In 2012, accessories continued to be a critical revenue driver for many auto dealerships, particularly as new vehicle sales continued their upward trajectory. And, with consumers shopping with a longer ownership life for their vehicle1 in mind, their interest in augmenting that vehicle with accessories for the long term is an opportunity dealerships can capitalize on in 2013. Add a comment
Ask some dealers about mobile apps and they'll talk to you about ‘Angry Birds’ or ‘Words with Friends.’ Other dealers agree that there’s some shopping going on with mobile apps, mostly through e-tailers like Amazon.com or Groupon. But in actuality, it’s the traditional brick and mortar retailers who are changing the entire landscape of mobile app operation. Add a comment
With battery, brake and tire service representing billions in customer pay dollars annually, the following should come as an industry wakeup call: on average, only one car owner in 12 first learned that they needed a new battery, brakes, or tires from a dealer or mechanic. This indicates that an overly passive sales approach is leading to lost revenue opportunities, according to a recent study by DMEautomotive. That’s about $1.5 million in service revenue lost every single year. Add a comment
Sell five units before noon
The other day, one of our representatives was showing a dealer how to use database analysis to sell customers in the service lane. Trying out the idea, the dealer talked to seven service customers in the lane and five of the seven bought new cars before noon! Add a comment
Among all the potent technologies for improving service department profits, only one will service directors already have at hand—their customer database. Add a comment