June e-blast templates are here! Reach out and retain your customers! These templates are included AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE to ALL Dealership for Life dealers! What are you doing to retain your customers? Give your customers reasons to return to your dealership. Click Here to view this months templates.
We’re a talkative bunch at our Dealership and the thing we really enjoy are conversations we have
with our customers. Sports, weather, and yes – even automobiles. Over the years’ we’ve paid attention and even learned a thing or two from these conversations! Vehicle owners tell us that keeping up with regular scheduled maintenance is the one thing that most find costly and inconvenient. They do understand how important this is to ensure safe and dependable transportation, but still find it hard not to feel this way. These conversations are what lead to the inspiration for our Lifetime program. We decided we could help our customers feel a little better about taking good care of their cars.
Our Lifetime program was designed to make the “expense and inconvenience” of regular vehicle maintenance as friendly and convenient as possible and save our customers some money! If we do our part and take care of them by saving time and money maintaining their car, we liked our chances that they will tell everyone about us. We looked at things this way …. it is the best advertising dollars we can spend. And we invest in the people who matter most – our Customers! And so, our Lifetime service program was born……
With a New/Used vehicle purchase our customer is automatically enrolled in our exclusive program that provides these benefits at NO CHARGE! It’s the way we do business.
Lifetime Oil Changes
Buying your next New/Used vehicle from us ensures that all your oil changes will be “on the house”!
Put another way…. Free!
Lifetime Tire Rotations
Replacing tires can be expensive, so we help extend their life by providing a complimentary tire rotation when you are in for an oil change. We don’t want you to spend money on new tires any sooner than you have to……we’re sure you could use that money for other things!
Lifetime Car Washes
The oil changes will keep your vehicles’ engine clean inside, but we’re going to go one step further! We’ll help you keep the outside of your vehicle clean as well! Just bring your vehicle by the dealership anytime we’re open and we will run it through our automated car wash. Yep, you guessed it, we’re not going to charge you a thing — all your car washes are “on the house”!
Lifetime Engine Guarantee
When you see a vehicle on our lot, our Factory/ASE certified technicians have checked it over and we have confirmed it is mechanically sound and meets our requirements to be offered for sale — to an employee family member or a stranger. One is as important as the other in our view. We know that we must stand behind what we sell ……. that’s just good business. It is how we have built our reputation. As part of our program we are now going to take this a step further than the typical dealership. As the old saying goes….
” We are going to put our money where our mouth is!”
New/Used vehicles purchased from us are provided a Lifetime Engine Guarantee. To enhance the value of the complimentary oil changes, periodically perform minimum levels of preventative maintenance on your vehicles’ fuel and cooling systems and we’ll stand behind the engine for as long as you own your car!
We are not here to sell you services you don’t need at prices that are not competitive. That is not how we do business. We are here to help you maintain your investment and manage your transportation costs by providing legitimate services at competitive pricing. Earlier we mentioned how expensive tires can be, well, so are vehicle engines! Service industry data consistently shows that the primary cause of vehicle engine failures is the lack of regular preventative maintenance on one or all of an engines’ oil, fuel, and cooling systems.
We want to do our part to help you avoid this potential expense…… and it starts by providing you with complimentary oil changes. If you see value in our Lifetime Engine Guarantee, you can take it from there and stay on top of the fuel and cooling system maintenance. Your choice either way. Regardless of what you decide, the oil changes are always complimentary. Our Service Team can explain all details and benefits as well as answer any questions you may have regarding these services. They will always keep you informed as your vehicle approaches the recommended mileage intervals of these services.
It’s that easy to have lifetime peace of mind when you buy and service with us.
Multi-point Vehicle Inspection
And finally, every time your vehicle is in for a complimentary oil change and tire rotation, we will also perform a multi-point vehicle inspection so we can keep you up to date on the overall condition of your car. Update you on things like brake pad measurements, fluid levels & condition, tire tread depths, condition of hoses & belts, etc. We don’t want you to be blindsided with an unexpected service bill or find yourself stranded along the side of the road because no one was paying attention. We want to be your dealership for life so we understand we are in this together. The fact of the matter is simple – vehicles require regular maintenance to keep them running efficiently, dependably, and safely. The sooner we both understand the overall condition of your vehicle each time it is in our shop, the better we can help you develop a plan to keep you on the road and help you manage your transportation dollars. This regular Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection allows us to do this. For us it’s never been about finding service work to sell you, but rather about performing the services and repairs you truly need and priced competitively to keep your ownership experience as affordable and hassle free as possible.
That’s our story……it’s why we do what we do. Thanks for allowing us an opportunity to share it with you.
April e-blast templates are here! Reach out and retain your customers! These templates are included AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE to ALL Dealership for Life dealers! What are you doing to retain your customers? Give your customers reasons to return to your dealership.
Every automotive dealer believes that they run the best operation and do everything a little better than their competition. Is this true? I have the pleasure of going to all regions of the country every week and walking into automotive stores that are new to me. I can assure you, that for most these stores, the look, feel and customer experience is the same. Fortunately for the consumer, most Dealers have done upgrades on their facilities. These range from cosmetic and operational changes to complete remodeling of their facilities. The automotive buying experience has gotten much better. But, the fact remains that all Franchise stores look the same. The only difference is the employees that work there and this is where the Dealer that wants to set the standard for customer satisfaction should look.
It is your employees that are the key to improving your profitability. Most come to you with prior experience within the Industry and established skill sets that you hope will mesh with your operation and sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. It is up to you Mr. Dealer to give them an edge over their competition in both selling and servicing vehicles. You need a volume driver that will put more customers in front of your sales and service staff. All of you have tried direct mail and that is like a quick shot of adrenaline that fades quickly. You probably have done invitational sales and special promotions that are, at best, giving you one opportunity to sell something. Notwithstanding the fact that these programs are expensive!
So, how can you be different? What is something new that will put your operation ahead of the competition and give your employees the best opportunity to sell? Putting together a well thought-out and comprehensive retention program is the driver you need and must have. You must be willing to create a new culture within your organization and drive it from the top down. Your managers must buy-into your program or else you will never get it off the ground, therefore they should be involved in building the program. Since this is something new I recommend you find a professional company, with years of experience and proven results to partner with you in this endeavor.
Where do you start? List all the things you currently do to enhance the customer experience. Things that are often taken for granted but are an operational expense non-the-less. A few that are obvious are shuttle service, pick-up and delivery, complimentary beverages/snacks, multi point inspections and alignment checks, a vehicle wash at each service visit, quick lanes, etc. Then you build on these benefits by coming up with services your customers cannot resist, such as, complimentary oil changes and tire rotations, ding/dent repair, windshield repairs, etc. These can be for specific periods of time and capped to control the expense. All of these will cause your customer to choose your store for their vehicle purchase. Include a rewards component that will continue to drive your customer back for all the service and maintenance that are required on their vehicle. Keeping them in your service lane practically guarantees they will purchase their next vehicle from you. The final piece that must be in place is a robust communications component, via email, that keeps your customer informed about their vehicle, the services required and rewards earned and any specials that you periodically offer.
All this sounds complicated but let me assure you it is not. What is needed to make all this work seamlessly is data integration and software tools that are employee friendly. This is provided by your partner. Of course, you must do your part by establishing a new culture and getting your management staff on-board from the planning stages to implementation and ongoing training.
– Roy Olive
Dealership For Life was founded to create DEALER OWNED programs that allow dealers to not only BRAND their own program, but choose whether they want to self insure, reinsure or use a product warranty on any of their benefits. Dealership For Life administration can handle it all!
What Exactly is the Dealership For Life Program?
• NEW CULTURE – Total absorption with all dealership personnel and marketing
• DEALERSHIP BRANDING – Promotes your image to your market
• CUSTOMER RETENTION – Keeps your sales customer in-house for all service needs
• SALES TOOL – Adds value to the purchase of a vehicle
• UNIQUE TO YOUR MARKET – Personalized Program that sets dealerships apart
• CREATES LOYALTY – Customers earn rewards that are only redeemable for future services
• COMMUNICATION TOOL – Text, voice mail and email communication to your customers
What has been learned over the past 10 years is that if you give your customers a reason (rewards) to return to your store for all their servicing needs, your opportunity to sell them their next vehicle increases to over 85%.
What are you doing to retain your customers? Start your rewards program today and start retaining your customers.
March e-blast templates are here! Reach out and retain your customers! These templates are included AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE to ALL Dealership for Life dealers! What are you doing to retain your customers? Give your customers reasons to return to your dealership. View templates HERE
I read an article recently in USA TODAY under the heading “ Expect some freebie love when buying a new car “ The article mentioned the things Dealers use to reward customers with, such as a free tank of gas, a second set of keys, floor mats, etc. The article pointed out special perks, such as service vouchers, window tinting, manicures, fresh coffee and cookies. It even listed some extravagant incentives, such as big screen TV’s and AK 47’s!
This got me thinking about a couple of things: first, how far we have come as an industry in trying to create happy customers after we have sold someone a car. I have seen it go from service-drive waiting rooms, nice furniture in the service lounge, donuts to bagels and lunch counters, big screen TV’s, to wireless internet, all in an effort to build a pleasing environment for a previous sales customer; Secondly, just how many of these rewards/perks are so poorly thought out. What is the purpose? Are we just spending money to make someone happy or is there a strategy behind these efforts/expenses?
Most of the rewards/perks mentioned in the USA TODAY article are like throwing darts, you don’t know what the target is. A reward is something someone earns for doing something YOU want them to do. A bribe is something we give to someone in advance, and then hope that the desired behavior follows. A good example of this is when we are raising children. If you say, here is an ice cream so be quiet, that is a bribe. On the other hand if you said, be quiet until we get home and I’ll give you an ice cream, that is a reward. The items mentioned in the USA TODAY article were all bribes. Everything mentioned is nice but purposeless. If we are rewarding them just for buying a car, great but if our objective is to create a customer for life, it’s going to take a much better plan than a free tank of gas.
Airlines and hotels do rewards best. “Fly on our plane, spend money with us and we’ll give you points for future travel”. The same works with hotel rewards. They say, do the behaviors we want, book a room, spend money, and we will reward you with points you can use later. Rewards work much better than perks to create a long-term relationship with a customer who has purchased a car.
When setting up a rewards program the first thing you should decide is, what’s important? If it is the old theory of “just sell the car, there are 10,000 people moving into this state every month”, then just stick with perks. On the other hand, if you want to grow your business with a deep customer base that will support you in good times or bad, you may want to look at a program of rewards that will thank the customer every time they perform services with you.
Free floor mats are nice but for the same expense we could give them a rewards card that can keep them coming back to the dealership for years. We give customers plenty of reasons to buy here, price, payments, terms, but very few reasons to service here. Why not design a program to keep the customer in your service drive for the life of their purchase. JD Powers says that if you keep a customer in your service drive twice a year for the entire time they own their vehicle, they will repurchase 86% of the time at your store. Take a minute and let that sink in. What a great way to incrementally grow your business.
There are many ways to design a program to give a customer a reason to service their vehicle at our store. Some of the best proven practices include, lifetime engine, lifetime powertrain, oil change programs, rewards cards and customized prepaid maintenance packages. Many of which can be reinsured. These options are not perks, bribes or hit/miss. All of these have proven to keep the customer coming back year, after year. They are trackable, effective, and profitable.
So before you spend 400.00 in marketing every month to get someone to walk in the door, think about designing a program with a long-range purpose behind it. Freebie love should last longer than a one night stand. Design your vows and have a long-term marriage with all of your customers.
– Jack Garrity
February e-blast templates are here! Reach out and retain your customers! These templates are included AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE to ALL Dealership for Life dealers! What are you doing to retain your customers? Give your customers reasons to return to your dealership. View templates HERE
Dealership for Life has been helping hundreds of dealerships across the country retain more customers every month with our customized marketing and retention programs that BRAND each dealership specifically!
What are you doing to retain your customers? Is your Service Department busy?
Stop by NADA Booth #6115 and see how your dealership can benefit from our full range of dealer branded retention and marketing products. Since introduced in 2004 DFL has become the leader in administering lifetime powertrain, lifetime engine, and rewards programs for dealers all over the US and Canada. Our process is designed around many of the best practices used in the loyalty business today. Some of which include, individual customer web sites, retention generated custom email campaigns, interactive customer mobile app, full DMS integration and monthly in-store sales/service training that is unmatched in the industry.
Dealership for Life is the most comprehensive marketing and loyalty program in the country. With territory exclusivity, DFL will provide the competitive edge over other dealers.
Enrolling over 30,000 new members for DFL Dealers each month and retaining an average of 80%. Over 2 Million since 2004!
“Our business has grown 320% in the last ten years due in large part to the loyalty and marketing programs designed by Dealership for Life. Their efforts and results have had a significant impact on every department in the dealership.” Chip Doetsch – President of Apple Ford Lincoln
“Now that we have been on the program for ten years, it works as advertised. Eight out of ten customers come back to our service department compared to three or four for the average dealer.” Ken Shreve – President of Hamilton Hyundai
“Loyalty always starts with a great experience. Give them a reason to buy and a reason to stay. When your staff is offering great customer service and following the processes in place, customers would have no reason to defer their business to anyone else!” Jack Garrity – DFL Partner
“With over 30 years of experience in the automotive customer service and repair industry, Hamilton Auto Group achieved sales to service customer retention at over 90%, making it ranked #11 in the nation” Rick Manring – DFL VP of Fixed Operations
Stop by NADA100 Booth #6115 and talk to Chip, Ken, Jack, Rick, and the rest of the industry leaders.
I visit about 250 dealerships a year and, from time to time, I hear different complaints about things that are not working the way we would like them to. Some are the usual — not enough sales, can’t find techs, heavy turnover in the sales department, etc. Sorry, no answer for these. However, I think I’ve found a way to address the “customer retention is too costly” problem in a unique way.
I was in an Apple store the other day buying a watch for my wife. She is Apple to the core, no pun intended. She has an iPad, iPhone, iTunes and a Mac. To say she is a loyal customer would be an understatement. The person who waited on me was fabulous. She had great product knowledge, sold me the watch, three different bands, plus a charger for my car and a new, upgraded iPhone 7. As I was leaving, I wasn’t thinking about the $1,000 I had just spent, but instead, “Wow, what a great experience!” This got me thinking about our business, how we can create the same type of experience for our customers.
Some stores have accessory departments, and some don’t. If you do, this is a good place to start; if you don’t you may want to think about starting one. Many of us don’t sell enough cars to have a full-time accessory person. Let’s take this person and use them to build the “Apple Experience.”
One of the problems I hear many dealers talk about is they have a hard time hiring employees right out of college. A dealer in North Carolina told me, “I just can’t hire anyone with a college degree. Who wants to spend $160,000 on a four-year degree and then go home and tell their parents they are selling cars?” Here is a golden opportunity to get some of those people. Take the job as an “accessory person” and turn it into the public relations director for the dealership. Hire only recent college grads and use this as your management training department.
So, how do you pay them and what do they do? To start with, accessories can be part of it, but a very small part. They should talk to every customer who purchases anything at the dealership. If you have a branding program or a retention program, they should review it with every customer. Explain the benefits and how everything works. If you have a customer Website, show them how to set it up, and do the same with an app. Explain your rewards card, your lifetime program or whatever else you are using to separate yourself from the competition. This person becomes a liaison between the customers and all the other departments. He or she can train everyone on the customer retention program you have developed, plus track the results and review them monthly with the rest of the management team and make sure we are achieving best-in-class retention numbers.
But, like everything else in our business, we need to figure out a way to pay for it. This, however, becomes the easy part. Not only will new public relations directors pay for themselves, but it could become a new profit center for the dealership. Think about it — only 18 percent of our customers buy a prepaid maintenance program when they purchase a car. The PR director could spend time on the service drive reviewing our maintenance program with every customer who comes in for service.
But why stop there? Develop a menu for the service drive. Everyone knows that the service writers are too busy to sell product on the drive. With a well-developed menu that includes pictures and features benefits, why not offer key fob, wheel and tire, ding and dent and any other protection or products they may not have purchased when they bought their car? The options are endless. I know a dealer in Tampa whose No. 1 salesperson just works the service drive and Internet leads. When they refer the customer back to sales, they can get part of the commission.
Extended service contracts are another source of income for our PR director. Again, many people in our service department might be interested in an extended service contract if someone just took the time to explain it to them. Have printed material that explains to every customer their options for an extended service contract and have the PR director explain each in detail. Going further, you could develop an online program to sell accessories and F&I products and have this department manage it.
Every dealership needs bright young talent to grow their business. This program will not only put focus on developing this talent, but it will put better focus on creating the “Apple Experience” in our business for every customer. Loyalty and retention — the future is now.
– Jack Garrity
