The market for texting is still widely unknown, and what is known is held by the dealers who are either allowing their consultants to use their devices or a texting tool within the CRM. This is all largely without the OEM’s influence or offerings as to how to integrate texting into everyday communications with prospective or current customers. In fact, I have yet to see a training guide or material offering what the best practices are, i.e., opt-out rates, texts per customer, best opt-in messages, seriously anything!

Last August, I touched on “Texting - The Good, Bad & Ugly which offers that texting is relevant to our industry. The idea that dealers have to evolve finding new means of connecting with the customer. That while texting is not by any means replacing emails or phone calls - It is adding relevance in the way we communicate. In so far as the customer will read the text whether they want to or not! Not to mention, as mentioned previously 98% of the customers read a text within 2 minutes.

Think about it for a minute. With less than 60% of emails getting opened (referring to email campaigns: not correspondence. Big difference.) it means that 40%+ of the customers you are trying to connect with don't even open your email! If this is not a wake-up call, I am not sure what it is?!

Imagine your message getting viewed by 98% of your customer database!

That said, here are some ways to get in the texting arena if you haven’t already:

Text Service & Sales Appointment Reminders

A reminder never hurt anyone. In fact, more and more companies are starting to text their customers reminding them of their appointments. This is extremely valuable. Who would not want to see how many appointments are confirmed for the day? As it allows you to forecast the day. Not to mention, those customers who have to make a change are more likely to schedule a new appointment on the text versus not communicating to then just showing up as a walk-in.

OEM Service Retention

Almost every dealer has a rewards program to assist with your OEM service retention. That said, why get lost in the mix with the thousands of emails that get sent with their account information; or that they are due for a service visit? Out of sight out of mind. That simple.  But what if they got a “text,” which reminded them of their account balance near their service retention date?

Using texting could also assist in eliminating the need to offer steep discounts and coupons to everyone. Why give an insane coupon to a customer who is loyal and will continue to come back. You really think they are coming back just because of a coupon?

Service Due - OEM Maintenance Guide

Ever get in your car, and the dash lights up saying “service xyz” due? Pretty much when it is due?  You most likely have! The problem is that the light becomes a blur, BUT what if we got a text a few weeks in advance offering that is time for our service appointment? To which you could add a click-through the link and book your appointment?

Think about this for a moment. You ever shop on Amazon and use one-click purchase? A button so powerful you just click it and BAM order in and done? This is the same concept. By offering the most relevant call to action items within a text with a *reason* to move forward it is much harder to ignore following through! Seriously, try it out! Where are our Dash buttons (no pun intended)?

Reviews!

We all know that the OEM sends 3-4 emails regarding a survey or reviews. It is overkill. Why hasn’t texting been considered? The customer gets a text once the R/O closes. Sending a survey a week or so out for a service visit isn’t as nearly as effective. First off, its a service visit not a purchase.

Second, texting the customer right away has a much better chance of capturing their experience with everything from the meet & greet to the transaction at the cashier's desk or for those who are more progressive offering payment at the service advisors desk! A delayed survey forces the customer to recall the scenario in which case they can (in some cases) perceive an entirely different experience.

Bottom Line:

Not much has changed since August regarding texting. There is still confusion as to what texting offers, what it counts for, and most importantly how to navigate the reporting, which does not seem to exist. Other than of what the CRM provides for those using a tool connected showing how many texts were sent etc. It's as exciting as looking at a phone bill or for those of us who used T9 texting and got a message showing how many we had sent!

This year, I challenge you to add texting to one or more facets of your business. And I assure that you will not just see results, but a shift in the way you handle customer correspondence.

Have you been texting?  

Vendor relationships are business, and while that is not to say that relationships develop with the people you work with - at the end of the day, it is about results. And as a dealer, you should never feel obligated to stay in a bad relationship. Here are the top reasons it's time to break-up with your vendor. 

P.S. on the flip-side, selecting a re-bound vendor is not the solution either. In fact, it is best to have to have another vendor lined up having executed a plan to switch. Everything from the time the new service begins, to creating a checklist of all the items that have to be handled immediately for a seamless transition. 

No Communication 

Communication is a two-way street. The dealer is just as responsible for contacting the vendor - working with them - as they are to contact you. However, the dealer should not have to beg for reports or answers to questions regarding their results or how to use their application. 

But, if your account manager has not said hello in 6+ months, and the only time they speak with you is if you have called support and mentioned an issue then it is time for a new account manager or time just to leave! If you are able to get another account manager who works for you, great! If you keep playing ping-pong with reps getting a new one every month or so than it is time to move on. 

Reporting 

If the numbers are not adding up and look like a college calculus problem gone south than it might be time to evaluate. Albeit, before making a vendor switch try and work with their account manager to resolve the reporting issue. At the end of the day, however, realistically it is not acceptable for the dealer to have to manage the reporting for a vendor! 

The vendor should work with the dealer regarding the reporting on a monthly basis. Ensuring that all questions are answered. And most importantly, making sure that their reporting is transparent and accurate. Given that business decisions are made from reporting. Bad reports = Bad Business Decisions, which will have a negative impact on your store. 

Integration 

We have all been in a situation at one time or another where the vendor promises the world and just how easy it is to integrate their services within our existing DMS or CRM. Only to find out it is an absolute nightmare! To make matters worse, the vendor relies too heavily on one point of contact at the dealer who in many cases ends up solving the issue themselves dealing with all the vendors at once. 

I have been there and done that, which frankly has been of the most stressful encounters! Some of the best vendors I have worked with do not have this problem. As their account & integration managers are top notch. Working with the dealer every step of the way. That is everything from the integration to initial stages of the product! Not to mention, they take the time to check in monthly. Working with you to strategize a plan that makes sense. 

Bad Platform 

Still pinching and zooming on your phone when using the vendor's product? Perhaps to check reports on your phone because their mobile app does not have any reporting? If so, it might be time to make a switch. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to view your application reporting on the fly. Whether that is the need to grab quick information for a meeting or the ability to check-in on the go! 

The vendor - in this day & age - should have a platform that supports the ability to view and check reporting on the go. If not, then when you’re done pinching and zooming on your phone take a minute to look for new vendors. Paying attention to their mobile website. If it is easy to use and offers an excellent experience than it is a good indication of what their products experience will be like. 

Bottom Line: A vendor should be adding to your bottom line! If they are not - first, step back and ask yourself “Are you using the product and its features” More often than not, less than 30% of the product is used!

If that is the case, take a minute to review what and how your current vendors overlap. Seeing if there is the ability to remove one or more of the vendors whose services overlap. This could easily save you thousands of dollars, which can be used for a much better service! Especially since it seems that each product & service is just $699 more! If the vendor cannot offer you quality reporting or consistent service (because they ignore you) then it is time to move on and break-up! 

Have you ever broken up with a vendor? If so, looking back - is it one the best things you did? On the flip-side have you ever broken up with a vendor to only go back? 
 

Trust is imperative as it offers the customer the peace of mind that they have made the right decision regarding the servicing of their vehicle. And while the trust is earned through providing the correct information on the site such as accurate pricing, services, and rentals.  Earning the customers trust is also an integral part of other services offered with chat & text being a considerable part of that! 

When is the last time you were on your site and went through the chat or text process? Do you offer that on your site? Those that do offer it - do you have their chat reps handle the leads? If so, have you taken the time to speak with your account manager setting expectations for how customers are to be handled? 

Here are the top things to review and check-out to earn their trust! 

Chat Service 

Chatting can be very convenient for the customer. Where more often than not the customer is simply wanting to book an appointment. Perhaps asking a question about their service inquiring about what their contract entails. Sounds simple enough right? 

The problem comes into play, however, if the customer asks a question that the rep is unable to answer. And what's worse is if the rep misinforms the customer about a service cost or their service contract. When the customer arrives - the service advisor is most likely unaware of where the appointment came from much less what was offered - the customer than has to feel as if they are defending themselves with the information they were provided. Starting the visit off on a bad note. All because the chat rep was misinformed about policy.

Just in the last two weeks, we had a chat where the customer was told that windshield wipers were a part of the service contract. When the customer arrived and asked “what type of windshield wipers they were getting” the service advisor looked with a blank stare offering that it is not at all apart of the contract. The customer got upset and while we were able to de-escalate the situation it made for a frustrating experience for both the customer and advisor!  

Take the extra minute and work with the account rep to ensure they are on the same page about expectations on customer questions & services! 

Texting 

Having all of these options are GREAT! But, not so great when a customer texts you and their response goes into the abyss as no one is checking the CRM for unmatched texting conversations. 
The customer texts a simple question - can I wait for my vehicle tomorrow while it is in service? Only to not get a response. Comes in the next day and it's completely backed up! And will take 3+ hours for the service! No fun for anyone. 

Do you use texting for service? If so, who handles the texting conversations?

Booking the Appointment 

When the customer schedules their appointment for a service (and the pricing is offered for the said service online), they are expecting it to be the same cost. Now mind you, of course, there will be the situation where the customer did not select the right service for their vehicle. And the advisor has to explain to the customer the price difference. Sure the customer might be slightly upset. But they are most likely going to be more understanding then if the customer were to have selected a service and the cost is much higher in store than of what was advertised! 

Do you show pricing within the service scheduler? If so, has it made a difference in overall spend? 

Bottom Line: if you are offering services to assist the customer offering them a more transparent experience then make sure the quality of their experience is the level of customer service you expect! Turn Key is GREAT, BUT only great if it WORKS! 

When is the last time you used your chat service to book an appointment? How was your experience? Do you manage chat/text in-house? 
 

Who doesn’t like to feel appreciated? It doesn’t seem unreasonable to want to appreciate our customers, right?  Especially the ones who continue to do business with us despite the overall struggle to maintain loyalty. Yet there has been a lot of conversation as to whether or not holding a “customer appreciation day” is useful or necessary. Where a lot of the conversation offers that the customer appreciation days (themselves) are not much different than any other day.

The only difference really, is a few food spreads in the service lane & a nice cake. Or I think one year there was a face painter for the kids. Point being, if the purpose of the event is to genuinely ‘thank’ the customer then make it about the customer. Making sure, though, to outreach to all of your customers. Not just the ones that are in the service lane for their appointment that day. 

If you are hoping for an ROI on the event (which, let’s face it - the purpose of events is to drum up business), then find the balance of offering both. Making it a worthwhile effort. I offer that all too often - those of us in the trenches - forgot that buying a car is usually the second largest purchase people make in their lives. So there is a lot of emotion tied to their experience. 

Here are some best practices for holding a customer appreciation day. 

Customer Car Care Clinic 

Hosting an extravagant event is not always necessary. What is helpful, though, and something your customer would most likely find value in is a free car care clinic. A clinic where the customer can learn better ways to manage and maintain their vehicle. Where the service technician can show examples of what missing the OEM maintenance intervals can do to the vehicle. 

Not saying that every customer that attends will purchase a service contract or complete the OEM maintenance intervals. BUT, they will appreciate the free advice. And if it sells one or two contracts then it is worth the effort.

It Is Not Just Another Day in Service 

Without an ‘event,’ or a central theme to the customer appreciation day then it is pretty much a typical day in service. With a food spread and perhaps (in some cases) free entertainment for the kids. And do not get me wrong, parents love the free entertainment or food. Making it convenient for them, so they don’t have to make that extra stop after servicing their vehicle. Not to mention, it will help keep the kids entertained while they attend the event. Making it more likely for them to purchase a contract. 

If you choose not to do a clinic for the appreciation day then make sure to have an event planned. Whether that is a family geared day such as a "movie night" or even a "child safety" day before back to school. The options are endless, really! 

Twice is Nice

Hosting the Customer Appreciation Day twice a year is enough. Whether that is two clinics or two events.  With one in the Spring and the other in the Fall. This allows you to put time, effort  & thought into the event. Making sure there is an overall purpose. And if you choose to do the clinics it can turn into an ROI - that is selling service contracts, up-sells, all while thanking the customer for their loyalty to your brand! 

Do you host customer appreciation days? If so, how often? If not - did you used to host them? What is the most successful Customer Appreciation Day you Hosted? 

Patience is a virtue. A virtue that many of us have trouble with including myself. And there is nothing more annoying than not knowing what the status is of your repair! Think it about it - sure, perhaps in the grand scheme of life a 30-minute delay does not seem all that big of a deal. But, well, it is! Those 30 minutes spent waiting without knowing what's going on feels like hours. Not to mention, the customer then begins to doubt that you care about their time. Or worse, when they do finally get to check out there is an issue with the RO total and a line at the cashier. To then only find out that the advisor is now assisting the next customer! 

This all could be avoided, though if when the customer came in to check-in their vehicle if the right questions were asked: 

Are you dropping your vehicle off at service today? If so, what time were you hoping to have it picked up? (this would vary given the services)

If this was an appointment (and the customer pre-booked select services), the advisor should be aware of the time needed. Offering the customer a proposed time for pick-up. During the time in which the vehicle is being serviced the customer should be contacted and being kept informed of the status of their vehicle. 

Think about it, the minute it takes you to text the customer “Mr. Customer, your vehicle is in the process and is scheduled to be ready on time” they will not only feel taken care of, BUT they will come in on time. 

Whereas, let’s say you do not call them and they decide that they want to come in early to see if it is done. Only to find out that there was a delay and that the car will not be ready for another 2-3 hours! Ouch. This could effectively cost your dealer a survey! And a customer! 

The other issue, too, is that if the customer has to call in for the status, they have the chance of being transferred to multiple people. In which case, they lose their patience!! 

Here some additional ways to handle status updates 

Check-In 

As soon as the customer checks in for service, you should be inquiring about what the best (preferred) method is for contacting the customer keeping them informed of the status. This way the customer is aware of a) that you will be contacting them & b) the customer has chosen which method is best for them. As soon as they select the method, they are *expecting* you to contact them. So if you do not contact them, it makes it worse. 

Texting Updates 

A lot of CRM’s on the market offer texting that is integrated, which is great! Most also offer the ability to create templates such as time expected, delays, etc. This is an easy way to communicate with multiple people at once without spending as much time on the phones. Or in many cases, getting the unexpecting angry call, which not only disrupts the service for the customer in front of you but causes more headache than needed! 

Delays - How to Handle it! 

Delays are inevitable. They will happen. How you handle those delays, though will make or break the customer's experience. If you are not aware of how the customer prefers to be contacted and you do not contact them (or are unable to get in touch with them), then it causes for an unhappy customer!

However, if you are able to communicate with them and honestly explain what is going on, they are much more likely to work with you! 

How do you handle keeping the customers informed of the status of their vehicle? Do you use texting with great success? 
 

2017 was full of surprises, twists & turns. All of which offered a year full of new ideas and perspectives. Everything from email marketing in both sales & fixed-ops, customer video’s, email response issues, payments online,  to the debate on email marketing and its relevance, texting with the good and bad side - to last but not least, the importance of responding to negative reviews online!

Here are the top posts! It has been an incredible year and I very much look forward to seeing what 2018 brings to the industry!

No Response

I am not sure what’s worse the customer reading an email and not responding or not reading your specially written email at all!

A no response lead can be taken personally. I mean you have just spent probably 5-10 minutes writing an email responding to the customer's inquiry. In hopes of their responding, setting an appointment, and purchasing a vehicle!

Before beating yourself up for not getting a response - you need to step back and ask yourself what did you say in the email? Did the customer ask a question you missed? Did you send inventory options? Did you send your current specials? Namely, did you email include a call to action? An action that sparked “FOMO” (fear of missing out).

I have seen several emails sent out that did not answer the customer's main question (which is often overlooked depending on where the “comments” are displayed in the lead), didn’t sell the dealership, no branding, - the list goes on!

Top Reasons to Respond to Negative Reviews

There are two sides to every story. We live in a world where the customer is not always right. However, we know first-hand that it is ingrained in our minds that, well, “the customer is always right.” This is a slippery slope that leads to us chasing the customer that costs us thousands of dollars. The one that leaves hateful, irrelevant reviews.

That negative review though can also have a damaging effect on the brand. However, in retrospect, the customer will also look at your average rating. Sure there may be some instances where you have an off day. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t respond to the review, and close the issue!

Emails Are Here to Stay

Have you ever found yourself writing what you think to be an incredible email to only realize that the lead did not have an email! It’s the worst. For real.  

Whats even worse, though, is that most of the time we do not put enough thought into the email we’re sending the customer. Sending the customer a tangled mess of value statements, payments, sale price, self-promotion - failing to ask the customer for their business!

You have to ask yourself - why put that much effort into an email when you do not ask for the appointment!?

Texting - The Good Bad & Ugly

Texting is an integral part of business whether we like it or not. Texting is also not relevant solely because its what Millennials want, either. In fact, recent statistics have shown that the number of “click to call” continues to increase on mobile devices. A large part of that number is, in fact, millennials.

The fact of the matter is that our devices have offered a new means of communicating. And with a new means of communication comes the Fear of Missing Out, frustration, indifference, excitement, results, & issues - prompting the question - quite literally - what and how does texting affect the sales process? What is texting?

Top Reasons You Should Offer Payments Online

Convenience is a luxury. A luxury that many people seek. So why then haven’t we offered a simple solution that not only gives into the customer's expectations but also saves the dealer money too.

As of now, many customers are forced to pay for their services at the time of pick-up, which - in many cases - causes frustration, inaccurate discounts, and most importantly it results in an upset customer who just spent 100+ dollars - the customer who will destroy you on social media- what gives?

Progressive dealers are offering their clients a luxury amenity - one that s/he will remember - that is being able to pay his/her RO online!

Concerned? I get that, and security is a *key* concern for sure. But trust me, it is safer than the customer's credit application left in the employee lounge, or the driver's license and customer information left on the showroom floor.

Thanks for all the support this year! I am excited to contribute in 2018 Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! 

The CRM is vital to a dealerships growth and development. Housing all of the transactional data. Everything from leads, sold customers, unsold customers, and service customers. That said, it is even more important to make sure there are not duplicate profiles for the same customer. 

There is not a single roadmap to the sale. A customer will most likely convert from multiple websites before s/he chooses to commit to an appointment or decides to visit the dealership. Each and every time the customer converts their new lead may or may not “automatically” merge with their original profile within the CRM. 

In the last month, however, this has been a considerable debate: that is, “to merge or not to merge.” There is a grave concern that transactional data could go missing when merging a customer profile. However, if merged effectively each additional “conversion” should be shown as a “duplicate lead.” 

What this does not offer, though is that you still should review each vendors results regarding conversion. For example, on your dealer website, you might have converted 367 leads, BUT only 169 organic (new) leads. Therefore, having 198 duplicate leads. Let’s say Jane Doe has 5 leads, and only 2 merged in the CRM as 1 profile. That leaves 3 additional profiles in the CRM for one customer. 

While no one wants to lose the information regarding conversion or lead count (you can always review analytics),  one does want to make sure that all leads are merged (if there are duplicates), and the data is in one profile. This will ensure that the customer's information is in one place versus having multiple profiles for the same customer. 

Have you ever called a customer and they said “ugh, I was in your store yesterday” because the lead was not merged? And the customer submitted a coupon lead before they made their purchase? The answer is probably, yes! 

Here are some of the best practices when it comes to merging the customers lead: 

Cross-Check the CRM - what lead came in first?

As mentioned above, there is not a single one size fits all road to the sale. The customer can convert on multiple sites before they make their final decision. That said, before merging the lead, you should always cross-check the CRM to make sure the customer does not already exist by searching with their phone number, and then their email. 

One of the concerns with merging is that you can lose the “conversion” point aka the source in which the lead converted from last. However, if the customer first converted off of the OEM site (and maybe it was a spouse, first) within the previous 30 days and you are actively working with the customer then you should merge the leads. Where the OEM is the original lead ID & the third party is a duplicate. Making sure that if the customer used another email or phone number to capture both contacts! 

If the customer converted a year ago or was made “inactive," then you would have a new profile for the customer. As there has not been any interaction with the customer within 30 days. The key, though, is that there is still one profile for the customer. Versus having two separate profiles. The first lead is “inactive," and the “new lead” is the newest opportunity. 

Primary Buyer vs. Secondary - Credit Applications 

It is not uncommon for a customer to have their spouse or significant other be a co-signer on the deal. Wherein, the co-signer will complete the “pre-approval” online creating a new lead. That lead, however, should be merged with the customer who is purchasing the vehicle. The credit application will show as a “duplicate” lead within the CRM. 

Now, in the CRM - you should still save the co-buyers information. A lot of CRM’s offer the ability to add“co-buyers” to their profile. Allowing you to save their information without having to keep multiple profiles in the CRM. The “buyer” though should be the primary name on the lead. Along with their information. 

Phone Numbers 

When merging leads, it is imperative to make sure that you keep all of the data - unless of course, the customer used a fake phone number in their first lead, which is not all that uncommon. 

The customer - in many cases - will include a home number in the first lead (or just an email), but offer their cell-phone number on the coupon lead converting off of your dealer website. In this case, you should make sure you note down which number is the cell, and which is the home. 

Emails 

Customers are smart. In many cases, they will have a “spam” email which is used early on in the buying process. However, as they work their way down the funnel - converting off of the dealer website - they will more often than not use their personal email. 

If the customer has *never* opened an email on their “spam” email, then it is not necessary to keep it! Continuing to “spam” an email (for the sake of sending another email blast) will not only run you the risk of getting flagged as being spam but also getting black-listed. 

If it isn’t being used. Lose it. Remember, this is not a coffee shop - where, in  6 months you are digging through your email account to find the long lost email containing the coupon that probably expired 6 months ago. Instead, if you are using their “active” email - you are already sending them a coupon each month! 

Address Updates - What is the Current Address? 

Customers usually do not offer their address in the lead form. Ever, really. That said, it is important when the customer does complete the credit application that you take the time to make sure their home address is up to date. 

Bottom Line:

It is essential to understand how each vendor is performing using their analytics. But it also just as important to keep an organized CRM. Understanding how many customers you actually have. What CRM’s could offer is a “road to the sale”providing a report on the various conversion points of the customer. As I am sure there are trends/patterns in how customers convert offline before making their decision. Until then, keep merging, and review the analytics with each vendor seeing how they are performing.  

Do you merge leads? If not, what is your reasoning behind leaving multiple profiles within the CRM? Do you find your staff accidentally calling a customer who has already sold or been in the showroom because it was not merged? 
 

When is the last time you reviewed your analytics to see how many appointments were scheduled online for service? Making sure the advisor completes the appointment in your CRM if the customer showed in the lane? 

Out of the customers who came in for their appointments - did the service advisors track their coupons by collecting them or use the right op-code in the system you use? 

Tracking your online appointment traffic for service is essential. Making sure you take the time each month to see how many customers that hit the service drive have booked an appointment. And if there is a significant percentage who did not schedule an appointment - having started the appointment process - make sure to take the time and check & review how easy it is to book the actual appointment. There could be a site issue that you are unaware of! 

To avoid these issues, which can have a dramatic impact on the lane - especially with the Holiday surge you will see for year-end - here are some of the best practices to follow: 

Review Monthly Appointment Reports 

If you are using a vendor to schedule service appointments, then they most likely offer you a monthly performance report. The report should provide the following information: total web traffic, appointments booked, bounce rate, and how many people started to schedule an appointment but ended up exiting. This will help you find any possible breakdowns. 

One of the top reasons the customer will exit without booking their service appointment -  having clicked through an email blast - is due to their not having their information readily available such as their VIN, Mileage, etc. If your system requires that information to schedule the appointment, then it can (and most likely will cause for customers to exit without scheduling).  

To avoid the issue, your scheduling tool should offer a “quick appointment tool” where the customer is able to book an appointment without having to sign in or have all of their information. If the customer is a repeat customer - as an advisor - you should be able to pull their information ahead of time. Allowing you to assist the customer better as there is nothing worse than the customer booking their appointment for specific services to then show up at the service drive having to repeat what it is they are in for because the advisor did not take the time to review the appointment log for the day. 
 

Click to Call 

There are trends in the industry - regarding mobile traffic - where the customer is on the service scheduling page but decides to “call in” instead of booking their appointment. This is great, BUT not so great if you are not tracking the clicks & recording the calls. 

In the perfect world, all calls would be answered, but it is inevitable that there are going to be missed calls. That said if you are tracking the calls you are not only able to ensure the customer is assisted. But you are also then able to review how many customers are using this method versus booking the appointment online. 

Top Referral for Service Appointments 

Off the top of your head do you know what platform generates the most service appointments? If not, you could be missing out! 

For example, if your monthly service offer email is the top source for generating appointments than you would want to review how many customers who booked the appointment using the email also happened to redeem a coupon too! 

Taking the time to review which coupon it is that they redeemed. This will assist you in better serving your customers. If they aren’t redeeming the coupons than it is a sign to make a switch and try something new! 

Bottom line: 

Who doesn’t want to be able to forecast monthly revenue based on appointment traffic? Building up the top referring platform for appointments?

Do yourself a favor and set aside a time to review your monthly service appointments. Seeing where you are generating the most traffic, and examine how many customers exit without booking. And if they did not book - did they call in to schedule the appointment!?

How do you track service appointments? Do you have a provisioned line for mobile for click to call? What percentage of appointments are attributed to click to call? 
 

If you offer a free car wash for your customer and the OEM asks that question on their post-service survey - it’s probably a good idea to wash their vehicle. If you do not have the resources, or team available to clean the customer's vehicles, then you either should not offer it or have alternative options. Here are some ways to handle the situation. 

Basic Clean - Wash the Exterior & Vacuum 

Even if you cannot wash the entire vehicle (cleaning the windows), you could still possibly vacuum the interior and clean the exterior ridding of the caked on dirt, and crumbs on the vehicle interior. Making enough of a difference where the customer can visibly see that their vehicle is clean after their service visit. 

Clean it in the Active Delivery Area 

Another way to combat the issue is to clean the interior - vacuuming the vehicle - in the active delivery area in service. This will show the customer that you have taken the time to clean their vehicle, which is better than not cleaning their vehicle at all. You do however want to avoid using an excessively loud shop vac - using a smaller handheld vacuum. 

Offer a Coupon for a Local Cleaner 

If you do not have the bay space or have enough resources - internally - to handle cleaning the vehicles on site, then you can look into offering the customer a coupon for an off-site cleaner. Not every customer will choose this option or find it appealing. However, you have at least offered them an alternative, viable option. Most cleaners will also provide the dealer a discount for the cleaning service. 

Bottom Line: 

Customers expect more and more these days. And in most cases, they expect their vehicles to be clean when they are picking it up for service. This is especially true if the OEM is asking the customer if their vehicle was cleaner when the picked it up. If you are finding the customer is saying that their vehicle is not only not cleaned when picking it up, BUT that is dirtier than you might have a breakdown. A breakdown that could be costing you thousands of dollars in OEM money programs. 

Take a minute to look into your shop and see if there is anything you can do in-house to clean your customer's vehicle. If you are not able to find one - look for another viable, cost-effective way to ensure that you are offering a means to clean your customer's vehicle. 

How do you handle cleaning your customer's vehicle? Do you find the customers saying that their vehicles have not been cleaned? If so, how have you dealt with the issue? 
 

Sales have a direct correlation to the volume of units that pass through service on a daily basis. So as you are planning for year-end and are looking to plan for the next year - pay close attention to your monthly sales numbers. Depending on the sales numbers (especially regarding new) your service drive will be affected.

Here Are Some Things to Consider when it comes to planning for year-end and shaping the following years marketing: 

When Your Sales Numbers Are Up 

If sales are up year over year you should see an increase in the number of RO’s per quarter. That said, you should be planning as to how many new units should be hitting the drive per month and quarter based on your sales numbers. And when reviewing those numbers make sure to use your OEM’s retention numbers to build your forecast. 

Depending on the increase in sales (and what the average daily RO count is) you might have to increase hours or hire an additional express advisor to handle the incremental oil changes. If there are months with lower sales then your objective then you would want to focus on increasing your campaigns to target customers slipping out of your OEM’s retention guide, which leads to the below: 

When Your Sales Numbers Are Down 

Some dealers saw a decline in sales year over year. If you are one of those stores, your service department will not necessarily see an incremental increase in RO’s. That said, you will want to focus more on acquiring new business through conquesting your OEM’s owners - within your primary marketing area - who have not serviced at your dealership. 
Ensuring that you are outweighing the cost of marketing per customer vs. the OEM’s kick back for hitting your numbers. 
 

Schedule First Oil Change 

More often than not the customer does not want to schedule their first service appointment right after the purchase. And while that makes sense - as the customer does not know their schedule 3-6 months out - you want to offer that it is best if they bring their vehicle back within the first three months. Allowing the customer to bring it in and address any concerns, questions, etc. that s/he may have. Making sure the vehicle is working 100% to their satisfaction. Not only will this assist with retention, but the customer will feel taken care recognizing that you value their purchase. 

Bottom Line: 

Regardless of whether your sales are up or down, it is imperative for those that did purchase from you to come back for service! Especially your new car customers! Remembering that each customer that buys and does not return for service is less likely to go back and purchase another vehicle from you! 

How do you plan based on sales volume? Have you seen a negative impact on the service drive when sales are down? If so, how have you addressed the issue?