PERSONAL ATTENTION: THE GOOD
Many of the company responses were timely and tailored to individual inquiries, addressing the customer by name, as well as offering a follow-up email address, phone number and employee reference. The top three companies this year stood out by the effort they put into handling a general inquiry. Shane, from NMAC’s Live Chat, answered the question fully and further inquired about the desired vehicle. He followed up our chat with an email that contained additional information and a reference to a dealership in the area, which carried the desired car in the desired color. “I am sure they [the dealership] will take great care of you going forward, but should you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach us at … You may also chat with us 7 days a week from 9 AM to midnight EST. At Nissan, we are committed to the highest level of customer service.” Yes, Shane, you are. Furthermore, we received several follow-up emails from the dealership, insisting that our Nissan Altima in Storm Blue is “waiting.”
Neither Bank of America nor Citizens offered email correspondence for general inquiries on vehicle financing. However, that did not prevent either bank from providing personalized customer service. Ruben from BofA’s Live Chat provided some insights into loan rates for new and used vehicles, provided links and offered to stay online while our shopper completed the loan application. The employee who handled Citizens Bank’s Twitter account first asked if we were out of the country — our answer was: sure, why not — then promised to have “someone from the chairman’s office” contact us. Our shopper got an email with a hand-signed personal letter attached the next day.
