All ADM Blog Posts Tagged 'operations' (74)

In search of service revenue, dealerships turn to randomly scheduling service appointments regardless of shop capacity. Or they take everyone that drives up. This can easily overwhelm the service department. It leaves customers frustrated and causes a LOSS in service revenue from both new/drive-up customers and customers with appointments.

How…

Recall completion percentages have been increasing, but despite increased communication attempts, that increase is hitting a plateau.

A recent trend reveals that many vehicle owners are very interested in mobile services. Currently, the percentage of independent repair shops that offer mobile services dramatically outweighs franchised dealers.…

With the increasing demand for service repairs, dealers are scrambling to recruit more technicians. At the same time, the pool of experienced technicians is dwindling, as not enough new technicians are entering the workforce -- and demand will only increase.

Regardless of how much money your dealership may spend to expand your facilities to…

Your dealership has probably been using an owner retention program (ORPs) for years, but when was the last time you evaluated the effectiveness of each communication?

One thing is certain. Sending out the same communications with the same messages via the same channels, again and again, isn’t a winning strategy. The goal of an ORP is to…

When people think of recalls, at least in our industry, most think about vehicles. For many consumers, merely contemplating spending their time at a dealership waiting for a recall to be repaired or losing the use of their car for some time, seems draining and inconvenient. But most consumers probably don’t consider the potential risks recalls can pose to…

Retention is vital for long-term profitability and health. Some dealers coast along thinking they have retention covered, when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, offering a great customer experience in service can head you in the right direction. However, it is not just free coffee, donuts, or wi-fi access that bring customers back.…

Several manufacturers, including Tesla, have rolled out some “innovative” features that include self-driving technology. At first glance, consumers like this type of vehicle technology because it typically means that these vehicles are fuel-efficient, use advanced technologically and are, frankly, cool. However, there are hazards involved with this advanced…

When we think of using customer data, it’s often in the context of marketing. I’ve written previously on how…

If you ask a dealership GM or controller “What’s your marketing per vehicle retail (PVR)?” not only will you get a precise answer, but likely a dissertation on the drivers, trends and plans to optimize. That’s because auto retailers understand that marketing efficiency and effectiveness is the lifeblood of their new and used vehicle…

Customer experience and standing out from the competition by excelling at customer satisfaction is still very much a good business practice today. Time is valuable for today's busy consumers, and many dislike the vehicle service experience at dealerships because of long wait times.

Loaner cars and shuttles help, but they can end up making it…

While it’s nice to have room in your shop’s schedule to handle walk-ins and other unexpected work, a service lane no-show isn’t the ideal way to get that extra time. Rather, no-shows throw everyone off and can take quite a toll on both your shop’s workflow and your bottom line.

Here are two holistic approaches to reducing no-shows…

A recent article in Wards Auto shares results from a study of 6,200 dealerships conducted by analytics company Marchex. According to the survey, dealerships who use active listening techniques and build rapport with customers on the initial calls are the…

Would you like to hear a ridiculous, unbelievable ROI statement? Well, one luxury brand dealership integrated technician videos into its service processes and, in only seven days, made +$250K in customer pay recommended work revenue. In fact, 80% of all closed repair orders for the week had a technician video sent to the customer.

Why do…

In the automotive industry, the ability to earn a greater share of a customer’s spend is the key to driving higher customer lifetime value. To that end, many dealers utilize flawed retention strategies designed to achieve a minimum number of service visits rather than maximize the…

Federal law currently prohibits dealerships from selling any new vehicle with an open safety recall to consumers. And now, Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal (Democrat - Connecticut) and Edward Markey (Democrat - Minnesota) have reintroduced legislation that also prohibits the sale of used cars with open safety recalls, according to…

Though every vehicle today comes with a recommended maintenance schedule from the manufacturer, many consumers don’t follow them.

What’s worse, some may not even know they exist! We recently surveyed 1,000 auto dealer customers and found that younger generations are less…

In a quick review of dealership’s websites, I find that many are almost entirely sales focused and tend to neglect the one department that brings the most significant percentage of profit… service.

Go ahead. Take a look at a few dealership websites. Service tends to be the…

According to an article in Automotive News, dealerships are in a new car sales slump and have to increasingly rely on used car sales and service revenue to drive profits.…

Most marketers think of third-party data as something to be used in conquest marketing. While it's true that we must rely on 3rd-party data to acquire new customers, it's important not to overlook the value of this data in marketing to your current customers.

Most companies use only 12 percent of the data they have on hand, which means 88…

If your dealership is like most, the sales and service side of the house feel like two disconnected islands most of the time. The teams rarely come together unless handling reconditioning or aftermarket accessory installation. But…