t selling you the car than he went all the worse for it. There was a lot of yelling and cursing and I couldn’t hang up the line. Just listen, what a quality!”
Later, our shop will this customer priority about, the car into the workshop, maintenance master opened the steering wheel in the airbag warehouse, the results found that the inside is empty! No maintenance records.
Obviously, the previous owner had an accident and the airbag had exploded. In order to save money, the car was repaired at a roadside stall outside, but the airbag was not installed in the end. Presumably, the car was repaired and sold after the repair.
I also know that some insurance companies for the serious car hit, estimate the maintenance costs if it reaches a certain proportion of total amount, fixed directly “total loss”, according to the total amount payment to the owner, and then recover the car accident to go on sale in the secondary market, so pay to insurance company is minimized, maximize security and the interests of the owners.
However, according to the manufacturer’s regulations, the old parts of the air bag generator recalled and replaced should be returned to them. Without the old parts, the new parts cannot be replaced. After listening to that car owner, of course, is a scold, said to fool him to come over and finally did not give him for change, no matter what must be changed for him.
Reception staff had to patiently wait for him all gush out, let the maintenance of the master to the rising of the car, each place is pointed out that trace of the car after the accident, and then explains the rules of a manufacturer with owners, to clarify the responsibility in the former owners and used car sales person, the owner finally going to go to sell his second-hand car dealership.
3
The supply of goods is already tight, the appointment is more important. But there are always customers who drive straight into the store and ask for a replacement for the airbag generator. Once it can’t be changed, there will be a lot of complaints.
One day, the owner of a 10-year-old car drove straight into the shop without an appointment. When the service consultant advised her to make an “on-site appointment”, the female car owner grumpily said: “What’s wrong with not having an appointment? I’ve come so far, and my time is precious!”
The service consultant had to be patient to explain that the supply of goods was limited, so an appointment had to be made and the notification information stated.
But the owner wouldn’t listen: “I don’t care! I must change it today! You give other people’s parts to me first, not I complain you!”
The service consultant said again that he could do nothing to help. “Everyone else made an appointment and the parts were given to you, but the person didn’t have them. It’s unfair to the person.”
Female car two words did not say, hit the manufacturer immediately “800” telephone complaint.
What she didn’t know was that the “800” was just a window to get customer feedback, and it wouldn’t solve the supply problem. “800” ‘s complaint was reported back to the service manager, who explained that the female car owner had to accept the registration of “on-site appointment” and return to the store to replace it five days later.
There are also some very bizarre complaints.
A woman, who had changed the airbag generator, got back on the bus and said we had scratched the silver trim in the center of the steering wheel, “Give me a new one.” The receptionist said that removing the airbag compartment and loosening a few screws would be enough. There was no need to pry open the trim.
The owner of the car and said a “you must shirk responsibility”, the service consultant reluctantly asked out of the service manager. Service manager say, want to get on the car to see steering wheel is how circumstance, did not think of female car owner “drop” once locked the door of the car: “don’t look!”
The service manager explained that he could go to the monitoring room to see the monitoring, but the female car owner still refused. Service manager saw this car to drive 5 years, used car appraises appraisal also the appearance of 560 thousand, think smooth over trouble peaceful person calculate, the proposal sends 200 yuan man-hour voucher to her.
“I am also a 4S shop, there are complaints, we treat customers are also sent some time coupons cheat, but I can not, I want to change the steering wheel, or see the media! The female car owner says angrily — see the same trade understands relevant doorways more, ask a higher price.
“I’m not lying to you. Compensation for loss is equal. It’s fine for the media or the CONSUMER Council to assess the damage to your steering wheel.
The female car owner choked, took out the phone and hit “800”.
“800” then transferred the opinions to the store, the customer service manager to the after-sales manager to discuss the countermeasures. After a moment of reflection, the sales manager said, “Why don’t you ask the customer to come over and watch the video? If not, take down the steering wheel trim and repaint it, so it’s as good as new.” The customer service manager followed the plan.
When it came to the appointed time, the female customer did not come. The customer service manager and “800” made many phone calls but did not answer, and the complaint was finally closed automatically.
4
After the first round of recalls, colleagues in all positions in the store were in a rush. But before they had time to catch their breath, a second round of recalls began, and every once in a while, a new one followed.
In some models, the airbags were replaced in the passenger seat during the first recall, and may have to be replaced in the driver’s seat months later. Some customers get the second call and complain, “I changed it before, and now I want to change it again. How many times do I have to change it?”
After the first round of recall, in order to improve the customer experience, the manager of the store proposed a process improvement suggestion: reserve two spare parts every day, which are controlled by the manager and used by customers with high consumption amount.
This backdoor system, however, soon proved unworkable.
One day, just after 11 o ‘clock, a customer was Shouting abuse in the pick-up area. The shrill voice was so loud that none of the staff dared to come forward.
Has just returned from the outside of the service manager said to know the situation: the original customer outside, to once, before he was told to make an appointment, to make an appointment after he got the call yesterday, said today can change, so he ran a few tens of kilometers to the drive and at nine o ‘clock in the morning to shop more, information registration, car into the shop, waiting for more than two hours, but was told no parts, let the next change, “said spirit not irritating you?”
Manager let guests don’t try to hard, know the situation quickly into the shop, and sure enough, parts are “through the back door” in to the other car, maintenance team when I get the parts in the warehouse won’t get, reporting to the workshop director, workshop director to find the front desk supervisor again, two people meet to countermeasure for a morning, the last also can only “ugly woman eventually must see home weng”, let the receptionist crustily skin of head to inform the customer “no”.
In order to express regret, the service manager had to apologize to the customer and promised: First, if there is a part, the customer does not need to come again, the store will send a car to the customer to replace it; Second, in order to compensate the customer, give the customer a free maintenance.
Of course, the customer does not insist, shouted said twice maintenance, or complain. The manager listened to, wry smile say: “I this authority also can send once, you still go to complain, then make an appointment with the media to interview, perhaps go to consumer council mediation, we discuss again.” Say, make turn round shape. The client says, “Never mind, once in a while.”
After that, the manager issued a fateful order: customer service appointments were the only window of acceptance and were responsible for distributing parts. Airbag generator “a radish a pit” corresponding to the reservation list, “no matter what the relationship, can not jump the queue, reserved, misappropriated!”
5
Compared with the appointment control and reception, the workshop process control is much simpler.
For example, to replace the airbag generator in the driver’s seat, just use a screwdriver to unscrew the screws under the steering wheel seat to remove the “part assembly” in the middle of the entire speaker disc with the airbag. The airbag generator is at the bottom of the assembly. After being removed with special tools, the serial numbers on the parts should be copied on the claim sheet and the packing boxes, and then replaced with new parts. The registered serial numbers should meet the requirements of “traceability management”.
When the assembly installed the steering wheel, the old parts into the box to the warranty, the work of the workshop will be completed. The warranty personnel input the data in the claim form into the computer, and regularly send all the old parts back to the manufacturer with logistics. After the manufacturer approves, the maintenance fee is sent back to the store, and the whole process is completed.
But again simple flow work, often also have the time of error.
One Sunday, the reception area was full of cars, leaving only a narrow passage into the workshop. A customer stuck his car in the middle of an aisle, arguing with a service consultant that the steering wheel had been changed. One by one, the whole family got off the bus, and in less than two minutes, the pickup area was full of people.
The service manager greeted the customer politely and calmed the customer down. He finally understood the context: This car is usually driven by the husband. Yesterday, after the wife changed the airbag generator in our store and started back, the husband started to touch it when driving and felt something was wrong. As he drove, he kept his thumb on the horn so that there was a mark: “Now that the mark is gone, there must be a mistake. What should I do or get a new one?”
The manager called the reception to take the owner of a car to the rest area to take a seat, hurriedly let the person check yesterday’s recall and maintenance records, warranty personnel a check, found that at the same time yesterday, there is really another car in the same shift to replace the airbag generator.
The manager had to admit his mistake to the customer: “I’m sorry to have troubled you. Now that the problem has been found, we’ll send a car to change your horn right away. Your car will be parked at the store for about two hours. You can see where you want to go. I’ll send a car to take you there, and then I’ll pick you up.”
Finally, the customer’s family went to a nearby shopping mall. An hour later, both cars had their horns changed and the store sent another car to pick up the customer. The manager asked the customer to get in the car and have a look.
The manager then duly took out two timesheets and said, “Here’s a little something for us.” The customer saw the time coupon compensation, also said nothing, and drove away.
The good news is that this has only happened once in two years.
6
The recall lasts for two years, although there are all kinds of troubles, but there is no denying that it does bring income to THE 4S shop: a recall order settlement amount is not big, and the gross profit is low, but the recall quantity placed there, can bring hundreds of thousands of output value in a month. Although mosquitoes are small, they are also proteins. In recent years, with the general decline in the maintenance output value of 4S stores, the recall is undoubtedly a new growth point of performance.
On the other hand, the performance of the store manager is to be evaluated. Without the driving force of performance, all the improvement and system coordination are lack of motivation. Even the manufacturer said, “We should seize the opportunity of recall to lose customers and enter the store again”.
Therefore, in the third and fourth round of recalls, the manufacturer gave us a subsidy, asking the store to convert the subsidy into time coupons and motor oil coupons for customers to use in the store next time and “experience the manufacturer’s care”. Many complaining customers have coupons and say nothing; Some haven’t been to “customers” in the shop, the shop recall after got the coupons, wait for mileage and maintenance, and come back to continue to accept service – we all know, a lot of 4 s shop customer losses mainly because of prices, 4 s shop service every lowest more expensive than the shop outside dozens of yuan, now with time stamps, narrowed the gap, and parts or with the original factory.
When the subsidy was over, the manager decided to subsidize the recalled customers with two working hours so that they could come back twice more. The recall also brings great achievements to the after-sales department. The annual output value of replacement generator is nearly 3 million, making the total output value in 2016 exceed the task assigned by the company that year.
Recently, we received a notification from the manufacturer that a new round of recall is about to begin. At the mobilization meeting, the parts department replied that the parts were the first to arrive because our store was closest to the expressway. The front desk supervisor said that the manufacturer had sent the information in a comprehensive way. Some customers went to other 4S stores after receiving the information, but they came to our store because they were out of stock. We secretly replaced them before the system opened a new claim.
“Well done,” said the manager. “The client is yours. Immediately increase the order quantity (airbag generator), the customer service department began to send information, call, because the manufacturers claim entry is not open, the front desk to do the set process, do it first, then fill the procedures later.
As a result, recall has turned from a pain and a burden into a business opportunity.
During the huge recall project in the past two years, the sales volume of the automobile manufacturer we sold and the sales rank of the whole country have been improved, which probably shows from one side that the recall work is still effective.
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