"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."
– Carlos Castaneda
Perception is reality. We've all heard it, we've all experienced it whether we realize it or not. Ever spoken to somebody who was just downright rude and hateful to you and made an opinion about them, only to have somebody else explain what that person was going through? More often than not you unconsciously switch in to wanting to help that person with what they're going through. Keep this in mind when you feel like a customer is blowing you off or short with you or even hung up on you. When they submitted the lead in the first place a vehicle was in the forefront of their mind, but depending on when we actually get to speak to them something may have thrown them off balance. A death in the family, a fight with a spouse or sibling, a child misbehaving - these things all occur to the people we speak with at some point in time. These are the people you have to be most understanding with if you want to open up the lines of communication. The client may be ashamed of how they acted (treating you rude, hanging up, etc) and will most likely shy away from further contact with you. Take all the blame off of them - "I caught you at a bad time" or "I believe we accidentally got disconnected" will let a client know that you don't blame them for how they acted and are giving them the benefit of the doubt. A customer missed an appointment? "I'm sorry something came up and I couldn't be here at the time our appointment was scheduled, I just wanted to check and see if you were able to make it in and if you were that somebody was able to help you. You didn't get to make it in either? That's great, because I actually was really looking forward to meeting you! When would be a better time for us to get together?"
Remember: Either you act on life, or you let life act on you. Don't be afraid to take control of the conversation. You know more about the business and the process of purchasing a car over the internet than a customer does. Be a professional and lead them down the path to their next vehicle. Don't let somebody else's attitude prevent you from providing the highest level of customer service each and every time without exception, without fail.
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