Creating a loyal customer is sort of like getting married. The introduction is followed by a period of courtship and, if all goes well, commitments are made. Loyalty in the automotive world is something that everyone battles from the OEM level to the dealership. Did you know, however, that the longer you’ve had a customer the[…]
When we hear the term “Fixed Ops” we think of something that cannot be altered. The concept of the fixed ops variable is that it depends on the result of the various functions within a dealership, with the common goal of as car sales rise, so will servicerevenue. However, did you know your service revenue[…]
Prepaid Maintenance Plans (PPMs) have been used as an auto dealer customer retention tool because paying up front for services is a guaranteed way to get customers back into the service lane. However, the pricing and structure of many PPMs administered by third parties have not made the program very profitable for the dealership, and more importantly,[…]
It’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays. In retail, that typically means an upsurge in business, even with all the challenges associated with the Covid pandemic. In the automotive industry, the sales department typically finds consumers buying vehicles for their loved ones. And the service department sees an upsurge in[…]
Actions speak louder than words. Occasionally, when creating a great customer experience a business will have to go above and beyond for its customers. These little WOW moments can easily take a repeat customer and make them loyal. They can even take a loyal customer and make them into a brand advocate. Author and thought-leader[…]
The buzz today among vendors in the automotive industry is all about making the car buying transaction faster and more convenient for the consumer. I get it. Consumers think it takes too long to buy a car, so technology companies are inventing ways to trim down that transaction time. Sure, it may make car buying[…]
People are motivated by many different things. Some by money. Some by time off. But one of the most universal ways to motivate an employee is by recognition. For the most part that recognition comes from external sources; perhaps a customer compliments the employee either in person or via an online forum – then management[…]
In a very interesting dynamic shift, consumers are increasingly changing how they want to interact with businesses for customer support. Just five years ago, think about how irritating it was to navigate through phone trees, just to finally reach a support agent, explain the problem,then be transferred to another agent, repeat your story and hope they are the right person to resolve the problem. We[…]
As a dealership there are many ways you can identify if you’re losing customers. Through data, you can see that John Smith used to come into the dealership regularly for service but then disappeared without a peep. Why did John Smith stop coming in? Do you know? You could certainly reach out to John and see if you can get any[…]
In our fast-paced society, some of the things done just a short time ago to impress and retain customers no longer work. Today, business owners can’t always keep on top of the latest and greatest ways to keep their customers loyal. However, there is one thing that hasn’t changed much over the years – personal[…]