Kimoby harnesses the power of text, allowing tire retailers and car dealers to reach out to customers in the manner that most prefer.
The popularity of text messages has grown exponentially since the technology was first developed. Today, most of us would rather text than email or make a phone call. Quite simply, texting is king.
The question tire retailers need to ask themselves is, “How can I har-ness the power of texting in order to improve customer retention and satisfaction?” The answer, in a word, is Kimoby.
A cloud-based communication plat-form, which was started right here in Canada in 2013, Kimoby turns text into a powerful tool that allows tire retailers to automate routine communications and boost customer satisfaction. “This includes sending appointment re-minders, confirmation for appointments, status updates on the customer’s vehicle, payment requests, satisfaction survey follow up, request for reviews, and much more,” explains Dominique Conti, Marketing Director, Kimoby.
Reviews and feedback
Retailers can engage with customers by text message, as well as through Facebook and Google, when it comes to reviews, Conti adds. “The idea is to send the right message to the right person at the right time.”
For example, after a customer comes in for service, Kimoby can send them a message that says, “Thank you for your business. We were happy to have you. Let us know your feedback.”
If the customer was not happy, the system automatically detects negative words through artificial intelligence. A negative review triggers alerts that are sent to management, prompting someone in charge to reach out to the customer to see how they can address the issue before it gets out of hand.
And when it comes time to pay their bill, Kimoby gives customers options. “We know today that people are very connect-ed and everyone pays with Apple Pay or Google Pay,” Conti explains. “So retailers, when they want to offer mobile payment, may have to change their point-of-sale equipment. But with Kimoby that’s not necessary. They can still offer mobile payments through text message, without having to change their existing point-of-sale infrastructure.”
Diagnostic equipment integration
One of the most exciting features available through Kimoby is the ability to integrate with diagnostic equipment from Hunter Engineering and Tire Profiles. This means tire retailers can send a text message automatically to each customer with a link to the report that was generated about their vehicle.
Currently, most tire retailers have someone behind the counter print off a report and give it to the customer when he comes in. There is no automation. But with Kimoby, everything is automated.
“If we use Hunter Engineering as an example,” Conti explains, “the Hunter system generates a report that contains a VIN number. Kimoby collects data from Hunter in real time, matches the VIN from the re-port to the VIN in the tire retailer’s database, and then Kimoby sends the inspection report to the customer as a link in a text message. It makes things very easy for tire retailers.”
And once the vehicle is on the hoist, Kimoby can be employed to send a photo or a video (shot by the technician), pointing out a problem that perhaps the customer wasn’t aware of. The customer can then review the information and immediately text back the approval to go ahead with the repair, thus saving time and frustration, while increasing customer satisfaction–all thanks to Kimoby, a platform that harnesses the power text messaging.
