Despite the many tools available and the best of intentions, many dealerships struggle with providing ongoing professional development for their staff. Whether it’s because of the volume of customers that need handling; lack of time; or worry about taking a technician or salesperson out of commission – even for a short period of time – training presents many challenges to…

Last year, WestJet pulled off an elaborate scheme whereby flight passengers met with a virtual Santa at the gate to share any Christmas wishes. Upon arrival, these passengers were beyond delighted to discover the very gifts they had just wished for circling the baggage carousel. The whole caper was filmed and edited into a story that has been viewed by over 37 million people…

Do you remember the AT&T ad slogan “Reach Out and Touch Someone” from the early 1980s?  It may have been thirty years since that slogan reached its peak in popularity, but it still has a similar meaning today. Our high-paced, digitally driven world has made it even easier to stay in touch with our friends and family. A few typed words on a smartphone, or the sharing of a…

Starbucks recently announced plans to roll out a delivery service in some key major markets. This follows on the heels of an initiative which allows customers to place their drink orders via smartphones, so as to minimize wait times.

Starbucks has a very loyal customer base and many locations…

Regardless of how hard you work to ensure that your customers have an excellent experience, mistakes happen. No doubt you’ve had customers complain about something – it took too long for their vehicle to be serviced, there was a miscommunication in pricing during the sale, or a general failure to deliver on promises (big or small). Whether the…

I doubt that a dealership service department exists that hasn’t had to deal with a customer claim that their vehicle was damaged while being serviced. Whether it’s a minor scratch, or something bigger, these types of claims cost dealerships money. It’s not always a customer who is trying to get a free cosmetic repair. Sometimes the customer simply did not previously notice…

A few years ago, car dealers across the nation were caught in the net of a struggling economy. Fewer sales compounded by budget conscious customers caused many car dealerships to restructure their corporate operations, reduce staff and tighten their wallets. Many dealership owners, along with their manufacturers, were faced with downsizing or total elimination. In the midst…

One of the most valuable assets you have at your dealership is your customer database. However, frequently dealers fail to effectively use this information to help achieve more specific marketing goals. While some may use their database to send marketing messages to existing and previous customers in an effort to sell another vehicle, or perhaps remind of a future service…

You don’t have to live in a bustling city to see that people are in a hurry. Compared to even ten years ago, it seems that everyone is in a rush to get something done fast and with as little inconvenience as possible. The reality is - people have less time, which means they demand more of businesses, including your dealership.

In today’s hurried environment,…

I’ve written many times about the value of training and professional development to employee retention.  Training, in combination with a company culture designed to create engaged employees, can help make a dealership a force to be reckoned with. Employee retention has always been a pain point in the automotive industry, because many employees feel there is no job security.…

A recent article on Science20.com, explains how customers will be less focused on price and will emphasize the customer service experience when the economy is going well.  However, when the economy softens, price becomes the motivating factor and the…

“The customer is always right” has been the trademark phrase used by businesses in the United States for decades.  By and large, most reputable businesses believe this philosophy to some degree, and put policies and procedures in place to make sure that their customers are treated fairly and effectively when concerns arrive.

As customers become more educated…

Many auto dealerships have technology in place that allows sales managers to monitor what’s going on in their departments. CRMs and phone call recording services are used by sales managers to ensure that Internet leads are being followed up promptly and that salespeople follow up with shoppers that visited the dealership but did not buy. Many dealerships, however, don’t take…

Auto dealers know how important their service business is to the bottom line. There’s no doubt that service absorption is vital to the health and livelihood of many dealer’s financial statements at the end of the month. Automotive News recently reported that Honda has…

When developing an employee retention strategy, a business must ultimately consider salaries. There’s no doubt that a long-term employee will feel slighted if a new employee joins at a higher pay. Chances are they may even feel slighted if the new employee receives the same wage. In the automotive industry (and business in general), it’s increasingly acceptable to see…

Working at a car dealership often takes its toll on employees. The demands of a fifty, sixty or seventy hour work week often leaves the employee exhausted, mentally and physically. Generally, these employees are not clock-watchers, they are your commissioned sales people, your technicians, your management staff and they are the bread and butter for your dealership.  Are…

Finding a lost earring in the jewelry box, discovering the old autographed Tom Seaver baseball card when you clean out the attic, and learning that the shirt you are about to pay retail for is discounted, are all pleasant surprises.  How about walking into your bank and having the ATM talk with you and then give you a gift for being a customer?  Could that surprise highlight…

There’s no doubt that customer satisfaction is important to all car dealerships. Whether a dealership actually cares about making the customer happy, or merely wants to ensure that their CSI scores stay acceptable to the OEM, these scores play a major factor in the overall health of a dealership. Poor online reviews can sway a buyer to go somewhere else. Poor CSI scores can…

The adage “two brains are better than one” has long been used to think through matters and solve problems.  And to take it even further, excluding the human element, often two computers with different programming can solve problems more effectively than a single device.

As an example; the government has admitted to a problem with the security lines at…

In May I wrote a blog article explaining how employee retention in service will become increasingly important due to many factors. Apparently, that’s becoming true faster than even I thought. Auto Remarketing published an…