"There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties; or you alter yourself to meet them," ~Writer, Phyllis Bottome.

For those of you that know me, or if you have followed my blogs for a while, you probably know that customer service is a passion of mine. I genuinely believe that if you are servicing others, you should strive to be the best company in the world. As well as want to give the best customer experience and personal support. Why? Because, ideally, you should genuinely care… That should be the culture of a company and what makes it great.

Many vendors and dealers in our industry strive for this. However, it can get hard in times of growth and uncertainty. Growth can be hard – but at the same time, growth is exciting! The challenge in times of growth is to never lose sight of your core mission, your promise of excellent customer service one client at a time.

When expansion becomes the new norm, it is easy to become focused on the “fix what’s broken right now!” Letting other things sit while the fire settles to a smolder, only paying attention again if it sparks. 

I love the quote at the start of this blog, it is probably an attitude we can all learn from. I am sure we are all guilty of getting caught up in reactionary behavior… reacting to the phone calls, the lists, the emails. All the while, missing the bigger picture. Granted, some issues are beyond our control. However, our client's and our customer’s frustrations shouldn’t be. We should not be in a constant state of "Hair on Fire!" response when those calls come in… and we all know which calls those are.

What your customers care most about is feeling important, being communicated with, feeling as they did when you were courting them to win their business… making them think they are valuable to you. You need to remind them every day why they were happy to do business with you and why they chose you. Why you were the best thing ever – and that you still are! 

I find it helps to take a moment before going about the rest of your day to see if you have tasks that have gone untouched. Things that should have been handled and were not. Or that should be updated -- or could just use a little attention. While you are at it, it may be worth checking on some of those older tasks you may have lingering and/or check in on a customer or prospect that you have not spoken to in a while. Remember, a little goodwill goes a long way.

We all get busy with the right now and the next client or customer. Just remember that you would not have that next customer if it were not for the ones you already have.

This is my third and final blog in the series about what to look for when choosing a DMS.

In this final part of the series, I cover three more areas to consider when investigating what should be a long-term relationship.

1. Evaluate for the Future – When it comes to choosing a new DMS provider, many dealers evaluate for the very near term. It is wiser to look at a return for the next ten years or more.

Have you ever purchased a desktop or laptop and, within 6 months or less, found it to be somewhat outdated? This is a frequent occurrence with technology. When considering a software service that will be the backbone of your business, you can not just look at what it can do NOW. You should also investigate how it can grow with your dealership and keep up with the future.

Sure, in today’s market, contracts tend to be short-lived. This can be enticing for those dealers grown weary from decades-long contracts with their DMS. Therefore, it pays to evaluate the history of a DMS and seek a provider with a track record of improving their product. Look at how the DMS provider addresses new features and enhancement requests. Most importantly, take a good look at whether they provide for new feature sets.

For example, certain DMS providers “fix” a particular version of their platform and begin working on the next generation. While other providers continuously improve their existing platform. There is no sure answer other than the fact that technologies advance each year at a greater pace. Choose a partner you feel will best meet your needs for the next 10 years – not necessarily the length of your contract.

2. Evaluate the Technology – Researching the technical aspects of a DMS is one of the most challenging things to do -- but is very important. The software platform on which the DMS is built; the underlying operating system; and its servers; play a significant role in how flexible and accommodating it can actually be, compared to how much it wants to or claims to be. This can be difficult to research given the technical nature behind the tools used to develop the software. But it is an essential part of the selection process.

For example, if a DMS is built using proprietary tools and utilizes several databases to operate, the system will be inherently less flexible. It will also be challenging to develop streamlined, user-friendly processes. Also, it will be much harder for the DMS provider to integrate new technologies that appear on the scene. This could prevent your dealership from adopting new technologies that can help you sell more cars.

3. Evaluate the Training – Every department in a dealership requires the assistance of the DMS. From sales to inventory management, to service, to parts, to the business office, a DMS is essential in the efficient operation of the dealership. Therefore, training on the DMS platform is vital to its success. With the high turnover rates dealerships typically endure, training costs are real and can add up.

The DMS should be intuitive in its use and provide a natural flow to support your dealership’s desired processes. Consistency with various functionalities, work-flows, and the general feel of the DMS can help shorten the training cycle and increase utilization. So be sure to study these attributes because they are essential to ensure you get the best ROI from your DMS investment.

Most dealers know that switching to a new DMS provider can be an arduous process. By asking the right questions while making that decision, I hope that you can minimize failure and make decisions which lead to the ultimate match made in heaven.

To your success!

EVP Business Development for DealerBuilt, Veronica Dunford, shares her thoughts about women in the auto Industry in this video blog.