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!?

The first email you send (which I hope is not an auto responder) is your dealer's first impression. An impression that will make or break you. Remember, you are not the only store the customer has inquired with. So if they get a generic email that does not set you apart then you become an unopened email that sits in their inbox. All alone. Never read.

There has been a lot of discussion in the industry that emails are archaic and a thing of the past - the idea that no one reads emails anymore. While that might be the case one has to remember that there multiple types of emails. That is sales blasts, follow-up, Sales follow-up, Service Follow-up, Appointment Reminders, We love you reminders. You get the point.

The industry has combined all types of emails into one category, which in-turn has created a stigma that all emails are bad.  It is time to dissect what the industry is actually talking about, which is that people become desensitized to the average overused generic,  and boring, email. An email that does not answer their questions or offer them something they didn’t already know.

Think about it - what is the single most fake item on a lead submission form?! A phone number. But they gave you their email, which often gives you that subtle clue as to what their first name is - or in some cases their last name too!

The intro email has key components:

1. Branding

2. Appointment with Hook

3. Self Promotion

4. Brand Value

5. Close

Here is a sample first email - this would be used for a first response. Where you called and it was a fake number

John Doe,

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to earn your business here with us at (dealer). We do have the (insert vehicle) available. Speaking of available, are you available now or later today for a test drive?

Insert Inventory Option 1 (highlight or bold the sale price)

Insert Inventory Option 2 (highlight or bold the sale price)

Insert Inventory Option 3 (highlight or bold the sale price)

As a special thanks, John for taking the time to come in and meet with (sales rep) we will even give you a $25 gift card. (sales rep) is one of our top consultants and will offer you a fun, easy, & exciting experience.

Keep in mind, John - here at (dealership) it is about YOU - (insert value statements) - we look forward to speaking with you.

P.S. John - what is the best method to get in touch with you?

This email which uses the DSU guidelines has delivered. Customers have responded well to email. Giving up their phone numbers, booking appointments, and buying cars. Remember, the email needs to sell not only the dealership - it needs to sell YOU! People buy from people.

Catch me next week for the follow-up Email!

Using the same coupons every month works, right? I mean Bed Bath & Beyond does it - so why can’t we?

Showing the same coupons on your website every month takes away your FOMO - fear of missing out - where your customer will just assume you will continue to run the same specials. We want to keep using FOMO by creating coupons based on objectives -  offering a relevant, valuable offer.

Beyond updating your website's service page (where you thousands of views) do you make sure that the coupons in your current service email blast even match the offers on your site?! This becomes a huge disadvantage when your customer does what you’ve spent money for them to do! That is clicking on the special taking them to your website where that special they just clicked on does not exist! This happens more than you think.

If you are unsure of what to run for the current month check-in with your OEM and see if they are running a special. You can always add to the special they are offering or create your own special.

There might be an item you have overstocked (i.e. Windshield wiper blades) - so you create a special/bundle promoting them. This special is your primary special that is highlighted on all fronts (website, social media, & POP Marketing) using it as a tool to upsell in the service lane.

Do you use the same coupons every month and it works? Do you run a new “high lighted” specials each month?

How many service appointments does your dealer average on any given month? Chances are you might be missing appointments!

The word “responsive” has been around for quite some time. Perhaps Responsive is even an overused word with vendors who are trying to earn your business for their “responsive” design services - where they all tell you that a “responsive” design will increase conversion!

That all sounds well and good - but a “responsive” website will render itself useless if the scheduling software is not compatible offering the customer a miserable experience. An experience where the appointment scheduling tool format forces the customer to pinch and zoom! (seriously, pinch & zoom!).

The average customer might exit the site if s/he cannot easily schedule an appointment online. That or they might just show up. Sure, that sounds great. But that is not so great if and when several customers show up at the same time without an appointment. In turn increasing their wait time at the dealership, which is a recipe for a lower CSI score.

Check it Out! Try and Schedule an Appointment!

So, is your site responsive? If so, does your appointment scheduling software format correctly online? Or is it iframed in so that when the consumer is trying to schedule an appointment on their mobile device, they are pinching and zooming!

Beyond checking the actual mobile format. It is also important to monitor and review the overall conversion rate. If you notice that there is a dip in conversion, there might be an issue with the site! Check your site and start booking more service appointments!

I do not want to keep a loyal customer said no one ever! Somehow, though, dealers fall short of creating, implementing, and executing a successful loyalty program. Often spending too much time on other marketing efforts.

When is the last time you asked a service advisor or sales consultant what their store's loyalty program was? Better yet - once you’ve asked them what their program is (which they probably will at least acknowledge that you have one) ask them how often they use it to sell the dealership!

Do they use the Dealers Loyalty Program to sell the dealership? (if not, chances are it is a program that is not clearly explained or valued).

Designing a loyalty program is more than creating a brochure and touting benefits that are not explained or translated into what the “benefits” actually do for the customer.

For example, you tell the customer “you have x amount of oil changes. Earning money for each service” the consumer might think “if the oil change is free what else do I need?”

The customer - at the time of their purchase - is not always thinking about all of the other things that can go wrong with their newly purchased vehicle. Or if they do, that is why s/he bought their extended warranty.

That said, what does a “loyalty” program do for them? If the consumer in this day in age *expects* maintenance (such as the oil change) to be apart of the oil change, then the loyalty program has to be creative. A program that deems itself useful to the customer.

One of the things that can help build value with your dealer's loyalty program is partnering with local shops. Think about it - if you were to partner with a local favorite coffee, bakery, or boutique shop, and purchased a “bulk” amount of coffee or pastries, then the customer would see *value* in their servicing the vehicle with your store. Making that extra stop on the way home to their popular downtown venue.

It is a win-win for both the dealer and shop. Sure, there would be different demographics to approach when tailoring the programs. For instance, your luxury brands might have a “Presidents wine club.” where the CEO & owner shares a bottle of his prize wine at a “discounted” price. But at the end of the day, the options are endless.

I encourage you to ask the hard question to your employees “what does our loyalty program mean - would you use our loyalty program?” And see what they have to say!

What kind of loyalty programs do you have? What has worked well for you?

At one time or another, we are all (assumably) guilty of running the same service specials online month to month. Asking our advisors how many times the coupon hit the service lane to which the advisor most likely does not know. Certainly not pulling a pile of coupons out of their service desk to show you either. 

Looking at the analytics online - reviewing the click, conversion,  and total prints - might not be as effective either; as the analytics do not paint the overall picture. How many times have you gone to a store and said “I forgot my coupon, but I saw the special online? Can I use it?” and the cashier redeems the coupon. 

The same thing happens in the service lane, but are the advisors using the right op code to track the discount? If not, the discounts are not being tracked by the coupon. In turn, it makes it that much harder to make a decision on what special to run next month! 

Taking the extra minute in the lane to use specific opcodes, however, can ensure that the coupon was used. Even offering an op code for those who did not have a coupon, but still asked for the discount in the lane! Sounds like a lot of work. But it isn’t.

Tracking how many people are engaged with a special can optimize your service marketing efforts. Sending and continuing to send marketing that is effective! 

Do you use special opcodes for monthly service specials? How do you track discounts with Advisors? 
 

The last thing a dealer wants to hear is “take me off of your marketing list.” Each and every time you get that email, phone call - or in some cases a text - you often ask yourself did I email to much? Was the offer good?

The bottom line is that you have to remove the customer from your marketing lists. Dealers sometimes forget (or lose track of) just how many vendors that actively email your customers, which are not just sent from the CRM/DMS. There are OEM emails and sometimes vendors also send their emails, too.

Removing the email from just the CRM (in most cases) will not then also delete the customer's email address from all systems. In which case, the already upset and disinterested customer will receive another email next month. Certainly not the best way to try and capture their business for service, no?

When is the last time you checked with your vendor to see if they’ve scrubbed for opt-outs? How does your dealer handle opt-outs?

You might be wondering why I am so enthused about removing customers from the marketing list? Let me set the record straight. It is not about being excited to remove upset customers - it is about better the chances of earning their business for service.

If the customer has opted out of email correspondence for service, the last chance of resurrecting that customer is not by sending them another email. There are a few different campaigns that could work. One of them being mailers - sending a mailer will allow you to personalize it by having the customer go to a unique URL giving us their permission to email them. As you are giving them an exclusive offer.

If the customer - who initially opted out  - needs an oil change and you’ve provided a complimentary oil change (or whatever offer works best), and they are in need of that service -  the chances of the customer coming in are in your favor.

If that upset customer - the one that opted out - has a great experience then it can have the chance of restarting the relationship. A relationship that can be profitable for the dealership. If traditional mail has not worked for your dealer, there is always social media marketing. Allowing the dealer to send the customer (the one that opted out) a coupon that will show up in their feed.

Doesn’t matter which campaign you choose (again whatever works best for your dealership), but you should make sure that your email lists are up to date!

How does your dealer deal with opt-outs? Do you use digital or traditional campaigns?

January is full of resolutions, which often fail because there were either too many resolutions or there wasn’t enough focus on the ability to maintain or sustain the resolution. 

Every dealer should have resolutions -  understanding, however, that the mentality in the industry is often a tunneled month-to-month perspective. A perspective that is often short lived as the bigger picture is often forgotten. 

It is not too late, though!

One resolution that can make a big difference is a dealer managing/organizing their vendors - reviewing the year-end reports cross-checking the vendor's current role in your overall strategy. Asking yourself if the vendor is currently living up to their standards - all too often, dealers forget just how many vendors they work with! 

When is the last time you logged into to your vendors portal to check reports or ask a question to improve performance?

Keep in mind, when reviewing vendors it is important to review the marketing schedule (namely, when your marketing was sent out). Looking for trends in the open rates, conversion rate, click rate, and how many appointments were scheduled. Asking yourself if the current strategy is working?  Are your dealers marketing efforts overlapping? 

Something as simple as switching the marketing schedule (making sure it is in alignment with the OEM) can impact the conversion rate leading to more appointments. More appointments result in more RO’s! 

Beyond switching/reviewing your marketing schedule it is also a good time to review the website. Asking yourself if the website offers the service customer a good experience? When reviewing the site look for the overall ease of use - i.e. how long did it take you to book an appointment? Are there too many pop-ups? 

If you have a chat service - CHAT! - have a conversation with the agent to see how they perform when asking to book a service appointment. Does the agent take too long to assist the customer? Did the customer get an appointment? 
. 
This all sounds simple, but the fact of the matter is managing and strategizing with your vendor what you expect for them (starting in January) is far more effective than trying to work out a new plan in the middle of February! If you set the expectations now, your dealer is already ahead allowing you to fine tune your strategy as the year progresses. 

How many of you already have met with your vendors? Have you gotten rid of vendors? Or is the month to month mentality best? 
 

Is a free oil change the only way of getting customers to return to your dealership? If so, chances are you have other underlying problems. Problems that are costing your dealer thousands of dollars annually.

There is no question that the OEM puts pressure on the dealer to maintain their customers in both sales and service. Keeping your customers loyal in both sales and service is incredibly lucrative for the dealer. Saving thousands of dollars in conquesting costs.

Keeping your customers at a cost, however, is not lucrative, and here’s why

The only time you have to ask yourself what the value of keeping a customer is if you are always giving free oil changes to the same customers. Putting yourself in a situation where it takes a miracle to increase the average RO spend. And you are spending thousands of dollars a month to retain those customers.

Understanding that If everything is always free (in this case the oil change), the customer loses site of its value. In other words, the customer has become immune to the word free oil change. Not expecting to pay a dime otherwise when it comes time to service their vehicle.

If the customers first words upon arrival (or when booking an online appointment) are “I need to schedule my free oil change” their entire trip is revolving around the “free oil change.” Versus the customer saying “I need to schedule my oil change.”

In the second scenario, the dynamic of the conversation completely changes. It offers the Service Advisor a better chance of upselling the customer. Whereas if the appointment is revolving around the “free” oil change, the advisor would possibly lead into “Besides your oil change - will you need anything else today?”  Or the advisor might say “right now we are running a service special for $79.95 - today only.”

To which the customer might say “No, just need the oil change.” The customer has already made up their minds that they will not be spending anything. It is free.

Instead of always offering a free oil change to your current customers. Think about what other brands are doing in regards to coupons and discounts to increase customer retention. The coupon, however, has to be relevant, and reflect instant gratification.

A customer who believes that they are saving a dollar amount off of an RO will leave feeling satisfied. In doing so, it builds value in your pricing. The other benefit besides valuing a “dollar” amount for a discount (such as $20 off of services more than $100) is the dealer's ability to show their competitor's price - slashing it - and offering a “dollar” amount off of the service.

There still is a markup left in the “service” (depending on the services provided) as well room for the advisor to sell other services. If the customer believes that they are getting a good deal, they are more apt to purchasing more.

How does your store retain customers? Have you used Dollar Amounts off Savings?  Do you give free oil changes and have incredible success?

With the cost of marketing in sales rising in turn offering dealer’s thinner profit margins – is service the way to capture new business by spending money on fixed-op's advertisements?  

When is the last time you Googled your dealership by typing “oil change in (enter your city)” looking to see if your dealership even pops up? 

Chances are your dealership did not populate in the Google search. Instead, major service centers like Pep Boys, Midas, & Jiffy Lube to name a few were the center of attention. 

I can already hear the argument:

“these are not all OEM customers searching for servicing their vehicle. So why would I spend to market to them.” 

The customer might not have bought from your OEM, but if they see that you are offering a competitively priced oil change that is cheaper than the big guy then it gives your store a shot. A shot to not only service their vehicle but to gain a potential new sale. As s/he might not have considered the possibility of getting into a new, safer, car. 

A customer searching to service their vehicle is looking at prices, reviews, and convenience. So, If your store offers all the above then why not use it to your advantage?

The best way to ease into the campaign concept is to provide a “package” of sorts such as the “winter package,” which allows the dealer to offer a low-cost package with a high markup. Or for those dealers that are a bit more daring and aggressive - provide an oil change offer that is competitive with the local shops in town. 

This new perspective on marketing offers a new means of increasing revenue in an already profitable department. In addition to the opportunity to sell the customer a newer vehicle. 

Does your store pay for fixed-ops marketing? Have you had success with paid service conquest marketing?

Fixed-Op’s arguably is the one department that keeps the dealer afloat absorbing the costs to run a dealership. It is also the one department that seems to be ignored when it comes to assistance and training.

Should the service advisors be answering inbound phone calls possibly ignoring the customer in front of them?

A customer waiting for an advisor to put down the phone is much like checking into a hotel – with heavy bags in arm – where the front desk attendant is on the phone. Taking what seems to be an eternity, and here you are standing there aimlessly waiting to be noticed.

Both customers are just as important, no? So, how do we ensure that both customers are attended too?

Is the answer to set up a call center that assists the customers? Understanding that while the BDC might not be able to give a diagnosis over the phone (not that an advisor can either most times), but what they could set up an appointment for the customer.

Taking the phones out of the service allows the advisors to concentrate on offering excellent customer service to the customers in the lane. Allowing the advisors the opportunity to upsell services to the customer. 

There are also other benefits of having the phones out of the service lanes. One of the biggest benefits is the ability for the call center to connect sales to service. Where the BDC can quickly pull up the customer's last visit thanking the customer for their loyalty. Even better, the customers who had not serviced with your dealership before able to have a loyalty account set up for them over the phone. 

Earning them rewards dollars before they even come in! Engaging with the customer with consistency makes it that much easier to maintain relationships with loyal customers. As the BDC understands the total value of that client's account. Versus the service department (just like in sales) look at the customer as a service customer - not a dealer customer.  

How does your store handle fixed op's overflow? Has your store had success without BDC assisting the service lane? What are your best practices?