Want to win over female customers? Offer mobile service

“I had Ford come and do a mobile service on my car. I had two oil changes done in my garage by 9 a.m. on a Monday morning. I felt like super mom … they came to my house — and I’m a busy mom, working mom; I don’t have time to make an appointment to go to the dealership and sit. So, come to my house, change my oil and make me happy ... I wish all dealers did it. It is such a lifesaver. I need support. I need help. This is one thing off my mind ... I will probably not go back the other way unless I need something. I work from home. I travel a lot. If I’m not going to get mobile service done, [then] coming and picking up my car is a game changer. I will go to your dealership forever if you take care of me. And I know dealers are always trying to see how can they tap into that female market in the service center. It is intimidating to pull my car up into the service drive and then they’re tapping my window saying, ‘All right, get out’ … and I’m trying to hide Goldfish and cracker crumbs, my coffee from Starbucks and trying to grab all my bags is a big deal. That is hard to do. But if you’re going to come and pick up my car, I’m going to get confidence that you’ve scanned my car, that everything’s been looked at by a technician; I’m going to be confident with you. So if you want to get into the female market, which every dealership has that challenge, that is the way to do it because our time is our most precious thing. We are running kids to appointments … we’re running everywhere. And we have to maintain our vehicles.” — Kate Bierowski of Repair On Demand on how dealership service departments can win female customers with mobile service on the “I’m a Car Chick” podcast hosted by Shasta Haddock.