3 Ways Multimedia Can Help Maximize Your Service Department Potential

Let’s say that every day you’re asked to fill up a one-gallon water pitcher and given 10 glasses of water that equal your task. Then one day, two of your glasses are taken away, but it’s still your responsibility to deliver the full gallon. How do you deliver the same results with less opportunity to do so?

It’s not so different for your service department right now. Fixed ops plays a critical role in overall profitability for your dealership. However, you’re facing a unique challenge to your ability to contribute to the bottom line — 21 percent of your customers are still delaying vehicle service and repair.1

Using video and pictures to enhance the service experience may give you the opportunity you need to keep delivering a full pitcher — driving the results your dealership needs.

Understand the Need for Repair 

Your customer may be unfamiliar with the things that happen under the hood of their car. They rely on you and your team to diagnose needed repairs, educate them on why the repair should be done, and treat them fairly.

To help your customer understand why they need a certain repair, you can talk them through it or you can send them a video so they can see exactly what’s not working as it should — show v. tell.

45% conversion rate when photos and videos are sent to customers.

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Grow Trust

Trust but verify. It’s natural for people to want to research and confirm information relayed to them. But while you have your customer’s car on a lift, it’s a bit difficult for them to verify the need for the ASR you are asking them to approve. With trust in the top four reasons why service customers choose a provider, you need to give them a reason to believe you.3

That’s a lot easier to do when pictures and videos are sent along with an ASR. Your customer can quickly approve recommended repairs by line item when it’s easy for them to recognize your concerns to be legitimate.

More than $1.5 Million incremental fixed ops revenue earned March—July 2020 by dealers using video to present ASRs.

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Make it Easy to Say Yes

In addition to boosting dollars per RO, utilizing media can help you grow efficiencies. Traditionally, repair order approval was time consuming, requiring a game of phone tag between the customer and their advisor as they informed and explained the need for additional repairs to the customer. During the back and forth, a car may have been left occupying a lift, slowing productivity in your service department.

When you use multimedia to facilitate approvals, your customer can simply tap their phone to give the green light on repairs.

49% of ASRs that include photos and videos are approved in the first 15 to 30 minutes.

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Beyond using multimedia to maximize service profits, you’re also giving your customer an exceptional service experience. They are able to interact with you digitally for the ultimate convenience. Your customer will be able to approve an ASR or view video straight from a technician, wherever they are.

With Enhanced Multi-Media, a feature available with Xtime Inspect, you can quickly and easily capture video and images in your service department. Show your customer what the technician sees by attaching media to an ASR before you text or email it, or advisors and technicians can text media directly to the customer.

Are you ready for faster approvals and more dollars per RO in your service department? Explore Enhanced Multi-Media today.

1 2020 Cox Automotive COVID-19 Consumer Impact Study 

2 Xtime dealer data March 29 – July 25, 2020 

3 Cox Automotive 2018 Service Industry Study 

4 Analysis performed using 2480 Xtime Spectrum Inspect dealerships 

5 Xtime dealer data March 29—Aug 1, 2020