When the going gets tough, tough dealers get back to basics.
Dealers have proven to be among the most resilient entrepreneurs in any industry. Auto retailers have demonstrated they’re up to thriving in challenging situations – present economic circumstances included. One of the best ways to keep business steady during difficult times is by getting back to basics, especially in the fixed operations department–a consistent and reliable source of revenue. Going one step farther, service departments also set the stage for future revenue: Customers that continue to come in for service are likely to return to buy when it’s time to replace their vehicle.
As consumers evaluate the impact of tariffs and impending price adjustments in the automotive industry, service departments have an opportunity to work with customers and earn their trust during these tough economic times. Many consumers are racing to replace their current vehicles with newer cars, but others are looking to make needed and overdue repairs to their current vehicles. They will want guidance on what services will prolong the lives of their cars.
There’s no secret to winning these customers: It comes down to good customer experiences and trust. When customers trust their dealership and believe they have their best interests in mind, it’s possible to build strong relationships, bring in more fixed ops revenue, and ensure the dealership’s success in the future.
How Can Dealers Win Customer Trust in the Fixed Ops Department?
There’s never a bad time to implement fixed ops best practices, but when markets are volatile and consumer trust is declining, a few simple best practices can make the difference between success and slow business.
In the fixed ops department, one of the best ways to win customer trust is by including multimedia tools such as photos and videos of needed repairs with service recommendations. Instead of telling your service customers what’s wrong with their vehicles, you can show them the actual problem areas and explain what’s going on. This practice improves customer trust and increases the likelihood that they’ll understand the issue. Photos and videos can be easily captured by technicians during the walkaround and inspection process and included as an attachment to a service recommendation.
This multimedia content has enhanced features that provide even more transparency to customers, thanks to noise cancellation that cuts out shop noise in the background. The technician can add circles and arrows to the video to point out specific details, and the dealership can add an introduction to the video to reinforce their commitment to their customers.
Again, consumers are looking for trusted opinions about which repairs to make to prolong the lives of their vehicles. Photos and videos that can show the need for these repairs in detail can help consumers see, understand, and justify service recommendations. They help consumers know that dealers aren’t just adding recommendations for no reason. It’s an extra layer of transparency to help build customer trust.
How Can Dealers Build Revenue in the Fixed Ops Department?
Photos and videos don’t just build customer trust (which has its own benefits), they also help dealers boost revenue, even during tough economic times. Detailed photos and video of needed services actually help customers approve recommended repairs.
In fact, customers approve recommendations in as fast as 7 minutes when dealers send video with ASRs. These extra services add incremental revenue to help dealers stay busy and continue to bring in revenue.1
If a customer declines an ASR because of time or money, or some other reason, that declined service has to come back to life. The next time that customer makes a service appointment—whether it’s online, on the phone, or in person—they need to be asked: “Do you want to include the services that were recommended by your technician on your last visit?” Otherwise, it becomes a lost revenue opportunity.
How Can Dealers Implement Best Practices Now?
Service department managers and their staff might have a lot of questions about tariffs and their impact on business, but with uncertainty comes opportunity. Now is the perfect time to improve operations and build proficiencies in fixed ops.
As questions and uncertainties continue to surround the industry, look for new opportunities to win customers’ trust and bring in new, reliable sources of revenue, simply by including photos and videos with the quotes sent to customers.
This best practice not only helps to boost revenue in the service bay that day, it also helps create meaningful, trusted relationships with service department customers that can stand the test of tough economic times.
