As pointed out by JD Power and Associates, the automotive industry is continually challenged by fewer new cars sales and decreased service traffic.  In understanding the impact these two situations have on the bottom dollar, car dealerships are forced to evaluate all processes related to sales and service retention.

Sales and service retention programs are critical to keeping your dealership top of mind with customers by delivering personalized, relevant and timely messages dependent on their position in the customer lifecycle.  However, let’s face it, your dealership can send direct mail piece after direct mail piece, email after email, and place newspaper ad after newspaper ad…but if your dealership fails in one critical area, no marketing effort will help.  What is that one critical area your dealership must not fail at?

Customer Service.

In our recent blog, How To Improve Dealership Retention? Try Service, we mentioned the role of customer service in retention efforts. The truth is that providing exemplary customer service is not an easy task for a car dealership (frankly, it’s difficult for a lot of companies in every conceivable industry). Between the heavy pressures to increase revenue by selling cars and upselling service clients, the art of taking care of the customer can be overlooked.  Based on the exemplary customer standards established by such companies as Nordstrom and Ritz Carlton, the purpose of this blog is to point out specific things your dealership can do to improve customer service.

Isn’t it interesting how two of the most renowned companies for customer service aren’t associated with low prices?  You see, price doesn’t always sell…even in the automotive industry.  According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study,^SM “more than half of new-vehicle buyers indicate that dealer treatment was a major reason to purchase their new car or light truck from a specific dealer,” while “only 38% of buyers cite vehicle price, or the “deal,” as the reason for selecting their dealer.”

Here are a few ways for your dealership to improve customer service, which will, in turn, improve sales and service retention:

1. Make Customer Service Part of Who You Are. The culture of your dealership is incredibly evident in your customer service.  Dealership staff will treat customers and prospects as their managers treat them.  Therefore, make sure that “top down” message is clear and that your dealership’s core values of respect and courtesy are evident.  Inspire by example!

“If we are not customer driven, nor will our cars be.” Henry Ford

2. Hire and Retain GOOD Employees. Expanding on the first point, pay special attention to hiring and retaining quality people.  When interviewing potential employees, ask them how they handled a particularly difficult situation with a customer in the past.  Look at how they interact with you during the interview process…do they make eye contact with you?  Smile?  Say Thanks?  These seemingly trivial acts are anything but that.  They are clear indications of how the person would interact with customers.

3. Pay Attention to Customer Interaction. When a customer enters your dealership or calls you on the phone, are you looking at them simply as a transaction or do you approach your interactions with them as a relationship?  When your mother walks into your house or calls you on the phone, do you ignore her? (Please tell me you don’t…if so we have a lot of work to do!) Back to the customers. Do you promptly acknowledge their presence on the showroom floor and attempt to help them, even if you’re busy working with another customer?  Do you answer the phone in a timely manner?  Nothing irritates a customer more than having a call go unanswered or having to sit on hold for minutes on end.  Think of the opportunity you may be missing when the customer hangs up in frustration.  Many dealerships employ a virtual BDC to handle inbound calls, whether it is to answer all incoming calls or just backstop call handling.

4. Empower Your Employees & Be Prepared to Say Sorry. Listen, it’s a fact of life that you won’t be able to please everyone that enters your dealerships.  However, when a complaint is issued, outline how they should be handled and give your employees the power to fix things.  If you don’t trust your employees to make the situation right or appease the customer, you shouldn’t have hired them.  In order to facilitate restitution processes, clarify what’s available to make the customer happy and communicate this to your employees. Can they give free oil changes?  Free car rentals? Other value-added services?

Customers have a number of choices when it comes to buying a new car or having their car serviced.  Having said that, fair prices and phenomenal customer service are critical to customer retention, turning your one-time buyer into a lifetime customer.

Are there specific things your dealership has done to improve customer service at your dealership?

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

As pointed out by JD Power and Associates, the automotive industry is continually challenged by fewer new cars sales and decreased service traffic.  In understanding the impact these two situations have on the bottom dollar, car dealerships are forced to evaluate all processes related to sales and service retention.

Sales and service retention programs are critical to keeping your dealership top of mind with customers by delivering personalized, relevant and timely messages dependent on their position in the customer lifecycle.  However, let’s face it, your dealership can send direct mail piece after direct mail piece, email after email, and place newspaper ad after newspaper ad…but if your dealership fails in one critical area, no marketing effort will help.  What is that one critical area your dealership must not fail at?

Customer Service.

In our recent blog, How To Improve Dealership Retention? Try Service, we mentioned the role of customer service in retention efforts. The truth is that providing exemplary customer service is not an easy task for a car dealership (frankly, it’s difficult for a lot of companies in every conceivable industry). Between the heavy pressures to increase revenue by selling cars and upselling service clients, the art of taking care of the customer can be overlooked.  Based on the exemplary customer standards established by such companies as Nordstrom and Ritz Carlton, the purpose of this blog is to point out specific things your dealership can do to improve customer service.

Isn’t it interesting how two of the most renowned companies for customer service aren’t associated with low prices?  You see, price doesn’t always sell…even in the automotive industry.  According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study,^SM “more than half of new-vehicle buyers indicate that dealer treatment was a major reason to purchase their new car or light truck from a specific dealer,” while “only 38% of buyers cite vehicle price, or the “deal,” as the reason for selecting their dealer.”

Here are a few ways for your dealership to improve customer service, which will, in turn, improve sales and service retention:

1. Make Customer Service Part of Who You Are. The culture of your dealership is incredibly evident in your customer service.  Dealership staff will treat customers and prospects as their managers treat them.  Therefore, make sure that “top down” message is clear and that your dealership’s core values of respect and courtesy are evident.  Inspire by example!

“If we are not customer driven, nor will our cars be.” Henry Ford

2. Hire and Retain GOOD Employees. Expanding on the first point, pay special attention to hiring and retaining quality people.  When interviewing potential employees, ask them how they handled a particularly difficult situation with a customer in the past.  Look at how they interact with you during the interview process…do they make eye contact with you?  Smile?  Say Thanks?  These seemingly trivial acts are anything but that.  They are clear indications of how the person would interact with customers.

3. Pay Attention to Customer Interaction. When a customer enters your dealership or calls you on the phone, are you looking at them simply as a transaction or do you approach your interactions with them as a relationship?  When your mother walks into your house or calls you on the phone, do you ignore her? (Please tell me you don’t…if so we have a lot of work to do!) Back to the customers. Do you promptly acknowledge their presence on the showroom floor and attempt to help them, even if you’re busy working with another customer?  Do you answer the phone in a timely manner?  Nothing irritates a customer more than having a call go unanswered or having to sit on hold for minutes on end.  Think of the opportunity you may be missing when the customer hangs up in frustration.  Many dealerships employ a virtual BDC to handle inbound calls, whether it is to answer all incoming calls or just backstop call handling.

4. Empower Your Employees & Be Prepared to Say Sorry. Listen, it’s a fact of life that you won’t be able to please everyone that enters your dealerships.  However, when a complaint is issued, outline how they should be handled and give your employees the power to fix things.  If you don’t trust your employees to make the situation right or appease the customer, you shouldn’t have hired them.  In order to facilitate restitution processes, clarify what’s available to make the customer happy and communicate this to your employees. Can they give free oil changes?  Free car rentals? Other value-added services?

Customers have a number of choices when it comes to buying a new car or having their car serviced.  Having said that, fair prices and phenomenal customer service are critical to customer retention, turning your one-time buyer into a lifetime customer.

Are there specific things your dealership has done to improve customer service at your dealership?

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

According to a recent cell phone study by Pew Internet, “85% of Americans ages 18 and older own a cell phone, making it by far the most popular device among adults” and a great opportunity for car dealerships to utilize for automotive mobile marketing purposes.  Not too surprisingly, the study also found that a great deal of time spent on a mobile phone has nothing to do with talking!  A large majority of people use their mobile phones to text, as well as visit social networks, surf the Internet and take/share photos.  This type of behavior qualifies for a great opportunity to engage your target market in automotive sms marketing services for your dealership.

Since it is clearly evident that Americans have rapidly embraced mobile phones – and their various functionalities – dealerships should consider how to utilize mobile technology to improve automotive mobile marketing efforts.  Here are a few recommended automotive text messaging solutions your dealership should strongly consider implementing:

1.  Automotive Text Messaging Solutions:  By nature, text messaging is meant to be short (160 characters) and to the point.  It is well suited for sending relevant, timely and brief messages that are speaking directly to a customer’s need and/or interest.  Of course, like other modes of communication, unwanted, irrelevant and unnecessary text messages will damage your relationship with customers.  Therefore, some good ways to use text messaging in your automotive mobile marketing efforts – without becoming an annoyance – is to send texts related to:

• Service: service reminders, appointment reminders, missed appointment notifications, additional service recommendations, arrival of a special parts order, and thank you.
• Sales: notification of approaching lease termination, birthday, anniversary, and thank you.

It’s a good idea to get started with text messaging as a form of communication for your dealership because your current young target audience members are texting fanatics. Young adults (ages 18-24) exchange on average 1,630 messages monthly, according to Nielsen.  Note: You definitely want to get your customers to opt-in to receive text messages.  This can be done at the dealership or by implementing an opt-in submission form on your website.  Either way, your dealership must gain consent before sending texts to customers and have an opt-out option available should they no longer wish to receive texts from your dealership.

2. QR Codes: If you don’t know what QR codes are, they are the 2-dimensional barcodes that store information that can be read by a mobile phone or device.  You’ve likely seen everywhere lately: magazine advertisements, promotional pieces and emails, for example.  They are easily scannable barcodes that, when you point your smartphone camera at them, they provide a message, open a website or produce other branded content.  The use of QR Codes is a step toward fully taking advantage of mobile marketing for the automotive industry.

While many OEMs are implementing QR codes in their automotive mobile marketing efforts, car dealerships at the local level can also use them to engage customers in various ways.  One way is to interact with those who peruse their lots during off hours.  A QR code for each used vehicle can be created through a free QR-generator site (such as Kaywa), printed (whether on paper or in sticker form) and posted on the vehicle.  When customers scan the code, they are brought to a page on your dealership’s website regarding that specific vehicle to obtain any additional information and even specials on pricing/financing. QR codes can also be included in your print advertising, whether it be your newspaper ads or direct mail pieces…again, leading traffic to your website.  Lastly, your dealership can place a QR code on service department receipts to lead customers to an online customer service survey.

Though QR codes are fairly new, they are definitely growing in popularity and serve as a great tool to bridge the real and digital world.

3.  Automotive Mobile Apps – Smart phone applications are all the rage.  How many times have you heard “There’s an app for that!”?  Well, even car dealerships are intrigued by the possibility of developing a customized app.

AutoNation has developed a customized app that allows you to explore their new and used car inventory from the comfort of your Smart Phone.  Additionally, it allows you to estimate the Kelley Blue Book value of your current car.

Similar to QR codes above, Mobile Apps allow your dealership to maintain an additional touch point with your customers, providing critical information about vehicles and your dealership (such as directions and contact information) in a very user friendly way. If your current website isn’t mobile optimized, then a mobile app is the best way to share your critical web content to people surfing on a smartphone.

We’ve listed a few ways above for dealerships to include mobile as part of their overall automotive mobile marketing efforts.  Has your dealership implemented any mobile efforts?  What has your experience been thus far?

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

According to a recent cell phone study by Pew Internet, “85% of Americans ages 18 and older own a cell phone, making it by far the most popular device among adults” and a great opportunity for car dealerships to utilize for automotive mobile marketing purposes.  Not too surprisingly, the study also found that a great deal of time spent on a mobile phone has nothing to do with talking!  A large majority of people use their mobile phones to text, as well as visit social networks, surf the Internet and take/share photos.  This type of behavior qualifies for a great opportunity to engage your target market in automotive sms marketing services for your dealership.

Since it is clearly evident that Americans have rapidly embraced mobile phones – and their various functionalities – dealerships should consider how to utilize mobile technology to improve automotive mobile marketing efforts.  Here are a few recommended automotive text messaging solutions your dealership should strongly consider implementing:

1.  Automotive Text Messaging Solutions:  By nature, text messaging is meant to be short (160 characters) and to the point.  It is well suited for sending relevant, timely and brief messages that are speaking directly to a customer’s need and/or interest.  Of course, like other modes of communication, unwanted, irrelevant and unnecessary text messages will damage your relationship with customers.  Therefore, some good ways to use text messaging in your automotive mobile marketing efforts – without becoming an annoyance – is to send texts related to:

• Service: service reminders, appointment reminders, missed appointment notifications, additional service recommendations, arrival of a special parts order, and thank you.
• Sales: notification of approaching lease termination, birthday, anniversary, and thank you.

It’s a good idea to get started with text messaging as a form of communication for your dealership because your current young target audience members are texting fanatics. Young adults (ages 18-24) exchange on average 1,630 messages monthly, according to Nielsen.  Note: You definitely want to get your customers to opt-in to receive text messages.  This can be done at the dealership or by implementing an opt-in submission form on your website.  Either way, your dealership must gain consent before sending texts to customers and have an opt-out option available should they no longer wish to receive texts from your dealership.

2. QR Codes: If you don’t know what QR codes are, they are the 2-dimensional barcodes that store information that can be read by a mobile phone or device.  You’ve likely seen everywhere lately: magazine advertisements, promotional pieces and emails, for example.  They are easily scannable barcodes that, when you point your smartphone camera at them, they provide a message, open a website or produce other branded content.  The use of QR Codes is a step toward fully taking advantage of mobile marketing for the automotive industry.

While many OEMs are implementing QR codes in their automotive mobile marketing efforts, car dealerships at the local level can also use them to engage customers in various ways.  One way is to interact with those who peruse their lots during off hours.  A QR code for each used vehicle can be created through a free QR-generator site (such as Kaywa), printed (whether on paper or in sticker form) and posted on the vehicle.  When customers scan the code, they are brought to a page on your dealership’s website regarding that specific vehicle to obtain any additional information and even specials on pricing/financing. QR codes can also be included in your print advertising, whether it be your newspaper ads or direct mail pieces…again, leading traffic to your website.  Lastly, your dealership can place a QR code on service department receipts to lead customers to an online customer service survey.

Though QR codes are fairly new, they are definitely growing in popularity and serve as a great tool to bridge the real and digital world.

3.  Automotive Mobile Apps – Smart phone applications are all the rage.  How many times have you heard “There’s an app for that!”?  Well, even car dealerships are intrigued by the possibility of developing a customized app.

AutoNation has developed a customized app that allows you to explore their new and used car inventory from the comfort of your Smart Phone.  Additionally, it allows you to estimate the Kelley Blue Book value of your current car.

Similar to QR codes above, Mobile Apps allow your dealership to maintain an additional touch point with your customers, providing critical information about vehicles and your dealership (such as directions and contact information) in a very user friendly way. If your current website isn’t mobile optimized, then a mobile app is the best way to share your critical web content to people surfing on a smartphone.

We’ve listed a few ways above for dealerships to include mobile as part of their overall automotive mobile marketing efforts.  Has your dealership implemented any mobile efforts?  What has your experience been thus far?

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

f it’s not the most visited area in an automotive dealership, it’s arguably one with the most captive audiences.

No, it’s not the sales floor; it’s your automotive service area.

Whether it’s waiting for a vehicle to get prepped for delivery or waiting for it to get serviced, the automotive service area—more specifically the lounge—is home to the section of your dealership that has few distractions for customers, i.e. an audience that has little to do but wait.

What can your dealership offer as a distraction to not only entertain them while they wait, but also become an opportunity for creating a positive experience on your dealership?

• Pass the Time. Time is always an issue at the dealership’s service department.  Let’s face it, no one really enjoys sitting around a cold, uninviting waiting area.  When sitting around waiting for something—anything—to happen, your customers want something to do while they wait.  Why not offer your customers access to computer workstations equipped with free Internet access and/or outfitted with games or movies?  Not only can you help them pass the time, you can also make their experience pleasurable and positive, connotations that may not always be applied to an automotive service department experience.

• Service is Job 1. It goes without saying that your customer service experiences should heavily skew towards the “kill them with kindness” approach. However, the little things can go a long way to improving an experience.  Offering such free items like premium coffee, cold beverages, snacks and frequent updates on their vehicle’s progress give your customers the feeling that they’re special and unique.  Besides, you never know who is watching – it could mean a great review at an online site like DealerRater.com that boosts your dealership’s online reputation.

• Sales! Sales! Sales! Unfortunately, not all visits to the automotive service area are filled with great news – the customer’s vehicle may require significant and unexpected (and sometimes very costly) repairs or recommended services.  Or perhaps the customer is tired of putting money into their older vehicle.  In either scenario, the door is wide open for a sales opportunity.  Simply installing something like an interactive kiosk or small LCD screen by that premium coffee maker that displays some of the latest and greatest vehicles in your dealership line may be a catalyst for a new vehicle purchase.  Another option is to offer a Vehicle Buy Back program to entice the in-equity customers who have a particular vehicle your dealership is interested in purchasing from them.  Via a kiosk or board, you should display the individual’s name, a call to action (i.e., “Mrs. Wilson, we want your 2004 Ford Explorer.”) and address the customer when they enter the service area.  This process will facilitate additional sales for your dealership.

• Expand Your Reach! When a customer is sitting in your service area waiting room, there is no better time to capture their email address and engage them in your social media efforts.  As mentioned above, your dealership could set up a kiosk that allows Internet access.  However, in order to access the Internet, the individual must input their email address.  This process is quite common in hotels and coffee shops around the country.  In addition to Internet access, you could offer exclusive discounts to all customers who “like” your dealership on Facebook.  If you choose to implement this, you could use your service waiting area to promote your Facebook page by hanging posters, placing postcards at checkout and enabling your kiosk to display a Facebook screensaver.

In leveraging your automotive service area, you’re giving yourself a prime opportunity to create a positive experience for your customer, enhance communications with them and in the long run, create future sales opportunity as well.

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

f it’s not the most visited area in an automotive dealership, it’s arguably one with the most captive audiences.

No, it’s not the sales floor; it’s your automotive service area.

Whether it’s waiting for a vehicle to get prepped for delivery or waiting for it to get serviced, the automotive service area—more specifically the lounge—is home to the section of your dealership that has few distractions for customers, i.e. an audience that has little to do but wait.

What can your dealership offer as a distraction to not only entertain them while they wait, but also become an opportunity for creating a positive experience on your dealership?

• Pass the Time. Time is always an issue at the dealership’s service department.  Let’s face it, no one really enjoys sitting around a cold, uninviting waiting area.  When sitting around waiting for something—anything—to happen, your customers want something to do while they wait.  Why not offer your customers access to computer workstations equipped with free Internet access and/or outfitted with games or movies?  Not only can you help them pass the time, you can also make their experience pleasurable and positive, connotations that may not always be applied to an automotive service department experience.

• Service is Job 1. It goes without saying that your customer service experiences should heavily skew towards the “kill them with kindness” approach. However, the little things can go a long way to improving an experience.  Offering such free items like premium coffee, cold beverages, snacks and frequent updates on their vehicle’s progress give your customers the feeling that they’re special and unique.  Besides, you never know who is watching – it could mean a great review at an online site like DealerRater.com that boosts your dealership’s online reputation.

• Sales! Sales! Sales! Unfortunately, not all visits to the automotive service area are filled with great news – the customer’s vehicle may require significant and unexpected (and sometimes very costly) repairs or recommended services.  Or perhaps the customer is tired of putting money into their older vehicle.  In either scenario, the door is wide open for a sales opportunity.  Simply installing something like an interactive kiosk or small LCD screen by that premium coffee maker that displays some of the latest and greatest vehicles in your dealership line may be a catalyst for a new vehicle purchase.  Another option is to offer a Vehicle Buy Back program to entice the in-equity customers who have a particular vehicle your dealership is interested in purchasing from them.  Via a kiosk or board, you should display the individual’s name, a call to action (i.e., “Mrs. Wilson, we want your 2004 Ford Explorer.”) and address the customer when they enter the service area.  This process will facilitate additional sales for your dealership.

• Expand Your Reach! When a customer is sitting in your service area waiting room, there is no better time to capture their email address and engage them in your social media efforts.  As mentioned above, your dealership could set up a kiosk that allows Internet access.  However, in order to access the Internet, the individual must input their email address.  This process is quite common in hotels and coffee shops around the country.  In addition to Internet access, you could offer exclusive discounts to all customers who “like” your dealership on Facebook.  If you choose to implement this, you could use your service waiting area to promote your Facebook page by hanging posters, placing postcards at checkout and enabling your kiosk to display a Facebook screensaver.

In leveraging your automotive service area, you’re giving yourself a prime opportunity to create a positive experience for your customer, enhance communications with them and in the long run, create future sales opportunity as well.

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

“Welcome to the dealership! How may we help you today?”

You may not think it, but a simple greeting when you first walk into a dealership can lay the groundwork for keeping a customer for life.   In today’s competitive environment, the lengths a car dealership goes with their customer service can help determine how they can keep their customers.

What can an automotive dealership do to establish a long-lasting relationship with their customers?  Here are a few simple reminders to help nurture customer loyalty.

Promises are more than just words. When trying to close a sale, making promises comes with the territory.  Sometimes these can go beyond the basics of quality automotive service and fuel price guarantees.  Keeping core promises simple and developing them as time goes on helps establish long-term customer loyalty.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This scenario may seem rather basic: a customer comes into your dealership, test-drives a vehicle and after mulling the numbers, they decide to purchase it.  As a rule of thumb, whether it’s after a vehicle test-drive or post dealer delivery, a salesperson should take the time to write a handwritten note of “thanks” and send them out promptly.   This simple consideration provides a personal touch and shows the customer you’re more than a number.

Be accessible. Whenever an issue crops up—a dead battery, a blown tire or even an engine service issue—being available and willing to help customers is key.  Providing service to your customers at their convenience rather than your own shows customer loyalty.  Why? You’re available to them when they need you.

Dissatisfied customers require attention, too. Let’s face it: customers aren’t happy all the time.  Whether it’s a complaint on your dealership’s Facebook page or a complaint via phone regarding service they received, a dissatisfied customer complaint requires a swift response.  Handling the issue by going the extra mile can help service the relationship for both parties – the customer’s issue is handled to their satisfaction and the car dealership can help foster a lucrative relationship. In the best case scenario, they may take notice of your extra effort, and become an advocate rather than an enemy.

“Thank you for stopping in…we look forward to seeing you soon!”

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

“Welcome to the dealership! How may we help you today?”

You may not think it, but a simple greeting when you first walk into a dealership can lay the groundwork for keeping a customer for life.   In today’s competitive environment, the lengths a car dealership goes with their customer service can help determine how they can keep their customers.

What can an automotive dealership do to establish a long-lasting relationship with their customers?  Here are a few simple reminders to help nurture customer loyalty.

Promises are more than just words. When trying to close a sale, making promises comes with the territory.  Sometimes these can go beyond the basics of quality automotive service and fuel price guarantees.  Keeping core promises simple and developing them as time goes on helps establish long-term customer loyalty.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This scenario may seem rather basic: a customer comes into your dealership, test-drives a vehicle and after mulling the numbers, they decide to purchase it.  As a rule of thumb, whether it’s after a vehicle test-drive or post dealer delivery, a salesperson should take the time to write a handwritten note of “thanks” and send them out promptly.   This simple consideration provides a personal touch and shows the customer you’re more than a number.

Be accessible. Whenever an issue crops up—a dead battery, a blown tire or even an engine service issue—being available and willing to help customers is key.  Providing service to your customers at their convenience rather than your own shows customer loyalty.  Why? You’re available to them when they need you.

Dissatisfied customers require attention, too. Let’s face it: customers aren’t happy all the time.  Whether it’s a complaint on your dealership’s Facebook page or a complaint via phone regarding service they received, a dissatisfied customer complaint requires a swift response.  Handling the issue by going the extra mile can help service the relationship for both parties – the customer’s issue is handled to their satisfaction and the car dealership can help foster a lucrative relationship. In the best case scenario, they may take notice of your extra effort, and become an advocate rather than an enemy.

“Thank you for stopping in…we look forward to seeing you soon!”

~ Missy Jensen, Social Media Manager at DMEautomotive

Bio:
Missy designs, deploys and maintains the social media initiatives for DMEautomotive in an effort to increase brand awareness, distribute company and industry news, provide updates on products and services and promote consumer engagement. Missy enjoys the process of learning; researching and watching projects come to fruition!

Prior to her transformation into a web specialist and work with DMEautomotive, she has 10 years of experience in the marketing and communications industry. Missy served as the Director, Handicapping & Communications for a regional golf association and helped successfully launch and maintain a cutting edge technology-based ticket resale program on behalf of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Missy attended St. Lawrence University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH. She can be reached at missy.jensen@dmeautomotive.com and check her out on LinkedIn.

When it comes to setting up sales goals for your car dealership, there is no magic equation.

Some dealers use prior sales data, consider any changes in personnel and then make a reasonable guess as to how many vehicles they should sell the next month.  Some dealers compare last month’s sales data to the same month from last year.  Others use methods that require adding the number of vehicles in stock to calculate inventory turn rates.

No matter the tactic, the point is simple: there is no simple solution to project your sales goals.  Whatever equation you implement, the key to achieving those goals is to calculate the activity needed.

Tracking and reporting activity is a vital aspect in understanding exactly where in your sales process each associate needs help and it will help each of your associates achieve their goals.  The equation will remain the same but the numbers in the equation must be unique to each individual.   We’ve all heard the cliché that “sales are a numbers game.”  Most dealers track their close ratio by comparing the number of logged ups to sales.  In order to use statistics to help achieve your goals, the equation can be and needs to be more detailed and tailor-made for each associate.

For example, you set a goal of 10 cars next month for one of your sales associates (for this discussion, we’ll call him “Ben”).  Let’s work backwards from there to track Ben’s activity.  First, you’ll need answers to the following questions:

• How many “write ups” does it require for Ben to sell a vehicle?
• How many test drives does it take Ben to complete a “write up?”
• How many people does Ben need to greet on the sales lot to complete a test drive?
• If you rotate “phone ups” track those statistics too.
• Of those “phone ups,” how many does it take for Ben to set an appointment?
• Of those appointments, how many does Ben need to set in order to get a “lot up”?

Now you have Ben’s activity stats to help Ben understand what activity he needs to generate in order to meet his goal.  For example, let’s say his numbers are the following:

• 10 sales = 20 write ups
• 20 writes = 30 test drives
• 30 test drives = 35 lot ups
• 5 shown appointments = 10 scheduled appointments
• 10 scheduled appointments = 20 phone ups

So, Ben will need 35 lot-ups each month to reach the 30 test drives and 20 write-ups to ultimately reach his projected goal of 10 sales.  For phone ups, he will need to answer the phone 20 times next month to reach his projected goals.

When your dealership starts to create associate-specific goals, you’ll need to keep measurements like this in mind.  There will also be other factors at work, like the “40/60 Rule” (which states that 60% of vehicles are sold in the final 2 weeks of the month).

The other key to successfully using statistics to achieve your goals is to drill your equations all the way down to daily activity.  After a few months, give your associates their sales goals and let them calculate the activity needed to accomplish their goals.

So before setting up next month’s projections and goals, take a look at the stats from your activity for your current month and grind away!

~ Steve Dozier, National Director of Training @ DMEautomotive

Bio:

Steve Dozier brings 15 years of experience in the automotive industry to DMEautomotive (DMEa). Before joining DMEa, he held upper level management positions in the retail industry. Steve also owned a consulting company that specialized in CRM and direct mail, which brought in $2 Million in Sales for approximately 5 years. While serving as a consultant Steve was consistently recruited by the top 3 CRM firms of that time. Steve started at DMEautomotive in a managerial position overseeing the Direct-to-Dealer team, and is now responsible for developing and growing DMEa University; DMEa’s in-house dealer training organization. Steve is married with two children and enjoys scuba diving and boating in his free time.

When it comes to setting up sales goals for your car dealership, there is no magic equation.

Some dealers use prior sales data, consider any changes in personnel and then make a reasonable guess as to how many vehicles they should sell the next month.  Some dealers compare last month’s sales data to the same month from last year.  Others use methods that require adding the number of vehicles in stock to calculate inventory turn rates.

No matter the tactic, the point is simple: there is no simple solution to project your sales goals.  Whatever equation you implement, the key to achieving those goals is to calculate the activity needed.

Tracking and reporting activity is a vital aspect in understanding exactly where in your sales process each associate needs help and it will help each of your associates achieve their goals.  The equation will remain the same but the numbers in the equation must be unique to each individual.   We’ve all heard the cliché that “sales are a numbers game.”  Most dealers track their close ratio by comparing the number of logged ups to sales.  In order to use statistics to help achieve your goals, the equation can be and needs to be more detailed and tailor-made for each associate.

For example, you set a goal of 10 cars next month for one of your sales associates (for this discussion, we’ll call him “Ben”).  Let’s work backwards from there to track Ben’s activity.  First, you’ll need answers to the following questions:

• How many “write ups” does it require for Ben to sell a vehicle?
• How many test drives does it take Ben to complete a “write up?”
• How many people does Ben need to greet on the sales lot to complete a test drive?
• If you rotate “phone ups” track those statistics too.
• Of those “phone ups,” how many does it take for Ben to set an appointment?
• Of those appointments, how many does Ben need to set in order to get a “lot up”?

Now you have Ben’s activity stats to help Ben understand what activity he needs to generate in order to meet his goal.  For example, let’s say his numbers are the following:

• 10 sales = 20 write ups
• 20 writes = 30 test drives
• 30 test drives = 35 lot ups
• 5 shown appointments = 10 scheduled appointments
• 10 scheduled appointments = 20 phone ups

So, Ben will need 35 lot-ups each month to reach the 30 test drives and 20 write-ups to ultimately reach his projected goal of 10 sales.  For phone ups, he will need to answer the phone 20 times next month to reach his projected goals.

When your dealership starts to create associate-specific goals, you’ll need to keep measurements like this in mind.  There will also be other factors at work, like the “40/60 Rule” (which states that 60% of vehicles are sold in the final 2 weeks of the month).

The other key to successfully using statistics to achieve your goals is to drill your equations all the way down to daily activity.  After a few months, give your associates their sales goals and let them calculate the activity needed to accomplish their goals.

So before setting up next month’s projections and goals, take a look at the stats from your activity for your current month and grind away!

~ Steve Dozier, National Director of Training @ DMEautomotive

Bio:

Steve Dozier brings 15 years of experience in the automotive industry to DMEautomotive (DMEa). Before joining DMEa, he held upper level management positions in the retail industry. Steve also owned a consulting company that specialized in CRM and direct mail, which brought in $2 Million in Sales for approximately 5 years. While serving as a consultant Steve was consistently recruited by the top 3 CRM firms of that time. Steve started at DMEautomotive in a managerial position overseeing the Direct-to-Dealer team, and is now responsible for developing and growing DMEa University; DMEa’s in-house dealer training organization. Steve is married with two children and enjoys scuba diving and boating in his free time.