Creating a Customer for Life through a Great Dealership Service Strategy

Garnering brand loyalty begins and ends with a dedication to customer service excellence. All too often dealerships repeat business is lackluster or nonexistent. The key to improving your automotive dealership’s customer base is to have a better strategy and utilize quality service to positively work for you.

Dixon Technologies, the leader in helping dealers grow and retain their customer base through an advance suite of services has introduced the most innovative products on the market called helping dealerships complete important cycles from start to finish and guiding the customer into positively reviewing the dealerships great customer service.

Communication is key when it comes to customer satisfaction for automotive service! This means both communication with the customer as well as internal dealership communication.

With today’s technology there is no reason that companies, automotive dealerships in particular should not be able to effectively communicate with their customers and staff as easy as touching a button. No more fragmented solutions, Status Plus does it all. Utilizing Dixon Technologies most advance product on the market for dealerships, Status Plus, dealerships can decide which steps in the service process will notify the customer, and let them know when their vehicle is ready for pickup. Status Plus will also guide them to take a CSI Survey and notify dealership management immediately if the customer were not completely satisfied. Status Plus allows the dealer to keep track of every step within the service process. Techs and Advisors are notified by text when it’s time for them to take action. Dealerships now have visibility over how long each step is taking, and can focus on bottlenecks improving the process and increasing profitability. The program will helps increase customer satisfaction by informing the right dealership personnel when a customer calls or texts their advisor back, Status Plus will route this communication directly to the right person. Dealerships can even go back and listen to previous calls or read the transcriptions. Status Plus will notify the customer when it’s time to come back in for recommended maintenance and allow for them to schedule an appointment creating a happy customer for life.

Dixon Technologies, with offices in Dallas and Houston, Texas, is “Making Life Better” for dealerships by helping them grow and retain their customer base utilizing the most advance suite of services on the market. Products such as Status Plus, Recon Plus and Acquisition Plus allow dealerships to complete the cycle to profitability in both service and sales. For more information or to request a demo visit https://dixontech.net or call 469.904.0107.

Best Ways for Dealerships to Recon a Vehicle

It’s no secret that vehicle reconditioning that can cost dealers gross margin and erode their ability to be more competitive if common mistakes that go undetected and unresolved. Finding a solution to processes now will increase reconditioning’s productivity, resource utilization, and time to market or speed to retail thus allowing your dealership to claim larger gross margin.

Having departments work together for the common good of the dealership is imperative for success. Managers and department heads that understand the team mentality will go a long way to knock down the silo of “us versus them” mentality. Utilizing shared resources and technology to communicate within the dealerships will add to this success. However, without measuring and monitoring recon processes will be impossible to gain an “honest” grasp of how efficient or inefficient recon is. Not counting the cost and/or savings go against or toward actual sold gross. Having precise information is key to balancing the bottom line.

Dixon Technologies, the leader in helping dealers grow and retain their customer base through an advance suite of services has introduced the most innovative product on the market called Recon Plus helping dealerships decrease your time to market, and point out any bottlenecks by measuring your process every step of the way!

No more spreadsheets or manual repair orders. Utilizing Dixon Technologies most advance product on the market for dealerships, Recon Plus, dealerships will be able to calculate in real time what they spend in reconditioning. Recon Plus provides full transparency by allowing you to sort by vehicle year, make, and/or model. Dealerships are now in the driver’s seat being able to calculate hypothetical holding costs, giving them a full scope on where money is falling through the cracks.

The program will send a text alert informing the next associates turn in the process to act. The platform even gives management the ability to approve a work order right from your mobile device. With complete transparency, dealerships are able to accelerate the reconditioning process for a quicker turnaround thus increasing more profit with one solution.

Dixon Technologies is able to integrate with the dealership’s DMS or inventory management system so that there is no manual input-tation or duplication. This completely streamlines and consolidates inventory management, and gives management more time in the day to redirect energy to other important tasks on the to-do list.

Using Technology without hurting the Automotive Customer Experience

There is a robot that can balance on one foot, navigate obstacles and fold itself to fit into the back of a car. It can also use its arms to carry and deliver packages straight to your door, and even ask for help if a problem occurs along the way. Many dealerships are trying to use today’s technology to cut cost and streamline processes to increase profit. However, most experts say robots will increasingly complement flesh-and-blood workers by taking over certain tasks, rather than replacing them wholesale. This makes sense. Technology is great for instantly giving information and communication. It will not replace the human element. Dealerships have to find a way to marry the two together. Those that do will have an increase in customer satisfaction as well as a larger margin because of the efficiency that technology brings.

The easiest, most repetitive and routine tasks can be automated. By contrast, technology will not replace conditions often change or emotional intelligence is required. Sorry KITT, 3CPO, Cerebro, HAL 9000, Mother and MCP! You can help, but can’t replace!

No more fragmented solutions, Status Plus does it all. Utilizing Dixon Technologies most advance product on the market for dealerships, Status Plus, dealerships can decide which steps in the service process will notify the customer, and let them know when their vehicle is ready for pickup. Status Plus will also guide them to take a CSI Survey and notify dealership management immediately if the customer were not completely satisfied. Status Plus allows the dealer to keep track of every step within the service process. Techs and Advisors are notified by text when it’s time for them to take action. Dealerships now have visibility over how long each step is taking, and can focus on bottlenecks improving the process and increasing profitability. The program will helps increase customer satisfaction by informing the right dealership personnel when a customer calls or texts their advisor back, Status Plus will route this communication directly to the right person. Dealerships can even go back and listen to previous calls or read the transcriptions. Status Plus will notify the customer when it’s time to come back in for recommended maintenance and allow for them to schedule an appointment creating a happy customer for life.

Acquisition Plus helps keep dealerships from losing money on auction purchase units, rising costs of vehicles, auction fees, inspection, transportation, or holding cost. As a dealer, you will be able to connect effectively with private sellers with the fastest moving vehicles, through an automated texting campaign. Dealerships will be able to increase vehicle profitability with the streamlined auto buying process from private sellers and the holding costs as well as costs associated with the auction are reduced because you are the only bidder. In addition, you acquired the vehicle at the agreed upon price, you have the ability to resell it at your desired price point.

Recon Plus provides full transparency by allowing you to sort by vehicle year, make, and/or model. Dealerships are now in the driver’s seat being able to calculate hypothetical holding costs, giving them a full scope on where money is falling through the cracks. No more spreadsheets or manual repair orders. Utilizing Dixon Technologies most advance product on the market for dealerships, Recon Plus, dealerships will be able to calculate in real time what they spend in reconditioning. The program will send a text alert informing the next associates turn in the process to act. The platform even gives management the ability to approve a work order right from your mobile device. With complete transparency, dealerships are able to accelerate the reconditioning process for a quicker turnaround thus increasing more profit with one solution.

Importance of Communication in the Auto Repair Process

Why do customers hate bringing their vehicle into the automotive shop for repairs? First, repairs cost money and the consumer is never happy when their transportation has a bump in the road. It is a huge inconvenience for them and they just don’t like it. Second, and a dealership has complete control over this, is the fear of the unknown. The customer wants to know what’s going on with the status of their vehicle and how fast can they get back on the road headed to their destination. The process, is often hijacked by two elements. The first element is service center employee(s) and their attitude(s) and the second element is the software your business uses.

Whether or not we realize it, each shop has a similar workflow process. Like many areas of life, we think that we are all unique in our business strategy. However, reality is we are all very similar, our differences lie in management styles and the technology we have to effectively communicate with our customers. Our attitude and approach, from employees and customers, defines how we achieve success.

Ultimately, you need to evaluate your process and see where your bottlenecks are and if there is software that helps you ease through them. The process of the auto repair software you ultimately choose, is what makes the process between owner, employees, and customers completely seamless.

A Dixon Technologies Driven Dealership is a Successful Dealership

In a perfect world, every salesperson and service advisor would know all their customers’ names and faces and when each of them is arriving for their next service. However, many dealerships (especially ones with multiple franchises under one roof) have thousands of customers, making it nearly impossible to instantly recognize all of their customers. In addition, the biggest obstacle to being a successful dealership is internal communications.

What if every dealership manager, service advisor and/or salesperson was sent an instant message or text message as soon as the customer pulls into the service lane and a call-to-action takes were to take place. How great could your customer service be if the customer were informed every step of the way during the service process? How nice would it be for an inventory manager to have the fastest moving vehicles on the market at their disposal with a touch of a button? How great would it be for managers to be able to follow the reconditioning process of a vehicle and know instantly when the vehicle is ready to sell?

With today’s technology, Dixon Technologies, the leader in helping dealers grow and retain their customer base through an advance suite of services has introduced the most innovative products on the market called helping dealerships complete important cycles from start to finish and guiding the customer into positively reviewing the dealerships great customer service. Three of these great products are Status Plus, Acquisition Plus and Recon Plus. Utilizing these products in your dealership puts you a step ahead of the competition allowing you to achieve larger margins instantly.

Reconditioning Vehicles for Dealership Profitability

Inevitably new vehicle sales and profits will slump sometime this year! Every dealership knows it, and no matter how much we prepare for it; we aren’t too happy when the downturn comes. Franchised dealerships are placing greater emphasis on selling used cars and trucks. This also means a renewed focus among service departments on cutting the time and cost of reconditioning used vehicles for sale, from cosmetic detailing to major repairs.

Reconditioning is absolutely essential process in helping a dealership remain profitable. Also, reconditioning cars properly adds to retention, and to people coming back to us and buying the next car. The best-performing dealers these days consistently get the job done in 24 hours or less. Meanwhile, other dealers report their reconditioning turnaround times run seven days or more. The disparity between high performing dealers and underperforming dealers owes to two chief factors; one, the degree to which the dealer recognizes that time spent in reconditioning translates to lost frontend profit potential, and the extent to which a dealer implements and monitors processes that reflect the “time is money” reality of retailing used vehicles.

Dixon Technologies, the leader in helping dealers grow and retain their customer base through an advance suite of services has introduced the most innovative product on the market called Recon Plus helping dealerships decrease your time to market, and point out any bottlenecks by measuring your process every step of the way!

Impact your Business by Modernizing the Service Lane

The service lane represents the best opportunity for dealerships to deliver on the modern expectations of consumers. Understanding where to start begins with knowing the most common customer pain points. Consumer preferences have started evolving past the traditional dealership experience, which means it’s more important than ever that dealerships meet their customers’ needs with a modernized touch. From long wait times resulting in customer churn, to irritating upselling tactics, to inefficient scheduling processes, there’s no shortage of improvements to be made.

Dixon Technologies, the leader in helping dealers grow and retain their customer base through an advance suite of services has introduced the most innovative product on the market called Status Plus helping dealerships complete the service cycle from start to finish and guiding the customer into positively reviewing the dealerships great customer service.

A good experience at a dealership can drive repeat business because the majority of customers are willing to travel further and pay more for better service. In fact, 54% of consumers would buy from dealerships who provide better experiences compared to lower prices. This statistic shows that value is a more important factor than quality when consumers are selecting their service providers. Even 97% of dealers agree that the customer’s experience in the service department is important to their dealership.

Status Plus allows the dealer to keep track of every step within the service process. Techs and Advisors are notified by text when it’s time for them to take action. Dealerships now have visibility over how long each step is taking, and can focus on bottlenecks improving the process and increasing profitability. In addition, the service advisor will be able to inform the customer exactly what is going on at a moment’s notice.

The program will helps increase customer satisfaction by informing the right dealership personnel when a customer calls or texts their advisor back, Status Plus will route this communication directly to the right person. Dealerships can even go back and listen to previous calls or read the transcriptions. Status Plus even notifies the customer when it’s time to come back in for recommended maintenance and allow for them to schedule an appointment creating a happy customer for life. Dealerships can then watch the positive reviews start adding up which is great for business!

No more fragmented solutions, Status Plus does it all. Utilizing Dixon Technologies most advance product on the market for dealerships, Status Plus, dealerships can decide which steps in the service process will notify the customer, and let them know when their vehicle is ready for pickup. Status Plus will also guide them to take a CSI Survey and notify dealership management immediately if the customer were not completely satisfied thus helping your positive online reviews.

Dixon Technologies Helping Dealerships in the fight Against COVID-19

As the automotive industry and our entire nation, we are all facing the impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Rather than reacting to the situation, Dixon Technologies was ready for the fight to help dealerships adapt to the new environment. Below are some best practices and helpful tips to help keep dealerships, customers and our communities safe:

Pick-up and Drop Off:

Utilize simple Consumer Experience communication tools to assist with your pick-up and drop-off services
Leverage rideshare transportation, so pick-up and drop-off jobs won’t require more than one team member to pick-up and drop-off a call
Provide Pick-up and Drop-off services for Service and Sales purposes

Generating Sales from Home:

Offer free trade appraisals to customers
Send a team member to inspect the vehicle right on their driveway
Drop off the customer’s new vehicle on their driveway and sign paperwork digitally from their home

Mobile Payments:

Allow customers to pay for their repairs online and from their mobile device to eliminate cash handling or credit card exchanging
Offer Service Financing options for more affordable payment options
Implement touch-free payment devices so customers can tap-and-pay even from behind a glass window

Digital Inspection Reports:

Send inspection reports via text or email for customers to review at the comfort of their home or from a safe distance in stores
Allow customers to approve or defer recommended services digitally for safety and convenience

Online Appointments & Social Media:

Embed an appointment widget to your dealership’s website
Link all social media pages to your online appointment widget
Be sure to gate customers to your social medias to keep everyone in the loop
Update social media often to further broadcast announcements and updates

Broadcast All Communications:

Let customers know you are still open for business
Broadcast mass vehicle safety and related announcements via text message and email
Actively send notices on COVID-19, your location details, and services

Dixon Technologies, with offices in Dallas and Houston, Texas, is “Making Life Better” for dealerships by helping them grow and retain their customer base utilizing the most advance suite of services on the market. Products such as Status Plus, Recon Plus and Acquisition Plus allow dealerships to complete the cycle to profitability in both service and sales. For more information or to request a demo visit https://dixontech.net or call 469.904.0107.

Dixon Technologies Continues to be Innovative in Time of Uncertainty

Throughout history companies have involved during times of chaos and uncertainty. As a matter of fact, Necessity is the Mother of Innovation. For a limited time only, dealerships will only have to pay for the live feed cost and will have a No Setup Fee and Integration to help with the “Shelter in Place” regulations.

Dixon Technologies, the leader in helping dealers grow and retain their customer base through an advance suite of services has introduced the most innovative product on the market called Status Plus. Through this “One Solution Platform”, Status Plus is making life better for its clients allying one solution to satisfy all of their needs keeping their clients’ customers informed as well as concise internal communications allowing for complete efficiency within the dealership.

The Status Plus program includes the following features:

Automated Appointment System
Digital Multi-Point Inspection
Custom Write Up Tool
Click to Call
Full Service Texting Platform
Advance Reporting
Service Retention Alert
Digital Reminder/Marketing

Status Plus allows the dealer to keep track of every step within the service process. Techs and Advisors are notified by text when it’s time for them to take action. Dealerships now have visibility over how long each step is taking, and can focus on bottlenecks improving the process and increasing profitability.

Creating a Positive Customer Experience in Service for Dealerships

A common complaint during manufacture dealership group meetings is “the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing!”

There’s no doubt that dealers have it rough when it comes to their customer base. Take a moment and think about your average customer for a minute. He’s worked 40 to 60 hours the whole week, and a family vacation is being planned. Now all of a sudden his vehicle breaks down and he has to bring it into service. Now he’s irritated because he’s got to stop what he’s doing to head up to the dealership to see if you’ve got the time and parts needed to fix it and allow him to get back to his plans. He’s in a hurry and already on edge before he even walks through the door.

There is no cure for misfortune; however, your dealership has an opportunity to become a hero for your customer just by being able to share with them the status of their vehicle’s service. It’s all about communication within your departments as well as to the customer.

Dixon Technologies, the leader in helping dealers grow and retain their customer base through an advance suite of services has introduced the most innovative product on the market called Status Plus helping dealerships complete the service cycle from start to finish and guiding the customer into positively reviewing the dealerships great customer service.