The Cycle of Service

Positioning Your Brand to be Top-of-Mind

OUTdrive Episode 12 with Kyle Herrick

In this episode of OUTdrive, Cliff visits with Kyle Herrick, president of Bryant Motors, an auto dealer in Sedalia, Missouri. A successful businessman and involved community member, Kyle is dedicated to serving customers with a positive attitude and attention to detail. Keep reading for highlights of their conversation about the cycle of service and positioning your brand to be top-of-mind.

The Cycle of Service

Establishing brand loyalty and a strong customer base can be a challenge, especially today when a large amount of transactions are completed online. While Kyle and Bryant Motors have adapted as technology changes, the core principles remain the same: treat people well to keep them coming back. Kyle’s genuine passion for helping and getting to know people is a key way that he builds relationships with customers, so when they have a vehicle need, they come back time after time.

He elaborates on this, saying, “I love being with people. My favorite part is the transition of a customer. The first time a customer comes in who’s never met me, we do business and they buy a car, it’s a transaction. But the best part is if you treat those people right, and you take great care of them, they come back car after car after car.”

He has conducted business with these values in mind since he began, even selling a car on his first day on the job. It has proven successful for obvious reasons and customers respect and appreciate it, transitioning from prospects to repeat customers to friends.

Kyle added, “I have customers today, who are probably on their 15th or 16th car that they’ve purchased from me in the 36 years that I’ve been doing it. They bring their grandkids, they bring their kids, they bring their friends. That’s what’s made me successful in the business, just being kind to people and taking great care of them when there’s a concern or problem.”

Being honest and genuine with customers will earn your brand trust and credibility with a rural American audience, no matter the industry you serve. Being truthful earns trust and respect and helps position your company to be top-of-mind when they have a need for your products or services.

Positioning your Brand to be Top-of-Mind

In the cycle of service, the deal is not done when the customer or client signs an agreement. Instead, you must surpass expectations and continue to strengthen the relationships with superior service. Kyle uses selling a car as an example, starting by saying that customers could have a great experience buying a car, but quickly change their opinion of the dealership when the need for additional service arises and that need is not met to their expectations.

“The first time they come in for an oil change and they have a horrible experience, I’m going to have a really hard time ever getting them to come back or recommend me to anybody else. It starts with selling a car, and then the experience of servicing a car. But if you’ve given them a good product and you’ve given them great service, it’s pretty hard for them to move away and go someplace else.”

He adds that a product can be sold by nearly everyone, but superior service is the key to building repeat customers, saying, “There has to be a combination. The car will stand for itself, but the service is the thing that people really remember and the experience that’s going to help bring them back again and again.”

In addition to treating people well, Kyle shares that daily tasks are the building blocks of reliable service. A usual day includes responding to emails before the day begins, an example of being readily available to help when needed.

He continues, saying, “In the car business, we’ve got to be Johnny on the spot. We’ve got to be answering emails fast, or else that customer says they must not want my business because they’re not responding back.”

While this concept is applicable in any business or industry, this is an example of a way to build trust with a rural American audience. Regular communication and great service will help build lasting relationships with customers.

Continuous Improvement

Whether it is serving customers directly or developing professionally, you cannot lead a successful career without determination and dedication to growing and improving every day. Kyle puts it well, saying, “The day you stop trying to improve is the day you start going backwards.”

Kyle’s personal and professional successes are an example of dedication and determination paying off and reaping the benefits of hard work. Whether you work serving clients in an agency setting or you work directly with consumers, taking the extra step to deliver quality service that exceeds expectations pays off in the long run.

Hear more about these topics and the unique benefits of doing business in rural America from Cliff Callis and Kyle Herrick in this episode of OUTdrive.