Ways a car subscription concierge can stand out from the crowd

Car subscription services are one of the latest trends in the automotive industry. These services allow customers a new mode of transportation without many of the pain points of car ownership or typical lease contracts. With a car subscription, users pay a flat, monthly fee, and, in return, they get access to a pool of vehicles that they can “swap” for a new driving experience.

Many car subscription services brand themselves as a luxury product. Car subscription customers are promised upmarket vehicles that are either the current or previous year’s model. Customers are also promised a white-glove, personal concierge. This concierge is tasked with being the subscriber’s point of contact with the car subscription service. At minimum, the concierge recommends new vehicles and guides the subscriber through the logistics of swapping their vehicle.

However, a great concierge – and a great product, for that matter – always does more than the minimum required service. In this article, we detail few important areas where a car subscription concierge can stand out from the crowd:

Remember each subscriber's personal details

Everyone wants to be remembered and treated on a personal level. A great concierge will take detailed notes regarding each customer interaction and will review these notes before the next customer contact. Did the customer take their vehicle for a day trip to a nearby town? The concierge should not forget to ask the subscriber if they enjoyed their trip.

This personal approach must come in addition to the concierge becoming deeply familiar with the subscriber's vehicle preferences. However, it is not enough for the concierge to simply remember which vehicles each subscriber selects - the concierge must also know which vehicles the subscriber needs. In other words - what is actually motivating the subscriber's selections? Does the subscriber have a family? Does the subscriber have particular transportation needs for work? A concierge that understands the motivations for each subscriber's car selections will be able to better recommend vehicles to subscribers when they want to swap.

A concierge can also extend this personal experience to when the concierge delivers a new car to a subscriber. The concierge should know how each customer prefers the specifics of the vehicle. What radio stations does the subscriber prefer? What temperature does the subscriber set their vehicle to, and do they prefer the vents pointed towards or away from them? Does the subscriber need the seat close to the wheel or pulled back? The concierge should adjust these aspects of the car so that the subscriber can seamlessly transfer to a new vehicle.

Be proactive in serving your subscribers

It is important for the concierge to proactively attempt to help the subscriber. If the car subscriber has to chase down the concierge, the dealership is not providing the concierge service that should be expected. In other words, the subscriber should be receiving calls from their concierge, rather than the concierge receiving calls from the subscriber.

Car subscription concierges should at minimum reach out to their subscribers once per month to see if there are any issues or needs that they can help take care of. Additionally, the best private concierges will provide their subscribers with their personal contact details, in the case that there is ever an emergency that needs to be dealt with outside of standard office hours.

This proactive approach can also be displayed in the vehicle delivery experience. A concierge should take the extra step and help their subscribers avoid the hassle of connecting their Bluetooth devices to the car and do it for them. It will take the concierge (who is familiar with the vehicle) just 30 seconds, but it could take your subscribers five minutes of frustration. A concierge should do this with each subscriber's phone and even smart garage door.

Be flexible and delight your subscribers

Another important area that distinguishes a standard concierge experience from a great one is the concierge's ability to be flexible. The life of your subscribers doesn't always conform to the rules. For example, if the subscriber needs a car delivery a half hour outside of office hours, the concierge needs to make this work and adjust their schedule accordingly. Similarly, if the subscriber is on the road and needs a swap that is a few miles outside of the service area, cater to this need and meet the subscriber wherever is convenient for them. Similarly, if the subscriber goes over their monthly mileage allowance by 20 miles, just charge off this expense.

A happy subscriber is worth much more than an extra hour of concierge time or an extra $10 in mileage fees. Of course, if these scenarios happen consistently, the concierge should tactfully address the issue. However, for infrequent occurrences it is important for the concierge to adapt to subscriber needs and provide a delightful experience.

Conclusion

As the saying goes, sometimes a little can go a long way. Be sure to take this into consideration when developing your car subscription program and training your team of concierges. One of the main selling points of a car subscription is convenience, and each concierge should seek to make their car subscription service as convenient as possible for each subscriber.

Interested in learning more? To learn the technical aspects of a car subscription program, download our white paper for our car subscription app CarSwap.