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Kia Certifies ‘Xtime Suite for Kia Dealers’

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Kia Certifies ‘Xtime Suite for Kia Dealers’

Kia dealers know they have an effective shop loading tool with Kia Schedule. Now they also have access to a fully certified suite of Xtime products proven to help Kia dealers’ fixed operations become more efficient and profitable.

As of February 1, 2019, Kia Motors America partnered with Xtime, a Cox Automotive company, to expand the Xtime offering beyond service scheduling to create “Xtime Suite for Kia Dealers,” comprised of the Xtime products Schedule, Engage and Inspect. This fully integrated, end-to-end solution offers dealerships scheduling across all devices, tablet-based lane check-in, and electronic multipoint inspections.

dealership using xtime

Xtime began its relationship with Kia in 2013. Since then, Kia dealers have consistently achieved significant ROI through the use of Xtime products. Here are just a few ways Kia dealers have grown and succeeded in partnership with Xtime.

  • Kia Schedule drives an average show rate of 86 percent.
  • Kia customers checked in through Engage, Xtime’s automotive customer retention tool, are 15 percent more likely to return than with a traditional service write-up.
  • With Inspect, Xtime’s vehicle inspection software, Kia dealers average $82,000 per month in additional service recommendation (ASR) sales.

Xtime’s certification means full integration with Kia, synching with KORE Owner Marketing and Kia Recall Scheduling, plus seamless connectivity from Kia’s desktop owner portal and smartphone app. Kia’s Promise to Care encompasses scheduling convenience, a clear explanation of factory recommended service, a recap of all work completed, and complimentary multipoint inspections on every visit. Auto repair software for Kia Dealers allows every dealership to fulfill this promise and reach a new level of efficiency.

3 Ways to Get Declined Services Next Time

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Persistence is necessary for achieving success in almost every area of life, and your dealership service department is no exception. The majority (at least 58%) of additional service recommendations offered by dealerships to their customers get declined. Successful dealerships know how to channel that rejection into a productive and persistent process for recapturing those services down the road. That process is made up of three simple steps.

1. Make Additional Recommendations

Many service lane customers come to the dealership for a particular purpose—often a singular, obvious, and bothersome problem with the vehicle. You should use a vehicle inspection software to identify, generate, and present additional vehicle service needs. If your dealership is like most, the majority of those recommendations will be rejected by the customer. Rather than seeing that rejection as a negative thing, view declined services as your starting point for future repair opportunities. Additional service recommendations (ASRs), in other words, have value whether or not they are initially accepted.

2. Store Declined Services Electronically

In the past, dealerships have relied on paper service notes and other ineffective means for storing declined services. Only when those declined services are stored electronically and in association with customer records, do they begin to generate future opportunities. Declined services should be electronically recorded during the initial service walkthrough and following any subsequent conversations between the customer and service advisor.

3. Target and Invite Customers to Return

Every good marketing initiative relies on the ability to match a specific audience with a relevant message. A well thought out system for capturing declined services is effective for this very reason. There is perfect alignment between an individual customer and a message promoting a service they know they declined in the past.

dealership service lane

When declined services are stored electronically and connected to a customer record, they can be used in auto repair marketing to build personalized promotions and invitations to return. You can use electronically stored data to filter by service, and then craft customized emails, digital ads, mailers, phone calls, and old-fashioned point-of-sale conversations around specific declined services.

From the time we’re little, we’re taught to try, try again if at first we don’t succeed. But many dealership employees leave that lesson behind as soon as a customer declines a recommended service. In reality, a simple three-step process, the right auto repair software, and a little persistence can help dealerships recapture declined services and boost service lane profits.

How a new CRM can save the day at your dealership

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If you’re getting serious about choosing a new CRM, you need to ask providers some serious questions about Performance Management.

In our new ebook, “The #1 Thing to Look for in Your New CRM,” we show you all the important roles a Performance Manager plays in making your dealership profitable, and tell you all the questions you need to ask before you sign on the dotted line.

If you already know utilization drives results, and you’re ready to see it in action, schedule a demo with us!

Fill out the form to download our new ebook

Helena Motors

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Improving the customer experience and sending internet sales soaring with VinSolutions Connect CRM

The motto of Montana’s Helena Motors is “the way it ought to be.” This belief guides every customer interaction, and treating customers right has been the basis for much of their success.

However, the group was ready to take its customer experience to the next level. It wanted a technology solution to help streamline and track interactions with potential and current customers to personalize the buying journey, as well as increase efficiency. These needs led Helena Motors to look for a new CRM provider that could provide:

  • Unsurpassed workflow and reporting flexibility.
  • Expert guideance and proactive support from a dedicated Performance Manager.
  • Real-time integrations with its other Cox Automotive solutions.
  • One central view for all customer information

Watch how VinSolutions Connect CRM elevated the customer experience and helped drive sales.

Autosoft Announces Integration with Xtime

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Integration Provides Robust, Seamless Connection Between Autosoft’s Dealer Management System and Xtime’s Customer Retention Solution

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (October 19, 2018) –Autosoft, Inc., a national dealer management system (DMS) provider, announced a new integration partnership with Xtime designed to streamline management of fixed operations and help improve customer service.

Xtime offers the premier customer retention solution for automotive manufacturers and dealerships. Dealers using Autosoft’s DMS can now automatically manage their shop capacity using Xtime’s automotive scheduling software product without manual intervention to the Autosoft ledger. This partnership simplifies the scheduling process for dealers by enabling Xtime to effortlessly pull appointments, contact information, and vehicle information from Autosoft, as well as push any appointments created from Xtime’s Schedule solution into Autosoft’s DMS.

“Our dealers rely on us for an innovative dealer management system. We are excited to add Xtime integration to our Connect program and give Autosoft customers a revolutionary way to manage their shop’s capacity with easy and accurate results,” said Bryce Veon, President and CEO at Autosoft. “The efficiencies from this integration will help our dealers maximize their profit potential and provide a better customer experience.”

“Since adding Xtime for our scheduling, along with the improved integration between Xtime and Autosoft, our number of appointments has increased, and the time to generate repair orders has decreased,” said Doug Schuett, Service Manager at Hastings Ford Lincoln. “We are pleased with how these enhancements help us deliver the high-quality experience our customers have come to expect over the years.”

Xtime’s primary objective is to develop solutions that help dealers provide superior customer service to their clients with the intention of increasing client retention.

“With continuing margin compression and a flattening automotive retail market, dealers must find ways to boost their customer retention to drive profitable growth,” said Jim Roche, Vice President of Marketing and Managed Services at Xtime. “Xtime’s integration with Autosoft is another way the company has simplified fixed operations, allowing dealers to deliver superior client service to their customers.”

To learn more about how Xtime helps dealers deliver a superior customer experience, dealers can call Xtime at 888.463.3888 (United States) or 877.984.6377 (Canada). Dealers can also email Xtime at  insidesales@xtime.com.  To learn more about Autosoft’s DMS, call 844.888.8200, email sales@autosoftdms.com, or visit www.autosoftdms.com.

About Xtime
Xtime increases customer retention for automotive dealer service departments by using technology to transform the ownership experience. Improving customer satisfaction and retention ultimately drives dealer revenue and profitability. Xtime is committed to delivering the experience consumers demand – an experience which emphasizes value, convenience and trust.

Xtime books 44 million service appointments and processes 120 million repair orders annually. Twenty-nine global OEMs have chosen Xtime to drive that same type of success for their businesses, converting $9 billion in service revenue for more than 7,500 dealerships across three continents.

About Autosoft
Autosoft is a full-featured technology platform offering Vehicle Inventory Management, Sales and F&I, and a dealer management system (DMS) that has been recognized as the All-Time Most Recommended DMS through DrivingSales. With affordable month-to-month contracts and 35+ OEM integrations, Autosoft’s easy-to-use products improve processes and reduce operating costs in over 2,000 franchised automotive dealerships.

Xtime Presents Fletcher Jones Audi with Customer Experience Excellence Award

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (October 16, 2018) – Xtime is proud to name Fletcher Jones Audi in Chicago, IL, as the winner of the second Xtime Customer Experience Excellence Award at Digital Dealer’s Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, NV, October 16-18, 2018.

Xtime first partnered with Digital Dealer in April 2018 to create the Customer Experience Excellence Award, which recognizes a dealership or dealer group in North America that has demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering superior customer service. After receiving and reviewing numerous submissions, Fletcher Jones Audi was selected as the definitive winner, in large part due to their robust retention rates and customer-first business approach.

“Fletcher Jones Audi is delivering on the technology-enhanced experience that consumers have come to demand, achieving 100 percent utilization of online scheduling and 88 percent tablet utilization on the service drive with Xtime,” said Jim Roche, vice president of marketing and managed services at Xtime, who will be speaking at Digital Dealer’s conference on converting one-time visitors into long-term customers. “This emphasis on using new technologies is helping contribute to an overall stellar customer service record for Fletcher Jones Audi — a 75 percent customer retention rate and high praise on DealerRater with 4.9 out of five stars on almost 500 reviews. Fletcher Jones Audi’s emphasis on customer experience excellence fits with Xtime’s ongoing efforts to help dealerships drive customer loyalty and retention, ultimately helping them boost overall profitability.”

In addition to Xtime’s recognition, Fletcher Jones Audi also was one of only 13 dealerships to receive the Magna Society Elite Award, Audi’s award for outstanding customer service, earlier this year.

“At Fletcher Jones Audi, offering the gold standard in customer experience is paramount. We pride ourselves on providing excellent service, and we strive to secure repeat business by exceeding our customers’ expectations at every step of the process. It is an honor to be recognized by Xtime’s Customer Experience Excellence Award for our efforts,” said Dave Donnelly, service manager, Fletcher Jones Audi. “Our success is enhanced by our technology-driven service center powered by Xtime, which plays a central role in enabling us to offer our clients the best car ownership experience possible.”

For more information on the Xtime Customer Experience Excellence Award, visit https://www.digitaldealer.com/conference/customer-experience-excellence-award/. For more information about Xtime, visit https://xtime.com/.  

About Xtime

Xtime increases customer retention for automotive dealer service departments by using technology to transform the ownership experience. Improving customer satisfaction and retention drives dealer revenue and profitability. Xtime is committed to delivering the experience consumers demand – an experience which emphasizes value, convenience and trust. Xtime books 44 million service appointments and processes 120 million repair orders annually. Twenty-nine global OEMs have chosen Xtime to drive that same type of success for their businesses, converting $9 billion in service revenue for more than 7,500 dealerships across three continents.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

About Digital Dealer

The Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition is where top dealers go to stay ahead of the technology curve, delivering the largest array of industry speakers, peer to peer opportunities, and exhibit hall offerings – all carefully designed to impart groundbreaking business strategies for your dealership.

Learn about the impact of advertising fraud and discover how you can protect your digital investment.

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If you’re employing digital advertising in your marketing strategy, you know what a powerful tool it can be and how it makes it easy to track your return on investment. But with the rise in advertising fraud, who’s protecting your investment? This white paper will tell you more about why it’s more essential than ever to understand the risks of fraud, stay one step ahead of fraudulent practices, and discover what Dealer.com is doing to protect dealerships.

Download the White Paper

Learn about Dealer.com’s strategic approach to advertising best practices.

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In today’s digitally driven world, it’s more important than ever for dealers to maximize the ROI from their digital advertising investment.

Google’s Dealer Guidebook was designed with the goal of helping dealers to utilize Google’s products and channels to generate and capture shopper demand efficiently and effectively. Learn how Dealer.com can act as your dealership’s very own automotive advertising agency, helping you to achieve success through a digital advertising solution built upon twenty years of dealer-focused innovation.

Download eBook

Learn how Dealer.com SEO completes your digital marketing strategy

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Learn how an SEO partnership with Dealer.com can help you own the search engine results pages where it matters most.

At Dealer.com, we bring the auto industry’s largest SEO team together to serve your unique dealership goals. Through agency-grade execution, unsurpassed capability, and a complete commitment to your success, we help you craft a search strategy that integrates with your complete digital marketing plan.


LEARN MORE ABOUT CAR DEALER SEO

Ron Marhofer Auto Group

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A better customer experience and more sales with VinSolutions Connect CRM.

The dealership management team at Ron Marhofer knew the sales group needed a more streamlined online-to-in-store process to deliver the best dealership experience to customers. At the same time, they needed better CRM software data to drive sales coaching opportunities and a clearer understanding of the dealership’s customers. With these must-haves in mind, the dealer group turned to VinSolutions Connect CRM. Upon implementing VinSolutions’ CRM, the dealer group gained access to:

  • A high degree of sales workflow customization and data reporting. 
  • Real-time integration with other Cox Automotive software solutions.
  • An intuitive lead management platform that is easy to use.
  • Proactive management support from dedicated Performance Managers. 

Learn how VinSolutions Connect CRM elevated the customer experience and helped drive leads and sales