Having an onboarding program for any of the positions within your dealership can not only save hundreds of thousands of dollars. It can also significantly decrease turn-over. Increasing profits as the managers have a clear outline as to what steps are necessary for training the new employee. Setting them up for success at the dealership. Long gone are the days of being able to put the new hire with an employee (to train them) who has not been with the dealership for more than a few months. 

The other thing to consider is - do you really want an employee who does not have the same level of experience training a new hire -  where they can shape (and influence) their perspective on the organization? 

Here are the top reasons to have a well-thought and developed onboarding program: 

Chaos Causes for Concern & Disinterest 

I remember the first day in the auto industry all too well. Where the first day I was shuffled around to 5 or 6 people. All of which were frantic in trying to get me what I needed. The problem, however, was that I was unsure of what I needed! I did not know what logins I needed - what products I needed training on! That said, it took well over 2 weeks to get the logins needed! 

As a new employee, you already feel as if you have taken a huge risk to make a career move. Where in the interview it is made to seem as if everything is well planned out. No problems. Easy as pie. But we all know, that is not how it works! 

Training - What is Expected?

You cannot hold someone accountable if they have not been given the necessary resources to do their job. Where the manager just gets frustrated with the new hires lack of knowledge on a vendor’s product. Yet, even the managers - themselves - do not know how to use the product hence the frustration they exhibit when dealing with a new hire. 

Make no mistake, the new hire can not only sense the frustration, but they will also sense a sign of weakness. Where if you are frantic and chaotic in trying to assist them with the simplest of things - they can (and in many cases will) lose respect for you as a manager. Where they will not want to come to you with questions regarding the selling of a vehicle, etc. 

Go Ask Someone Else

Sure, if you have been a long-time employee, you might feel comfortable and confident to ask someone for assistance in working with a new product. But when you are brand new and do not know anyone and are told to “go ask someone else” to handle something it sets the tone. Not to mention, when you do go and ask the other person, and they say “go see them,” which just so happens to be the person who directed them to you! 

This causes for frustration in the new hire. Where they do not feel supported. And if they do not feel supported within the first week or so they quickly lose interest.

Not Keeping Track of Training 

If you are not keeping track of what items s/he has completed then you are missing out! This allows a new employee to set the standards and expectations regarding the timeline to complete their training. This, of course, is a dangerous approach as it makes it that much harder to set expectations. To avoid this approach, have a training guide that offers what it is expected for the first 2-3 weeks of employment. Where both the manager and new hire sign off on what has and has not been completed. Giving you an actionable plan to follow when managing your new employee. 

Bottom Line: 

Onboarding someone - regardless of the position - is never easy. There are many facets to a job within a company. That being said, it is essential to ensure that the new hire has all of the necessary tools and resources when they first start. Making sure that the management team is involved when it comes time to train the employee in the various roles. Remembering that the more in alignment everyone is at the dealership, the better off the entire department will be! 

How do you handle onboarding? Do you get the employee their logins as the days go on? Are you the type that pushes the employee to someone else? 

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! 

P.S. I too have been guilty of missing a question, which is why I spent an extra minute making sure I answer it correctly!

There isn’t per se the “GOLDEN” email, or all dealers would be using it by now. What you can do however is be relevant and make sure you take the time to read the lead before sending the email. Here are some key elements that will assist you in getting a response! 

Subject Line 

There is a course in DSU that explains in great detail on how to write a subject line. While putting the sale price, emoji’s, or special characters seem fun - it lessens the chance of the customer clicking the email as it resembles spam. 

Keep the subject line short, and to the point! Here is an example: 

“Be One that Saves, (first name)”

Main Body 

The first thing you need to do is review the lead making sure you have looked to see if the customer has left a question or comment. Not answering the customers' questions can be a turn off resulting in their deselecting your store. 

If the customer has asked a specific question be sure to reiterate their question when answering it. Once you have answered, the question asks for the appointment. Next, you will build value in your appointment by selling your dealership. Creating an image of what your customer can expect if they chose to do business with you. 
Inventory should also be highlighted - per DSU you should insert up to three options. Make sure that there are real photos (refrain from stock photos as the customer might avoid it) and include options that others have also viewed pertaining to the inquired on stock number. 

Closing - Last Impression Value Statement & Special Offer

Customers often forget about maintenance. They are so focused on the sale price because that is the most relevant subject to them during the “purchase” process. So if we can build value in the sense that we also take care of them after the sale, it builds brand value, which is invaluable in today's market. 

Let the customer know that your service techs are certified, and unlike big box stores, your team has to be brand specific certified. Not to mention, the customer might receive a membership of sorts by servicing at your dealership. Such as rental cars, free oil changes, or service rewards. 

Offer the customer a coupon. Something that stands out. Do you use a coupon a gift card? Trust me. I know the eyes of the manager's roll when you say those words as they will argue about having to work that back into the deal. But the customer just wants instant gratification. That’s all. That Instant gratification can result in an appointment, which can lead to a sale!! 

How do you handle a no response email? What works for you? 

Click here to join the ongoing email templates conversation! 

There are a lot of costs associated with extending hours. However, with fixed-ops being the dealer's life line and main money maker, it seems like a no brainer to have extended summer hours two or three days of the week.

Here are a few top reasons you should extend your hours

Late Appointments

Imagine all of the customers that would now stop in after work? If you close at 8 PM, you can set your scheduling software to have the last appointment set for 7:15 PM. This would easily generate 10-15 more appointments per week. The Advisor (or in some cases a service BDC) can use this when booking the appointment via phone or chat if the customer isn’t available during the day.

Appointment Oriented Culture

The goal with the extended hours is to promote appointments. Walk-in traffic (which is most common for dealers) can actually cause for upset customers and chaos. As there is extended wait times in addition to the shortage of staff to handle the flux of R/O’s. That said, this “extended hours” is meant to be used as a means of making appointments for that time frame. Offering as “this Thursday we have extended the hours to 7:15 - that is the last appointment I have available. Are you available at 6:45 or 7:15 PM?” The customer then feels as if you’ve helped them by ‘squeezing’ him/her in.

Investment Revenue

With the extended hours being successful it offers the dealer the chance (based on 4 advisors) to add an additional 35-40k on the books per month. With that said, the money can be used - depending on the overall absorption, which should be 70%+ -  to reinvest in the service department. Whether that is newer technology in the lane (such as tablets) or even newer amenities for the service lounge.  

Bottom line. The cost to remain open for 4 additional hours per week can be paid back in thousands of dollars with appointments. Run the “extended hours” for 90 Days. Use the data to review how many appointments vs. walk-ins there were for the time frame. Understanding that there will be a percentage of walk-ins. If this is making the dealer money, then it will have a huge impact on the dealer's bottom line. In addition to giving the advisors the chance to earn additional income.

Would you consider late nights for the summer? Who has extended hours now and is having success?

A brand is more than just your OEM’s logo slapped on the website or POP Marketing. In fact, customers know who your manufacturer is, but do they know who or what your Service Lanes Brand Message is?

More often than not when looking at various dealer websites, there isn’t anything that sticks out. All of the coupons (if there even are any) all look the same. And there is nothing that says who or why you should service at “ABC Service Center.”

Or in some cases, there is the occasional video of “why service here” where no one watches the whole thing. (when is the last time you watched an entire brand video on YouTube?)

Instead of capturing who and what your brand is on your website the customer is left reading the reviews - using them to shape their opinion of your brand. Something we have to remember too is that the customer is not servicing their vehicle every month or once a week. Therefore, it takes that much longer to change their perception about your brand if they have had a less than perfect experience.

Think about it for a moment. If the customer has a bad experience at a restaurant - sure s/he might write a bad review. But that bad experience does not shape their views on the restaurant industry in a whole, no? Why? Well, the customer goes to the next venue mostly forgetting about their bad experience.

Whereas, in our industry, the service intervals for many could be as much as 6+ months apart.  And so when the time comes for them to do service again they will go back to their last visit, which in some cases might not have been so pleasant. Sure, you might have reached out to the customer to apologize trying to rectify the situation. However, the damage is already done, and the customer will think twice before s/he returns to the dealership.

That is why there is so much emphasis and focus on what your “brand is,” which can make or break keeping the service customer!

Here are some tips/suggestions that can help identify who and what your brand is:

• Do your service advisors know what your brand stands for? Does your brand logo have a meaning?
• Does your service lane or dealer have a “slogan”? Might sound cheesy, but successful brands have a message or a theme that is recurring in all of their campaigns. While the OEM has one, which many require being visible in the showroom - do any of the advisors know what it is?
• If you do have good reviews - are they visible on your site? This will surely help with converting the customer who's on the fence about returning.
• Bottom line, there are so many places to choose from, and your customer will choose what is best for them. So it is essential to have a consistent brand image that translates well to the customer.

What is your brand image? Do you have a slogan that is part of your brand logo?

It is no secret that your service customers are valuable! And while there is a lot of debate on what the best practices are for “Exchange” programs are - here are some best practices for running a successful program. Ones that will encourage the service advisors to assist with the growth and development of without fighting back! 

1. The Service Advisor should be a part of the “X-Change” program. Remember, the advisor is the one that has “carried” on the relationship with the customer when s/he purchased the vehicle. All too often, the sales consultant approaches the customer with a hard sales tactic. One that turns off the customer. Whereas, the advisor - who has rapport and trust with the customer - can offer the program instead of an expensive shop bill. As if they are “watching” out for them. 

2. Have a Service Liaison in the lane that can assist the advisor with the greeting of customers as they make their way into the lane. This will not only ensure that the customer is greeting within OEM standards (many of which are within a minute), but are also “checked” in and ready to go when the advisor becomes available. 

3. Use a CRM/DMS program that is linked or a part of the appointment software. Namely, if you use a program that is familiar to both the service advisor and service liaison s/he will easily be able to identify customers in equitable positions. Allowing them to inform the service manager before their visit, which allows the service manager to notify the advisor. Teamwork makes for dream work. Dreamwork makes for happy customers and profits!

4. If the customer agrees to “reviewing” the program make sure to have the car of choice pulled into the lane so as the customer is checked in they are test driving the new vehicle. This allows for a cohesive flow. Allowing the sales department to appraise the vehicle while they are test driving! 

5. if the customer is not inclined to participate in the program offer a “soft” approach by including a “payment” summary - quote - of a similar vehicle with their service paperwork. Sometimes an “extra” touch peaks their interest. 

6. Lastly, make sure to not “over-sell” this program. Whether that is sending too many emails - more than two per month - in addition to the regular marketing. Instead, make sure to have strong POP marketing that is in the lane as well as the customer lounge. And remember this a soft sales approach. Too much marketing can cause for opt-outs and upset customers! 

How do you run your service “Exchange” program? What are some of your best practices? Do you have sales consultants manage it? 

There are many opinions on whether or not one can truly multitask. However, for those of us who work in the BDC, multitasking is a quintessential part of our jobs. But just because we multitask does not mean that we are any more productive. In fact, too much multitasking can wind-up leading to your team not only making more mistakes but, more importantly, burning out. All of which is not good for the dealership! Here are some of the top things to consider when you are on the brink of over tasking yourself, or your team in the BDC! 

You Ever Have So Much Going On You Make A Decision That You Know Isn't Right Or Completely Screw Something Up? 

We have all been there. That moment where you hit the send button before completing your thoughts in an email, enter the wrong price in an email blast, forgot to call a customer back, forgot to send the email blast out before 11 AM, accidentally miss-typing a tracking line, and or spelled a model wrong all because you were 'multitasking' or in a rush to get the job done. Its the above moments that make us cringe afterward because the mistake seemed - in hindsight looking back - so simple and easily avoidable. But when your head is spinning in several directions at once, it becomes increasingly harder to accomplishing anything. Or, more importantly, getting your work done without making potentially costly mistakes. 

Delegate Responsibility Even if that Means Getting Your Sales Managers to Help. 

One of the worst things you can do to yourself or your team is not asking for help! This is not to say that your sales managers can or will help you, BUT you have to ask. Even if your sales managers handled something as simple as pricing updates in your inventory tool, or managed adding/removing of specials to your website can save you time so you can continue to focus your efforts on other pressing matters. Not to mention, how many times have we heard "they are too busy selling cars" to help, but have time to sit and catch-up? There is time to help. 

Learn to Say No. We All Have Limits. 

One of the hardest things to do is say "no." Just the idea of saying no to another project, integrating another vendor, updating the websites, creating logins for a new hire, managing reporting, managing login issues, sending another email blast, managing the sales consultants' social media accounts, and or working late nights from home is hard. But at the end of the day, we all have limits! It is just as much our fault if we do not express those limits in a meaningful, relevant way. Sometimes your boss (or the sales managers) genuinely have no idea how much you do on the dealer level in the BDC. So if it is not something you bring-up, and you continue to say "yes," it can and usually winds up with you becoming completely burnt out! 

One Necessary List is Outlining Who is Responsible for What! 

One of the easiest things to do is point fingers playing the blame game, which is not only demoralizing but a waste of time. To avoid this and burning out one or more of your employees who is multitasking, it is best to create a list of who is responsible for the core tasks in Business Development. In creating that list and handing out responsibilities  - you will come to learn that there are those who are over-tasked multitaskers and others who are being underutilized. That said, keep in mind that just because someone is 'over-tasked' and an avid multitasker, and it appears that s/he is working harder is not always the case. In fact, you might find that those who are overtasked and multitasker are actually less productive. That said, the goal and purpose of creating a list are to ensure that all of your core tasks within your department are not just checked off, but completed correctly. 

Bottom Line: Whether you can multitask or not, it is never best to have too many tasks on your plate at one time. The more tasks you have to complete, the greater chance you have in making a potentially costly mistake. Not to mention, multitasking and or taking on to much work will wind up burning you out. And we all know that it tends to become harder and harder to check back in when we are burnt out! 

How to do you approach multitasking? When is the last time you asked for help? 
 

Planning and setting goals for the year ahead is hard considering we tend to plan month by month especially when it comes to measuring success. So instead of focusing simply on one month at a time, perhaps it is best to have overarching growth goals for the year. Not to mention, by planning for the year you can create more defined goals that are long-lasting vs. in the moment fixes that don’t stick!

Here are the top three growth opportunities your dealer should consider in 2020. 

Selling More Extended Warranties in Finance

If you are not selling extended warranties you are leaving money on the table. Whether you have your sales consultants sell the extended warranty or have it be apart of your sales process the more warranties you sell the better chances you have in the customer returning to the dealership to have their vehicle both serviced and repaired. For the customers that do not purchase an extended warranty at the time of sale, you can easily create campaigns in your CRM. Once you have sent the customer an email about the extended warranty have either the sales consultant or finance manager follow-up and offer the warranty! 

Sell More Service Contracts vs. Just Offering Free Oil Changes! 

For the dealerships who give away free oil changes with the hopes of the customer coming back and spending more money - that is not the best way to increase retention. In fact, in many cases when the customer gets a free oil change they think of the word “free,” which does not always entice them to spend more money with you. Especially if the “free” oil change does not include the shop supplies that the customer usually winds up paying for - instead focus on selling service contracts at a discount. This way the customer is paying for their service - albeit, at a discount, but it increases their chances of not just coming in for service, but spending more in service. Not to mention, if you sell the customer a contract it often does not often increase their monthly payment by much at all making it that much easier to sell the contract. 

Don’t Lose Financing Deals With Customers Bringing In Their Own Finance 

One of the trends noticed in the last year or so is the number of customers bringing their own financing to the table, which means you lose out on the reserve from the lender. If the customer does bring in their own financing always be sure to offer matching it and or trying to beat their offer! Not to mention, in most cases the customer is not aware of the many stipulations their offers present - i.e. the vehicle cannot be over a certain year, and/or have too many miles. All of which can limit their selection. 

Bottom Line: Every dollar counts and selling extended warranties, service contracts, and financing the deal for the customer is revenue towards your dealer’s bottom line. And if we simply focus on one month at a time we tend to lose sight of the bigger picture. In that, when you look at processes from a month-to-month concept you actually wind up falling short of one process to increase on another! As you are not actually changing the culture and or training them to do better! Whereas if you have growth goals, and offer training in the above areas (or whatever they may be) throughout the year it increases your chances of being successful. 

In the days before websites were responsive, it seemed that having a mobile app was the way to go. The idea that you could offer your current and potential customers everything at their fingertips - current specials, inventory, & service appointments, to name a few. All of which sounds great, yet it seems that once dealers re-designed their websites to be responsive, mobile apps fell to the wayside. So while a dealer should have a responsive - mobile-first - site, it does not mean that we should forget about offering a mobile app! Knowing that there are several benefits to having a mobile app! 

Here are the top things to consider when choosing whether or not to have a mobile app. 

Responsive vs. Mobile App - What Is the Difference? 

A responsive site simply means that the site is mobile friendly. However, just because your site is mobile friendly does not mean that it is easy to read! Not to mention, in many cases, your mobile site does not offer all of your core content.  And if you do offer all of your content, not all of your vendor's plug-ins are responsive! 

One of the biggest challenges dealers face is offering a seamless mobile experience - believe it or not, there are still dealer sites where you have to pinch and zoom, which does not offer the customer a pleasant experience. So in some ways, you could be missing out by not providing the customer all of the content possible. Whereas, if you had a mobile app, you could easily integrate and offer relevant content. 

So What Is the Purpose of A Mobile App? And How Can It Help Maintain the Eco-System 

While I am not always fond of using other industry examples that do not always apply to the auto industry, some companies have mobile apps that not just work, but have changed their customer's experience. Think about it - how often do you use a companies website vs. using their mobile app? In most cases, the only time you would use their website is if the mobile app is hard to use or you forgot your password, etc. Not to mention, even if you do not use the mobile app that often chances are that you will not delete the app from your phone. 

The most significant benefit, though, that a mobile app has is managing your dealership's Eco-System! The idea that once the customer has the app downloaded (which can be apart of the sales to service hand-off), you are providing the customer with a meaningful, relevant way to manage their vehicle. Not to mention - imagine being able to send them a push notification when it comes time for them to service their vehicle!  Where you could easily embed videos into the custom landing page that offers the benefits of the service you are recommending. The ideas are endless, and the more relevant and engaging your content is, the better chance you have in getting them to convert into that sales or service appointment. 

At the end of the day, people want something simple and easy to use, which a mobile app can offer - think about it,  how many times have you been on a dealer site - trying to book a service appointment and you have to pinch and zoom to answer the multiple questions, and you give up in frustration and just call the dealership to then only be left on hold? Yeah, it is not a fun experience. 

Lastly, Another benefit of a mobile app would be for the dealer to collect data from the user profiles in which case they could offer relevant, targeted marketing. For example, if the customer has their vehicle data in their app profile, you can easily send push notifications that remind them to come in for service! 

Bottom Line: There is a big difference between a mobile app and having a responsive site!  And by offering your customers a mobile app to manage their vehicle in a meaningful, relevant way it can have a positive impact, making it easier to manage their relationship in one place. 

Does your dealership have a mobile app? If so have you seen success with it? Is downloading the mobile app a part of the sales to service hand-off? 

There is nothing better than hitting your monthly goals in the service department! Especially considering that fixed-op's is the dealerships money maker. But to hit your fixed-ops revenue goals - as a department - there are fundamental processes that need to be in place! Here are the top things to consider: 

Limit Daily RO’s per Advisor 

NADA statistics offer than an advisor should not be handling any more than 20-25 RO’s per day. Managing too many RO’s leaves room for “underselling” as s/he is trying their best to push everyone through the lane. Leaving hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars in the lane.

The best way to combat this issue is to a) make sure you are staffed correctly by reviewing your average daily appointments, which is most likely a *small* percentage of your business and daily average walk-ins. Track your *busy* times making sure you have your “A” team in place. In doing so, your advisors will not only make more money BUT - you will hit your goals!

Review the Weekly Appointments

This sure does sound tedious. I get that. But what if the advisor (depending on how your store’s scheduler works) were to review their upcoming appointments. Looking to see what s/he is coming in for? This is *huge* not only does it give the advisor the chance to see what's coming up, but it affords them the ability to plan ahead on what they need to focus on!

This also assists the advisor in understanding when their *busy* times are. Making sure that the lane is staffed accordingly. If the lane is not staffed, then you are absolutely leaving money on the table.

Offer A Shuttle Service

If you do not already have a shuttle service. Get one. If you offer to take the customer to work - or wherever within reason - s/he will not be sitting in the service lounge bored. Instead, when you call to offer them the recommended services s/he might be more inclined to take the recommended service. However, it is crucial that when you are “upselling” to focus on the “discount.” Namely, explain to the customer “Mr. Customer, everything is going very smooth - btw, we noticed that the windshield wipers were a bit cracked. It is common with the weather we’ve experienced. But the good news is we are running a special of $15 off! Not to mention, these guys will keep your windshield clean!”

Discuss Dollars Per RO

Going back to how many RO’s the advisor should handle daily - is also reviewing how much s/he is averaging per RO. If you don’t know what your average per RO is then you might not be as motivated to focus efforts on upselling. Not to mention, when reviewing average dollars per RO you might be shocked at just how much money you are leaving on the table. This is the selling tactic to the advisor when they argue that they need 50+ RO's a day to make money!

It is best practice to have a quick pow-wow in the morning with the service advisors to discuss what the store's average is and strategize a plan for each advisor. For example, you have 45 appointments for the day. Calculate the percentage of appointments that should have one or more upsells. And at the end of the day tally the results. Going over them the next morning. This will help increase average dollars per RO, and build up the momentum in the lane!

When is the last time you had a morning meeting with your advisors? How many RO's do your Advisors handle on a daily basis? 

There are a lot of factors taken into consideration when initially signing up with a vendor. That is everything from multiple demos, monthly costs, CRM integration, you name it - its discussed. However, as soon as your dealer has signed up for the service, its as if you go dark. That is your working with the vendor to make sure you are getting your monies worth out of the lead source. And while it is equally the dealer's responsibility to ensure that the customers are followed up with - not all leads are created equally. For the purpose of this article, we will discuss the various factors that need to be considered when reviewing lead cost and vendor performance. Knowing that - in many cases - your dealer could potentially be saving thousands of dollars per month. 

Vendor Accountability. What is the Responsibility of Your Vendor? It is a Two Way Street. The Dealer Has to Be Involved. 

To make the most of your relationship with the vendor, there has to be communication. One of the most significant issues dealers face on the dealer level is the sheer fact that they do not often communicate their concerns or frustrations with the vendor. That is everything to their monthly sales performance to the quality of leads. And while it is expected for the vendor to be offering the dealer a top-notch product, the dealer still needs to be involved. Taking the time to ensure that your information is correctly entered on the third-party site. You would be surprised as to how many dealers have incorrect information on their various platforms. To avoid this, it is best practice to have one (or at the most two) key people that handle the vendor relationships. In doing so, you should be having a consistent dialogue. One that will enable you to better understand what opportunities there are or how to strategize. 

Lead Management. How to Use Your CRM to Understand Your Dealers ROI. This is Imperative in Understanding What Your Dealers ROI. 

It is no secret that reporting is only as good as the data that was entered. Another one of the biggest frustrations a dealer faces is not having accurate reporting. And without accurate reporting, it becomes that much more challenging to know what your ROI is regarding the specific vendor. That said, while your vendor reporting should be accurate - you still might want to take a moment and review the CRM to verify sales. In some cases, the customer that inquired on the vehicle - on the original lead - is not the lead the customer purchased under. This can create confusion - or, in some cases, the dealer might think your BDC Manager is hiding or deleting leads. Either way, you should keep track of the results in the CRM. Allowing you to compare numbers. And if the reporting is off, you need to set up a call with the vendor. 

How to Cut Ties With Your Vendor. Do Not Back Down. Results are Results. The Numbers Do Not Lie. 

Not all lead sources are great. And hanging onto a bad lead source for the sake of it does not make sense. Nor is it adding to your dealer's bottom Line. But before you just cut ties with the vendor make sure you have looked at a six-month trend report. Looking at the following trends: cost of inventory, VDP views, and total leads. In looking at the cost of inventory, if it is priced incorrectly that alone will have a negative impact which has nothing to do with the vendor. As for the VDP views, if your inventory (as mentioned above) is not priced correctly, then it should not be a surprise that you are not receiving any VDP's. Lastly, if you are not getting leads that have to do with both the cost of the vehicle and VDP's. Wherein, you might be finding that you are not getting as many dealer website leads, either. And for those reasons, it does not make sense to cut ties with the vendor. Instead, it would help if you worked with them in understanding what the pricing trends are - 

Bottom Line: every dollar that is spent on the dealer level counts! And why continue to spend money with a vendor that does not provide quality leads? Spending that money with another vendor or even increasing your total Ad Word spend can increase your sales! So instead of starting the new year off with the same old vendors and lead quality issues, take the time to review all of your year-end stats! That is including a year over year trend report if you have been with the vendor long enough. In doing so, it can have a positive impact on not just your sales but your dealer's Bottom Line! 

Do You Review Your Vendors Lead Stats as A Part of Your Year-End Review? If So Have You Made the Much Needed Moves to Increase Your Conversion?