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With six stores and a large customer base, Eide Automotive Group found it difficult to deliver personalized, meaningful marketing messages at scale. 

The dealership looked to Automotive Marketing Platform powered by VinSolutions to streamline their marketing efforts and reach customers with the right messages at the right time. Download the case study to learn how Eide uses Automotive Marketing Platform to:

• Sell more cars and acquire more trades
• Secure service revenue
• Personalize and Simplify mass email marketing efforts
• Ensure successful sales follow-up with comprehensive CRM integration
• Maximize return on marketing investment

See how Eide Automotive Group sells more cars with Automotive Marketing Platform.

How to Create Your Game Plan for an Optimal Digital Sales Process

The digital car buying experience has arrived, and it’s here to stay. That means dealers must adapt their processes to meet new digital and hybrid sales scenarios. But implementing a fully digital sales experience can be a significant undertaking for your dealership.  

That’s why we’re here to help. This playbook will give you the strategies and tools you need to create a solid game plan for successfully implementing digital sales. Topics covered include how to:  

• Lay the foundation for success  
• Become more efficient and effective   
• Measure what matters  
• Brand it and expand it 

Ready for next steps? Download The Workbook for Implementing Digital Sales.  

How to Shift Your Mindset and Adapt to the Digital Sales Model

The digital car buying experience has arrived, and it’s here to stay. If traditional, in-person car shoppers are the only customers you’re prepared to sell to effectively, you stand to lose a growing number of potential buyers who demand a more modern way to buy. 

But adapting to a new sales model takes a shift in mindset. This ebook will cover key considerations for preparing your dealership for a digital transformation, including:  ​

• Adapt to the 3 Modern Sales Scenarios
• Let Your Buyers Take the Wheel
• Put Personalized Service First
• Turn Your Website into a Salesperson

Want to learn more? Download The Playbook and The Workbook for Implementing Digital Sales.

These days, your customers can do just about anything from the convenience of their homes. Outings are becoming optional and errands more obsolete, and businesses are responding to changing customer preferences. From hospitality to healthcare and retail to real estate, nearly every industry is changing to bring on-demand goods and services directly to the customer. It’s the natural evolution of industry—businesses change as customer preferences change—and the automotive service industry is no exception.

Within the last few months, sparked by customer demand, many dealerships have started to offer vehicle service pick-up and delivery. Customers can have their cars serviced at the dealership without ever leaving their home or office. This shift to an on-demand service model is the natural evolution of vehicle servicing, and as with other industries, customers are taking notice of the convenience.

An Opportunity for Additional Revenue 

Although still relatively new, according to Cox Automotive industry data, service pick-up and delivery is already a hit. About 22 percent of vehicle owners have used service pick-up and delivery since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 90 percent said they were satisfied with their experience. In fact, an overwhelming majority (91 percent) of customers said service pick-up and delivery will be a key criterion in deciding where to service their vehicles moving forward.

“Consumers that have experienced this service love it,” said David Foutz, VP of Sales at Xtime. “And they’ve indicated that they’re willing to pay more for this service going forward.”

Currently, only about six percent of dealers are charging for service pick-up and delivery, suggesting a new source of revenue for 90-plus percent of dealers. But even aside from the extra revenue opportunity, service pick-up and delivery can help dealers attract new customers and help with dealership customer retention for those that appreciate the convenience.

“It will drive retention,” Foutz said. “Consumers are telling us how much they value and appreciate this convenience. …It’s about options, it’s about letting our consumers tell us how they want to do business with us. Having that availability and fluidity of options is going to be key going forward.”

A Sustainable Service Solution

In an industry where customers demand convenience and already have so many service shop options available, some as close as the corner quick lube, service pick-up and delivery can be a competitive advantage for dealerships. It removes barriers and gives customers a compelling reason to service their vehicles at the dealership. It saves time for customers and gives dealers an opportunity to provide additional service recommendations at scheduled, convenient times for customers.

Understanding that there is value in service pick-up and delivery, Xtime is working to help make this service a sustainable and profitable solution for dealers. Clutch Service Pick-Up and Delivery with Xtime gives dealers an automated and efficient concierge service, where customers can book service visits online directly through Xtime, while viewing real-time availability of loaner vehicles and valets. Once the service is scheduled, customers can provide payment and necessary vehicle and insurance information from the convenience of their phones.

“This tool, when you combine it with your BDC outreach, with tailored insights about your vehicle and your service needs really does remove obstacles,” Foutz said. “This can be a powerful tool in dealers’ hands.”

Let’s say that every day you’re asked to fill up a one-gallon water pitcher and given 10 glasses of water that equal your task. Then one day, two of your glasses are taken away, but it’s still your responsibility to deliver the full gallon. How do you deliver the same results with less opportunity to do so?

It’s not so different for your service department right now. Fixed ops plays a critical role in overall profitability for your dealership. However, you’re facing a unique challenge to your ability to contribute to the bottom line — 21 percent of your customers are still delaying vehicle service and repair.1

Using video and pictures to enhance the service experience may give you the opportunity you need to keep delivering a full pitcher — driving the results your dealership needs.

Understand the Need for Repair 

Your customer may be unfamiliar with the things that happen under the hood of their car. They rely on you and your team to diagnose needed repairs, educate them on why the repair should be done, and treat them fairly.

To help your customer understand why they need a certain repair, you can talk them through it or you can send them a video so they can see exactly what’s not working as it should — show v. tell.

45% conversion rate when photos and videos are sent to customers.

[2]

Grow Trust

Trust but verify. It’s natural for people to want to research and confirm information relayed to them. But while you have your customer’s car on a lift, it’s a bit difficult for them to verify the need for the ASR you are asking them to approve. With trust in the top four reasons why service customers choose a provider, you need to give them a reason to believe you.3

That’s a lot easier to do when pictures and videos are sent along with an ASR. Your customer can quickly approve recommended repairs by line item when it’s easy for them to recognize your concerns to be legitimate.

More than $1.5 Million incremental fixed ops revenue earned March—July 2020 by dealers using video to present ASRs.

[4]

Make it Easy to Say Yes

In addition to boosting dollars per RO, utilizing media can help you grow efficiencies. Traditionally, repair order approval was time consuming, requiring a game of phone tag between the customer and their advisor as they informed and explained the need for additional repairs to the customer. During the back and forth, a car may have been left occupying a lift, slowing productivity in your service department.

When you use multimedia to facilitate approvals, your customer can simply tap their phone to give the green light on repairs.

49% of ASRs that include photos and videos are approved in the first 15 to 30 minutes.

[5]

Beyond using multimedia to maximize service profits, you’re also giving your customer an exceptional service experience. They are able to interact with you digitally for the ultimate convenience. Your customer will be able to approve an ASR or view video straight from a technician, wherever they are.

With Enhanced Multi-Media, a feature available with Xtime Inspect, you can quickly and easily capture video and images in your service department. Show your customer what the technician sees by attaching media to an ASR before you text or email it, or advisors and technicians can text media directly to the customer.

Are you ready for faster approvals and more dollars per RO in your service department? Explore Enhanced Multi-Media today.

1 2020 Cox Automotive COVID-19 Consumer Impact Study 

2 Xtime dealer data March 29 – July 25, 2020 

3 Cox Automotive 2018 Service Industry Study 

4 Analysis performed using 2480 Xtime Spectrum Inspect dealerships 

5 Xtime dealer data March 29—Aug 1, 2020 

Convenience has truly become a currency — or at least a deciding factor on where currency is spent. Your customers demand ease and digital interaction throughout the service experience, and you need the efficiency that brings to your service department. Let’s explore some opportunities for that win-win situation.

Appointment Scheduling

Customer Convenience:

Today, people tap their phone to execute on their needs – from ordering a pizza to booking a flight. They don’t especially appreciate picking up their phones to tap numbers and make a call. To create a fully digital customer experience, start with online appointment scheduling that includes professional and consistent menu recommendations and incorporates recalls and declined services.

Shop Efficiency:

The right automotive appointment scheduling software will help you maximize your service department’s potential by giving you control over shop capacity and facilitating visualization of shop availability. Also consider technology that makes your BDC agents more effective, putting all the information in front of them they need with the right functionality to book appointments with a high show rate.

Service Pick-Up and Delivery Options

Customer Convenience:

In a recent Cox Automotive COVID-19 Impact Study, we learned that customers prefer the ability to choose service pick-up and delivery options when they schedule their appointment online, and it will impact their service choices moving forward. Of those that have tried it, more than 90 percent were satisfied with the experience, and 91 percent said service pick-up and delivery will be a key criterion in deciding where to service their vehicles moving forward.

Shop Efficiency:

In addition to providing a safe, digital, five-star experience for your customers, service pick-up and delivery options give you opportunity for additional revenue. Currently, only about six percent of dealers are charging for the service, which suggests service pick-up and delivery could be a new source of revenue for 90-plus percent of dealers. More than half of the 1000 automotive customers who participated in the Impact Study stated they would be willing to pay $20 for the service.

Service pick-up and delivery can also help you fill less desirable service appointment times. The 8 a.m. time slot demand becomes less relevant when customers can have their car picked up at 2 p.m. and returned to them without interrupting their schedule.

In addition, the convenience of service pick–up and delivery can help you attract new customers and retain them.

Flexible Payment Solutions

Customer Convenience:

Nearly two out of three Americans don’t have the funds necessary for a $500 car repair.1 However, when you provide the right options, they can keep their vehicle on the road — 76 percent of customers say that they are more likely to make a purchase if given a simple, seamless payment plan option.2

Provide your customers with a consistent presentation of your service financing options at every digital touchpoint so they know this option is available to them when it comes time to make the repair decision.

Shop Efficiency:

When you provide your customers with financing options that make saying yes quick and easy, you’re getting the opportunity to drive additional service revenue. To decrease downtime in your shop, look for a solution that is connected to your service lane technology, so you don’t have to use separate systems to facilitate the financing.

Summary

When you create the digital service experience your customers want, you’re also creating opportunities for your dealership. Explore the efficiencies you can develop for your dealership with Xtime, now with Rideshare powered by Lyft, FlexPay, and Service Pick-Up and Delivery, an Xtime and Clutch integration.

1 Bankrate.com

2 Business Wire

Your service department’s focus has accelerated in the direction of a fully digital customer experience. Why? Because you are truly looking at the service lane through the lens of customer preference — how they prefer to do business and interact, and the influence of convenience on their decisions.  

David Foutz, Vice President of Sales at Xtime was asked to reflect on the state of fixed operations in a recent CBT News interview, “Fixed ops was in a really scary time for a few weeks as the pandemic started. We saw this leading indicator of [service] appointments fall through the floor, but we also saw them come back. Currently scheduled appointments are fluctuating but steady in terms of year-over-year and I think service departments are doing well.” He went on to say we can’t stop looking at customer preferences. We have to give customers choices and make it easy for them to get repairs and maintenance done.   

We need to create convenience and ease, digitally. Let’s talk through what that looks like so you can attract customers and build loyal advocates for your new auto repair software from Xtime. Together we can convert in-person conversation to an online differentiator for your service department.   

Grow by Meeting Your Customer Where They Are 

You are still auditioning for future business with every engagement, even if it’s digital. So, how exactly do you make a good impression? Signs point to convenience, digital interaction, and self-service as key factors to help you grow dollars per RO.

Late first quarter 2020, overall service repair order volume decreased, but the use of digital tools to limit face-to-face contact did not.  

According to Xtime data, in March 2020, utilization of online approvals increased by 40 percent compared with one year prior. Online quote approvals give service advisors the ability to share additional service recommendations digitally, improving communication and transparency even through social distancing.    

Additionally, percentages of customer responses, approved recommended services, and dollars per repair order were all higher than in March of 2019. In April 2020, the use of online approvals increased by 53 percent compared year-over-year and the average dollar amount recommended was also up 8 percent year-over-year. 

Now Imagine the impact of creating the digital experience your customer wants all the way from scheduling through service pickup, blurring the line between in-store and online? 

Make it a High-Touch Digital Experience  

High-touch in a mobile-first world means building relationships without close contact by providing five-star service. Think about the opportunities you have to promote trust and transparency without face-to-face discussion. You’re looking for chances to gracefully and seamlessly connect the digital experience to the in-store processes and create new ways to attract customers and build loyalty. They are present throughout the customer journey. Think about where you can insert these preferences:  

• Digital communication like text or email that includes rich media like pictures and video 

• A check-in process that requires no contact between your employee and the customer  
• Service status updates your customer can self-serve 
• Payment that requires no paper or plastic to change hands 
• Flexible options for repair payment  
• Choices like service pick-up and delivery for the ultimate convenience 

The connected, digital service visit provides the high-touch experience your customer wants and the advantage you need. In a Cox Automotive study, 54 percent of service customers said they were willing to pay more for service when the provider offered enhancements like online approvals and estimates, valet, and rideshare options. 

Service Pick-Up and Delivery 

Let’s look at some stats around one of those convenient, digitally-driven preferences. When David Foutz was interviewed CBT News, they discussed the latest Cox Automotive COVID-19 Impact Study which gave us some great insight into the performance and your customer’s predilection toward service pick-up and delivery (SPUD). 

David opened the interview stating, “Dealers started offering these [service pick-up and delivery] services as the pandemic hit. The latest data from our study last week shows that consumers that have experienced this service love it — 90 percent satisfaction rating among those who’ve tried it — and they’ve indicated that they are willing to pay more for this service going forward.”  

That insight helps us to understand the ultra-convenient options you’re creating have the potential to drive revenue for your dealership. However, David went on to share only about six percent of dealers are charging for this service today, with about 10 percent of independent shops charging for SPUD. David espoused, “There’s an opportunity for 90 plus percent of dealers, perhaps, to find new revenue.” 

More than half of the 1000 automotive customers who participated in the Impact Study stated they would be willing to pay $20 for SPUD. Even more interesting, 91 percent of customers who have tried SPUD say it’s key to where they’ll choose to service their car moving forward.  

David also shed light on the fact that SPUD can help fill the less desirable service appointment time slots. There is no reason a customer has to bring their car at 8 a.m. if they can have it picked up at 2 p.m. and returned to them without interrupting their schedule.  

Summary 

With declining repair order counts, increasing service-visit intervals and the unknowns 2020 has brought us, you can’t overlook customer preference. Give them convenience and service options to win ongoing loyalty. Your customers want an at-home service experience, and you can deliver that as you make more of the service visit accessible from their phones. Keep working toward a high-touch digital service experience that is seamless and digital and delivers on customer preference.

Get your copy of Fixed Ops: A Playbook to Move the Service Experience Forward, here.

Thanks to recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, dealers can now use customer data to improve the car sales process. AI gives dealers key insights into individual customer interests to better personalize the buying experience and to build a larger sales funnel. But because AI is relatively new to automotive retail, there is much to learn from other retail industries that have been successfully using this technology for several years.  

In this white paper, you’ll learn how retailers in a variety of industries are using AI to:  

• Personalize product offerings  
• Uncover buying signals  
• Improve customer satisfaction  
• Streamline the shopping and buying process  

Learn how your dealership could drive better results with AI.