In my last blog, Technicians are the Key to Dealerships’ Future, I discussed how the race to acquire technicians may just be outweighed by the difficult task of retaining the ones dealerships already employ.
Of course, as consumers keep…
ContinueAdded by Chris Miller on March 7, 2019 at 10:31am — No Comments
Does your service department software remove friction for your customers but add friction for your staff? Perhaps that is why we see so many software companies come and go in this industry.
With today’s transformation from a dealership-centric focus to one that is more customer-centric, technology companies are rapidly developing solutions…
ContinueAdded by Ujj Nath on February 21, 2019 at 10:07am — No Comments
Service departments account for and absorb most of a dealership’s losses in sales and fixed expenses. That is not going away anytime soon. With new car front-end grosses declining, most dealerships will increasingly rely on service business to, well, stay in business.
The problem isn’t a lack of service business, but a shortage of qualified…
ContinueAdded by Chris Miller on February 12, 2019 at 10:36am — No Comments
As front-end margins continue their decline, dealers are more reliant than ever on fixed ops revenue. Fortunately, the opportunity to maximize service revenue has never been greater for dealerships.
In the last decade auto sales have boomed. Factory maintenance programs are driving more initial service visits. Increased CPO sales are creating…
ContinueAdded by Scot Eisenfelder on February 1, 2019 at 10:24am — No Comments
service@home™ extends service department access to meet the demands of today’s busy customers
LONG BEACH, Calif.,-- January 24, 2019 -- -- myKaarma, software that helps dealerships communicate better with their customers at every stage of the service process, right from check-in through to payment, today announced the…
ContinueAdded by Ujj Nath on January 25, 2019 at 11:21am — No Comments
In a twist of irony, I’ve come to realize what consumers and dealerships have in common when it comes to vehicles recalls – assessing how important they are. Every day I work with dealerships throughout the nation, trying to get them to understand that recalls are not only about vehicle safety but also about an opportunity to engage consumers at their moment…
ContinueAdded by Chris Miller on January 21, 2019 at 10:08am — No Comments
All too often, dealers are hesitant to make an investment in training new and Preowned salespeople because turnover in the sales department can be as high as 70 percent according to NADA. Service, however, has always been most dealership’s foundation for profitability. That’s where the phrase “service absorption” comes from.
For the most part,…
ContinueAdded by Andy Church on January 18, 2019 at 10:06am — No Comments
As Millennials get older, they become an increasingly important fixed ops customer segment to retain. A recent AutoLoop study found that currently, Millennials make up approximately 18% of all service appointments. And that number continues to steadily increase year over year. In fact, as shown in the graph below, Millennials and Generation Z continuously…
ContinueAdded by Kate Spangler on January 8, 2019 at 9:59am — No Comments
For car dealers, the opportunity to create loyal customers might start with a sale, but true loyalty is created in the service department. According to a 2017 IHS Markit study, the average length of car ownership is nearly seven years. That's a long time to maintain a relationship with someone until the next sales cycle.
So, the focus must be…
ContinueAdded by Courtney Evans on January 4, 2019 at 10:20am — No Comments
According to a recent article in Automotive News, investors and car dealers have shifted their focus to the used-car space because dealers have more pricing and profit controls; something the digital retailing space is forced to focus on.…
ContinueAdded by Chris Miller on December 26, 2018 at 9:58am — 1 Comment
Auto Dealers Increase Service Leads Over 200% With Mobile Text Coupons
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calf., December 20, 2018 -- In response to the rapidly growing number of consumers currently using the internet via mobile devices, fusionZONE Automotive, LLC., today announced a new tool for auto dealers, Mobile Text Coupons. With Mobile Text Coupons, customers no longer have to use their desktop…
ContinueAdded by Brett Sutherlin on December 20, 2018 at 10:21am — No Comments
91% of service customers defect once they are out of warranty, and those are a dealership’s most profitable customers. What can your dealership do to help retain these valuable customers?
Tire sales can easily distinguish your dealership from its competition and decrease defection, but only if they are promoted and sold differently than how…
ContinueAdded by Brett Sutherlin on December 17, 2018 at 10:21am — No Comments
As more dealers turn to fixed ops to grow profits, it's important not to overlook the power of video. Video is a great tool for building customer trust because it allows you to address the perception that dealerships charge too much or try to sell customers unnecessary repairs.
An effective video marketing strategy for your service department…
ContinueAdded by Timmy D. James on December 5, 2018 at 10:16am — No Comments
I think it’s fair to say that automotive technicians are getting harder to find. These days, less people are choosing a career in automotive repair, even though technicians make great money and many need little or no formal college education or previous experience. Look at independent repair facility employment ads and you’ll no doubt find plenty of messages stating, “no…
ContinueAdded by Chris Miller on October 29, 2018 at 10:10am — No Comments
The good news? To date, automotive sales have remained stronger than many analysts originally predicted, with customers of all ages continuing to buy both new and pre-owned vehicles. Considering some of the earlier ominous forecasts, it’s no wonder numerous retailers are breathing a collective sigh of relief.
The not-quite-so-good news, at least for those…
ContinueAdded by Doug Van Sach on October 25, 2018 at 10:00am — No Comments
Have you ever noticed how the market values dealerships versus how it values Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses that derive income from the same automotive revenue stream? SaaS businesses such as CDK trade at mid-20x P/E ratios while dealers trade at 4-6x operating profit.
One major reason for this disparity is because SaaS business revenues are…
ContinueAdded by Scot Eisenfelder on October 19, 2018 at 10:12am — No Comments
Arguably, one of the most important marketing channels any dealership has is their website. Think about it. How much money do you spend simply to get customers there? When you combine all marketing efforts including, but not limited to, SEO, SEM, some third-party listing sites and more, dealerships spend tens of thousands of dollars (or more) per month.
Once…
ContinueAdded by Brett Sutherlin on October 12, 2018 at 10:20am — No Comments
When it comes to sales and service transactions in the retail automotive industry, a main strategy in acquiring new customers or repeat business has always…
ContinueAdded by Chris Miller on September 27, 2018 at 10:30am — No Comments
Some of the most consistent complaints I hear GM's, Managers and Dealer Principals talk about regarding Virtual Training Platforms are as follows:
We heard you and we have the solutions to these problems!
Too many dealers allow training…
ContinueAdded by Joseph Cala on September 26, 2018 at 4:31pm — No Comments
Added by Joseph Cala on September 26, 2018 at 2:00pm — No Comments
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