Finding innovations to help your service department stay efficient can pay big dividends to your dealership. To give you a head start in your hunt for the most impactful technologies, check out these trends, specifically meant to help you get more cars through the service lane faster, make it easy for customers to say yes to recommendations, and drive profits in 2023 and beyond.
Technologies that Build Trust
Trust might be the single most important factor in the car owner-service department relationship. Your customers trust you to provide recommended repairs and follow through on your promises. When trust (and more specifically, information) is lacking, your customers will find another place to service their cars. Technologies that can help you bridge this information gap and build trust between customers can bring in more business, improve retention, and increase your service department’s overall profitability.
Starting with the very beginning of the service relationship, look for technologies that can help you create uniformity in your quoting process. When customers get a different quote for the same service, every time they contact your service department, they may question your intentions, even if they’re good. Technology that allows you to store quotes in your system, while also allowing you to convert those quotes into appointments, creates consistency, accuracy, and helps you build trust with your customers.
When it comes to the actual inspection and repair approval process, trust is paramount. Seek out technologies that break down barriers between what you and your customers can (and can’t) see. Leverage everyday devices that are already in your customers’ hands to give them an inside look at the repair process. Use technologies that facilitate sending pictures and video of needed repairs, along with ASR approvals. Doing so can help you foster a healthier, more trusting relationship with your customers and get more ASRs approved faster.
Technologies that Maximize Service Capacity
Every dealer service department can diagnose and repair a vehicle. Those service departments that optimize available time and technician talent to service more cars in less time are significantly more profitable. It’s a balancing act that favors prepared, well-organized service departments. In 2023, look for technologies that allow you to maximize every service minute and get the very most out of your team and your service department.
Start with your scheduling technology. Are you overselling or underselling shop capacity? Do you have peak bottleneck times, followed by periods of downtime for your team? Find a scheduling software that can help your team optimize service capacity and enjoy a smoother service experience — for your team as well as your customers. That might mean incorporating technologies like text confirmations and reminders and vehicle history, so you can keep cars flowing through the service lane with minimal complications or interruptions.
When it comes to interacting with customers, a fully digital service experience from booking to payment, can free up your advisors and technicians' time and help you optimize your service capacity. In addition, a digital multipoint inspection process can help you maximize your shop control and identify additional revenue opportunities in less time. If you’re feeling understaffed in your service department, you might not need to hire new employees, you might just need a service technology that can help you get the most out of the talent you already have.
Conclusion
As you consider new technologies to grow profits in 2023, your service department is key. Find and incorporate solutions that can help you build trust with your customers and maximize your service capacity.
When you pair the right service technology with a great service team, you get more cars through the service lane faster, make it easy for customers to say yes to recommendations, and drive profits for your dealership.
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