Tag: DMS Switch

The Dealer Who’s Different Demands a DMS Who Cares

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Making the move to a new Dealer Management System requires careful consideration from the stakeholders at your dealership. When evaluating the technology that houses the data driving your business, your entire staff will be affected by making the switch. For the team at Greg Hubler Automotive, who made the switch to a new-to-market DMS in early 2022, the promise of a better experience for both their guests and their people was reason enough to leap into the unknown. However, when the promise from their vendor was under-delivered and their employee morale took a big hit, Matt Lohmiller, VP of Operations, was ready to pull the plug. Greg Hubler Automotive is a different kind of dealer—one who truly values its people and its guests. Here’s their story.

A DMS Partner Who Lives Up to Their Promise

A few months after implementing their new DMS, Lohmiller received feedback from his team that things weren’t on the up and up. “I was going to potentially be losing some team members if we stayed (with the other DMS) …and I couldn’t have that.” Employee retention and satisfaction have always been key components of what makes Greg Hubler unique. While going through multiple DMS switches within several months isn’t ideal, Lohmiller took careful consideration from his team and decided to switch to Dealertrack DMS. After hearing their input, it was clear which direction they wanted to go. “We had to make the change,” he recalls.

A Partner Committed to Their Success

A key benefit of making the switch to Dealertrack DMS was the ability to observe the implementation process first-hand and compare the difference from Greg Hubler’s previous provider. The switch to Dealertrack DMS was more streamlined and the level of support “has been great, all around,” said Lohmiller. “Even after the implementation team has left, we have a Performance Manager we can reach out to any time.”

For the people at Greg Hubler, the difference has been night and day. The change enabled ownership and management to keep their promise of being a different kind of dealer—one that listens to team members cares for customers and prioritizes people.

Looking for a DMS who matches your values? Read Greg Hubler’s full story here. 

The Business Benefits of Easy-to-Use Technology

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Retail technology changes fast. As car shoppers continue to evolve their preferences, they increase their demands for dealerships to keep up. Despite the pace of change and the pressure from consumers, many dealers aren’t in a rush to refresh their old technologies—especially their Dealer Management System. After all, change is difficult and many dealership employees aren’t excited about having to learn new tools, systems, and processes.

Hanging onto old, outdated DMS platforms may be a common practice among dealerships, but it doesn’t make much business sense. When dealerships refuse to evolve, they lose ground to their competitors and they risk losing customers who expect a more modern, technology-assisted buying experience. And, with new, easy-to-learn technology tools, the cost of making a change has gone down drastically. Consider the following important impacts of implementing easy-to-learn technologies at your dealership.

Onboard New Employees Faster

Onboarding is an important process at every dealership, but the process of getting new employees up to speed can distract from revenue-generating activities. One recent study suggested that it can take up to eight months for fresh new hires to reach peak productivity. When your DMS is easy to use and easy to learn, your new hires get up to speed faster and more efficiently.

Hire For the Skills You Want

When your dealership runs on a difficult-to-learn DMS, it becomes necessary to hire employees based on their past DMS experience. In fact, candidates with prior DMS experience often edge out better candidates that don’t have a history with your difficult DMS platform. Unfortunately, eliminating impressive job candidates is not a good formula for customer satisfaction. When your DMS is easy to use and easy to learn, you can hire candidates that will fit your culture and care for your customers.

Develop Your Engaged Employees
In today’s job market, the very best employees aren’t just looking for a job. Instead, many young digital natives are looking to develop new skills while advancing their careers. To attract and retain them at your dealership, you’ll need to offer lots of opportunities for professional development. In fact, a surprising 87% of millennials listed professional development as even more important to their job search than time off and compensation. An easy-to-learn DMS offers endless opportunities for continued learning and a community they can turn to in order to develop new skills.

Technology change—especially DMS transitions—can be difficult, but holding on to old, outdated tools is harmful to customer experience and dealership profitability. An easy-to-learn DMS helps you hire better employees, onboard them more quickly, then keep them engaged with ongoing educational opportunities. Watch the video below to learn more about the business benefits of an easy-to-learn DMS.