All Blog Posts Tagged 'retention' (328)

The Competition for Technicians is Heating Up

Most dealerships already find it difficult to recruit technicians. With the influx of warranty and safety recall repairs expected to increase, and as manufacturers pump out more electric vehicles, the need for experienced techs will explode. Some dealerships have found creative ways to recruit technicians – mostly for quick service – because they can be…

Continue

Added by Sean Reyes on November 15, 2021 at 9:15am — No Comments

Are Two Separate BDCs Better than One?

Many dealers feel they need both a sales and a service BDC based on advice from numerous industry trainers. The thought process is that the sales BDC’s job is to set appointments for sales customers and the service BDC sets appointments for service customers. But what if you combined the two to create a single service BDC? Service is the largest percentage of…

Continue

Added by Sean Reyes on October 21, 2021 at 10:41am — No Comments

Looking for your Next Technician? Here’s a Great Idea!

An interesting idea published in Automotive News shares how some Texas dealers are gaining more technicians while helping people in need, namely military veterans. These Texas dealers created a 500-hour training program titled "Ford's Technicians…

Continue

Added by Sean Reyes on September 30, 2021 at 10:11am — No Comments

Do the Work to Secure Retail Rates and You’ll Save Technicians from Defecting

At the end of July 2021, a new law passed in Illinois requiring dealerships to pay retail rates to technicians for the actual time and labor it takes to repair vehicles that are under warranty. The justification being that technicians are highly trained workers and should be paid wages that…

Continue

Added by Sean Reyes on September 20, 2021 at 10:33am — No Comments

Is Your Intention Better Retention? Well, Prove it!

Customer retention can be tough. Independent repair shops lure customers away in droves with coupons or offers that promise low routine maintenance pricing. However, winning consumers on price alone is a short-term victory compared to winning over their loyalty for the long haul with quality work, certified technicians, and impeccable service. Luring them…

Continue

Added by Sean Reyes on January 6, 2021 at 9:09am — No Comments

So, You Closed a Sale. Now What?

We all know that a sale is just the beginning of a customer relationship. But how do you manage that relationship so customers not only come back for service but also repeat sales?

 

Right now, dealers are focused on the here and now. I get it. Everyone is scrambling for used vehicles to meet the surging consumer demand as OEMs rebound from the slowdown in manufacturing. Used car inventory is low and the value of a trade has never been higher. Everyone is worried about coming…

Continue

Added by Bill Wittenmyer on September 2, 2020 at 9:35am — No Comments

So, You Closed a Sale. Now What?

We all know that a sale is just the beginning of a customer relationship. But how do you manage that relationship so customers not only come back for service but also repeat sales?

 

Right now, dealers are focused on the here and now. I get it. Everyone is scrambling for used vehicles to meet the surging consumer demand as OEMs rebound from the slowdown in manufacturing. Used car inventory is low and the value of a trade has never been higher. Everyone is worried about coming…

Continue

Added by Bill Wittenmyer on September 2, 2020 at 9:33am — No Comments

Increase Your Customer Retention While Reducing Your Marketing Spend

A great article in CBT News cites that almost half of customers who state they are loyal to the selling dealer go elsewhere to service their vehicle. Only one-third of all vehicle services are performed at automotive dealerships. And we know brand loyalty and…

Continue

Added by Chip King on August 19, 2020 at 10:00am — 1 Comment

Putting CX Front of Mind During a Sales Call

Customer experience can make or break a dealership. It is a term often used when making marketing strategy plans, but is it front of mind for every dealership employee; especially those who communicate with customers directly? If your sales and BDC staff are relying on old school phone and internet techniques, it’s not. The language salespeople use with…

Continue

Added by David Malone on August 12, 2020 at 11:01am — No Comments

The Super Simple Idea for Additional Sales Opportunities

Happy customers, happy sales teams, happy dealers

 

I will keep this brief, (I hear ya sayin …”YEAH RIGHT!”) in fact I will likely struggle to get in 3 or 4 paragraphs…the idea is super simple, but could be very impactful for most dealers.

As you know, margins continue to shrink in new car sales, and we…

Continue

Added by Chip King on August 7, 2020 at 9:25am — No Comments

9 Tips to Mitigate the Impact of COVID-19 in Your Service Department

The Coronavirus is disrupting businesses across the globe and its full impact is yet to be seen. Dealers have been contacting us to see if we have any advice as far as what can be done in their service departments to limit any risk both to employees and customers.

The following are a few simple suggestions that can help…

Continue

Added by Dan Beres on March 19, 2020 at 11:00am — No Comments

Is Your Delivery Process Sabotaging the Customer Experience?

Service retention rates in dealerships have been steadily declining over the last three years, according to Affinitiv’s recent Automotive Loyalty Trends study, which analyzed data from more than 1,000 auto dealerships.

 

In domestic brand dealerships, service retention rates have dropped from 61.2% to 60.2%. At import brand dealerships,…

Continue

Added by Doug Van Sach on March 13, 2020 at 2:34am — No Comments

Owner Retention Programs: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Most auto dealerships do some, if not all of their service marketing with their manufacturer owner retention programs (ORPs). The purpose of ORPs is stated in the name: to build customer loyalty. But how well do these programs deliver on that promise?

 

The results from ORPs are all over the board. Some dealerships effectively use ORPs to…

Continue

Added by Courtney Evans on January 31, 2020 at 9:30am — No Comments

The Wrong Way to Increase Service Revenue

In search of service revenue, dealerships turn to randomly scheduling service appointments regardless of shop capacity. Or they take everyone that drives up. This can easily overwhelm the service department. It leaves customers frustrated and causes a LOSS in service revenue from both new/drive-up customers and customers with appointments.

 

How…

Continue

Added by Dan Beres on December 12, 2019 at 9:52am — No Comments

3 Strategies to Cultivate Enthusiastic and Loyal Fans

It costs most dealers about five times as much to acquire a new customer than to retain those they already have. Yet, increasing customer retention by as little as five percent can increase profits by up to 95 percent, according to the research group Bain & Company.

 

That’s because loyal customers and enthusiastic fans will keep coming back - and they’ll refer friends and family to your dealership. Loyal customers also tend to prioritize great customer…

Continue

Added by Bill Wittenmyer on November 11, 2019 at 10:19am — No Comments

5 Essential ORP Communications

Your dealership has probably been using an owner retention program (ORPs) for years, but when was the last time you evaluated the effectiveness of each communication?

One thing is certain. Sending out the same communications with the same messages via the same channels, again and again, isn’t a winning strategy. The goal of an ORP is to…

Continue

Added by Courtney Evans on November 8, 2019 at 9:36am — No Comments

Accessibility is Good Business!

That feeling of dread – the letter arrives at the dealership with a return address from an attorney you don’t recognize, addressed to "Owner" or "General Manager." Inside is a demand letter indicating that your website or mobile application is inaccessible as required under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). You need to contact them right away to…

Continue

Added by Ed Barton on October 24, 2019 at 9:47am — No Comments

The Truth About Reviews

These days, consumers usually look at online reviews when deciding not only WHAT they are going to buy, but also WHO to buy it from. However, there have been plenty of scandals in the retail industry concerning fake or paid reviews. So, it gets a little cloudy in the water, and consumers have gotten somewhat cynical.

 

Take Amazon. Hundreds of…

Continue

Added by Paul Moran on August 23, 2019 at 10:03am — No Comments

Finding – And Keeping – Better Techs

With the auto industry facing a shortage of technicians, it’s important to do what we can to attract young technicians and keep them. After all, when the front end of the business slows down, it’s the back end that can keep your store afloat and profitable. But there are two main problems with getting young professionals into the automotive industry: image…

Continue

Added by Stephen Coambes on June 13, 2019 at 10:11am — No Comments

Coupons: What to Consider

Price is often a major factor in the purchase of any service or product. But it’s important to separate perceived price and received value. For example, $5 for a bottle of water might seem expensive, but that’s a deal if you’re walking through a desert. And there’s nothing blatantly wrong with paying more for quality (or perceived quality)––just look at…

Continue

Added by Stephen Coambes on May 30, 2019 at 9:59am — No Comments

Monthly Archives

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

1999

© 2024   Created by DealerELITE.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service