A vehicle walk-around is a crucial and integral part of the service process. It’s more than just an inspection—it’s a powerful tool for delivering a beyond exceptional, memorable, and emotionally engaging customer experience. This strategic approach builds unwavering trust, strengthens friendly relationships with customers, and ensures a thorough understanding of vehicle service needs.

Why Vehicle Walk-Arounds Matter?

The business landscape is constantly evolving, and this competitive environment makes it challenging for dealerships to retain their customers. Building trust is the first step if you are truly committed to delivering superior customer experiences. A vehicle walk-around is one of the best practices to establish instant connections, develop a strong rapport, and gain customer confidence by actively involving them in the process. This engagement allows customers to use all five senses—see, smell, touch, hear, and feel—to understand what needs to be done on their vehicle. Winning a customer’s trust is the foundation of a successful vehicle walk-around process.

It also sets the tone for the entire service experience, creating an opportunity to:

Establish Credibility

Involving customers in the process makes them feel more comfortable, increasing their trust in service advisors and making them more likely to follow recommendations. This leads to higher upselling and cross-selling success.

Understand Customers’ Concerns

Vehicle walk-around is a great time to discuss with customers exactly, what’s going on with their vehicle in more detail, allowing for a more personalized service approach.

Identify Hidden or Potential Issues

During the walk-around vehicle tells us more about its needs. A comprehensive walk-around enables the Service Advisors to gather as much information as possible to discuss the potential issues with customers they may have in future.

Create a Personalized Service Experience

A proactive Service Advisor can find small details in the vehicle that help build rapport. For example, spotting a cricket or golf kit in the trunk can be an instant conversation starter, allowing for a deeper connection with the customer and enhancing their overall experience.

Building Strong Customer Connections

A well-executed vehicle walk-around strengthens customer trust and loyalty. When customers see a Service Advisor taking the time to thoroughly inspect their vehicles and explain their findings, they feel valued and assured that their concerns are addressed. Engaging customers in the process fosters transparency, reducing doubts and preventing service disputes. A strong rapport built during the walk-around often translates into repeat business and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

How to Conduct an Effective Vehicle Walk-Around?

Here’s my 7C’s framework for an effective vehicle walk-around, ensuring a simple yet thorough process:

7C’s of Vehicle Walk-Around

1. Condition of Windscreen
2. Condition of Wiper Blades and Mechanism
3. Condition of All Lights
4. Condition of Tyres
5. Condition of Body
6. Condition of Battery
7. Condition of All Fluids

Service Advisors should start from the driver’s side front door, gradually moving to the rear, checking lights, inspecting the body and tyres, and engaging customers in casual conversation. Having the necessary tools during the walk-around helps reinforce these checks and creates additional upselling opportunities.

Risk Assessment

One of the critical aspects of conducting a vehicle walk-around is assessing the vehicle for any damage, such as scratches, dents, rust, and paint chips on both the outer and inner components. I encourage you to complete this process with the customer because it lets both parties feel comfortable with the vehicle’s current condition.

Consistency is Key

This habit only works when it’s consistent and shouldn’t be an option. According to Ted Ings, Executive Director, Fixed Ops Roundtable and Center for Performance Improvement, “The secret to the success of vehicle walk-around is that it needs to be consistent. This establishes a sense of reliability, builds trust, and makes the customer feel comfortable.”

Up-selling and Business Growth

A vehicle walk-around is an excellent opportunity to check for services that may be recommended to the customer. It builds irresistible trust, leading to increased CPUS (Cash Paid Unit Service) through cross-referrals between mechanical and body & paint services. A successful walk-around leads to a quicker and more accurate fix, improving customer satisfaction and boosting revenue.

Benefits to Service Advisor 

• Builds stronger connections and improves customer satisfaction.
• Increases upselling opportunities by identifying maintenance needs.
• Enhances professional credibility through thorough inspections.
• Leading to better business sustainability.

A well-executed vehicle walk-around strengthens customer trust, identifies hidden issues, and enhances service recommendations. For service advisors, it boosts credibility, increases upselling/cross-selling opportunities, and ensures a seamless customer experience—turning every interaction into a moment of trust and value.

ABOUT MOAZZAM

Moazzam is an automotive consultant & Leadership Coach and has hands-on experience in Sales, After-Sales, Customer Relations, Marketing, and unparalleled skills in business planning. His core strengths are Best-in-Town dealership framework, dealership operations, customer experience and customer delight. In 2023, he published his first book, Beyond Exceptional: A Practical Guide for Service Advisors to Achieve Service Excellence and Customer Delight; it’s available on Amazon in both hard-cover and Kindle form. Sign up for our newsletter for updates, insights, and other great content that you can use to up your EX and CX A-Game.