The Real Reason Customers Don’t Come Back—And How to Change That

What top complaints tell us about building (and losing) trust in Fixed Ops

It’s one of the most common questions dealerships ask:

“We provided the service, so why didn’t the customer return?”

The truth? It’s usually not about price. Or even quality of repair.
It’s about trust. And trust is built—or broken—by the experience surrounding the service itself.

Let’s Rewind: What Customers Told Us the First Time

In the very first episode of The Service Lounge podcast, Brandon and Christian broke down the Top 10 Customer Complaints in Fixed Ops—based on real feedback from customers across the country. And while some of it was tough to hear, it was also incredibly telling:

• “No one greeted me.”
• “I didn’t know what was happening with my vehicle.”
• “I had to keep following up.”
• “The check-in process was confusing.”
• “They didn’t explain the charges.”

Most complaints weren’t about what was done—but how it was communicated.

It highlighted one major truth:
The service journey matters more than the service task.

Why This Matters Now

Each year, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) releases its Annual Consumer Complaint Survey Report, compiling the top complaints submitted to state and local consumer protection agencies across the U.S.

And guess what?
Auto-related complaints top the list year after year.

From poor communication to billing issues and shady repair experiences, customers are consistently frustrated—not because of the repair, but because of how they were treated throughout the process.

The 2024 CFA report is expected to drop soon, and we’re keeping a close eye on what’s changed—and what hasn’t.

What We’ve Learned Since Then

Over the past year, we’ve worked closely with dealerships to identify the key trust-builders—and trust-breakers—across the service experience:

🔴 Kills Trust	✅ Builds Trust
No greeting at check-in	Personalized tablet check-ins
Vague MPI or updates	Videos and photos sent to customers
Surprise totals	Transparent, mobile payments
No follow-up	Status texts + post-service summaries

If your process feels clunky, disconnected, or inconsistent, it communicates one thing to the customer:
“You’re on your own.”

And that kills retention.

Tools Are Only Half the Equation

Dealerships can’t rely on tools alone to fix customer perception. It takes a seamless, consistent process—and a team that’s equipped and empowered to deliver it. When trust becomes your team’s default, loyalty becomes the customer’s.

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🎧 Catch Up Before the New Report Drops

Now’s a great time to revisit where this all started.
Listen to Episode 1 of The Service Lounge →
Brandon and Christian break down the real feedback dealerships don’t always get to hear—directly from customers in the service lounge.

And with the new CFA Consumer Complaint Survey Report on the horizon, we’ll be revisiting the list and asking:

“Are we actually getting better at what customers care about most?”

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