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…

Grapevine, Texas, December 10, 2019 -- DealerBuilt, an enterprise Dealer Management System (DMS) for automobile…

Recall completion percentages have been increasing, but despite increased communication attempts, that increase is hitting a plateau.

A recent trend reveals that many vehicle owners are very interested in mobile services. Currently, the percentage of independent repair shops that offer mobile services dramatically outweighs franchised dealers.…

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…

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…

Consumers have grown tired of the countless vanilla marketing messages many companies keep sending (and yes, that includes OEMs and dealers.) However, the marketing tactic that is enjoying success is relevant marketing directly aimed at a specific individual. Relevance is the key to winning today’s consumers. But, it’s not only about relevance, it also…

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…

A recent Affinitiv survey of 1,000 automotive consumers reveals that dealerships are falling short when it comes to delivering personalized, online shopping experiences to customers. In the same study, we analyzed a sample of 100 dealer websites to better understand the current level of personalization that dealers are offering.

Why the focus…

“Hey Alexa, order me more shampoo. Also, can you get me a trade number on customer Smith, make sure that our inventory is up to date online, improve my service drive experience, skyrocket our profitability, and find out why John didn't show up today? Thanks, Alexa!”

Anyone else tired of hearing that Amazon, Apple, and Google should be the gold…

Today's customers expect and demand a fantastic experience. From initial research to the showroom visit, delivering a great experience at every touchpoint will give you a distinct advantage over your competition and help you win deals.

My last blog, 7…

When we think of using customer data, it’s often in the context of marketing. I’ve written previously on how…

Over the years, Google has firmly established itself as the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to search ads. After all, it is, without a doubt, the most used search engine. And, because of that, enjoys the monetary benefits from many ads.

In the automotive industry, to gain valuable traffic from in-market consumers, dealers compete with…

"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…

Lakeland, FL, September 3, 2019 - fusionZONE Automotive, LLC today announced the appointment of Adam Swanson as OEM Director. Swanson is a successful consulting executive with over ten years of experience at leading teams in enterprise-level automotive consulting strategy. He is also a specialist in…

A recent article from consulting giant Deloitte has added new importance to the role of retailer websites in the average consumer’s vehicle purchase journey. According to the results of its…

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…

Customer experience and standing out from the competition by excelling at customer satisfaction is still very much a good business practice today. Time is valuable for today's busy consumers, and many dislike the vehicle service experience at dealerships because of long wait times.

Loaner cars and shuttles help, but they can end up making it…

For such a small word, the word ‘data’ packs a pretty big punch. Some marketers get overwhelmed when they hear it because they believe it’s complicated. Others give it a bad rap without really understanding the benefits.

Yet it’s difficult to deny the advantages of data-driven marketing:

• 2 out of 3 leading marketers admit…

I read an interesting study recently in MarketingWeek.com. It found that while marketers believe in the importance of the customer experience, within 2-3 years, that importance will decline due to business growth, transformation, and disruptive technologies.

According…

One of the biggest hurdles dealerships face when attempting to create a personalized experience for every customer is breaking down their data silos. Data silos are common in virtually every auto dealership today. They…