[People/employees] It amazes me when going into a store I find more times than not, the cause are the employees. Either the person is in the wrong position, doesn’t care, wants to do it their way, has never been trained or just wants a pay check.  The sad fact is the fact that they are tolerated. One of the first things I suggest is to evaluate your current staff. Ask yourself these questions; are they in the right position, do they care about your customers and the store, do they do whatever they want no matter what is policy or procedure and lastly, have they been trained.

Processes; is there a set game plan or process in place or is it open the doors and wait to get run over by a BUS and just hope it doesn’t back up to do it again. Without a defined process on how the store will operate. Without every employee being trained and held accountable, you can expect that your goals and objectives will never be achieved.

Why spend a pocketful of money on marketing and not grow your retention numbers?  Stand back one day and just watch how your people conduct business, but I warn you – make sure you have a battery and jumper cables ready; you will probably need a jump start. You will also see where you’ve spent money in the wrong places.

Marketing; is there a monthly budget suggesting how much can be spent? This is where you want to start; the BUDGET.  Next step is to decide the best use of this money to get the biggest bang for your buck. What and how often have to be defined. Marketing fixed needs must be above all, consistent. Next, are you utilizing all forms media that are available, like e-mail blasts or charitable avenues? In today’s market you have to think outside the box to attract customers to your place of business.

Retention; is there a retention program in place? If not, what is being done to drive the new and used car sales back into the store? Retention programs are not in itself a cure-all to say the least without first fixing the employees or processes.  With most manufactures going away from the old CSI standards and now basing standards on retention this area is becoming critical. 

Here’s a thought: Collect e-mail addresses, make it a priority now. E-mail blasts are either free with the right CRM or you can have it done for pennies per e-mail. You can reach people faster and more often for little to no cost. A little slow in service or on the sales floor, you can do an e-mail blast and people receive it within minutes. I do recommend only doing it twice monthly like clockwork for Service. Think outside the box, what is a flush? A better line would be a cooling system service save $0.00, regularly $0.00. Dress it up and make sure there is an expiration date.

If you need assistance in any areas mentioned,  please contact me. Receive an assessment for half-off regular price now through April 30^th, 2011.

www.hgrmgt.com

Although I finished 2010 with an 87.8% retention rate; which happened to be the highest first year retention in the entire Nation for the Nissan Corporation, I realized several months ago that I had taken the store as far as I was able to take it.

In those 5 years, I successfully implemented out-of-the-box processes that kept the customers loyal to our dealership year after year. 

I am currently looking to assist mega dealer groups achieve high levels of success from sales to fixed ops that includes a razor sharp focus on the community.

A dealer group based out of California invited me to a meeting where the discussion was on increasing retention. Their overall service business was through relationship building and aggressive internet strategies. I must say that this particular group really understands the big picture and how it relates to long-term growth and employee satisfaction.

It’s no secret as to how the automotive industry is changing, and at a very rapid pace. Mark my words, 2011 will be very interesting for us all. I truly believe that the entire dealership structure will change, and I am looking forward to being a part of this transformation.

I am reminded of a quote:

“Life has got a habit not standing hitched. You got to ride it like you find it. You got to change with it. If a day goes by that don’t change some of your old notions for new ones, that is just about like trying to milk a dead cow.” – Woodie Guthrie

I could not have said it better!  Ask yourself these 4 questions:

• Is your fixed ops department leaving money on the table?
• Do you really know what your customers think about your store and your employees?
• Are your employees happy to come to work every day?  (Your employees are your BIGGEST asset.)
• Do your customers run to the aftermarket repair facilities when their warranty expires?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, or maybe you’re struggling with one or two, the fix might be easier than you think. To learn how to increase your retention numbers contact me at ryan.hall301@gmail.com or 757-274-3672. 

We have a carefully picked panel of experts that can make substantial results immediately which include fixed operations management, community and PR management. We offer aggressive social media strategies; Service/Sales lead generation, digital marketing strategies and team building training.

Are you ready?

Re-establish your consumer relations and take back your customers

Why are Dealers still losing ground? Recent reports indicate aftermarket sales in the Service Industry will grow about 1 BILLION dollars over the next 12 months. Are they that much better than the Dealers? Are their technicians better trained? Are they that much less expensive? Might their facilities and equipment be that far superior? Or could it be that they do a better job of taking care of their customers? What is the consumer’s perception, really?

Good questions I think. Which one fit’s your scenario, or is it all the above for you? Are there more that I missed? It’s possible. The Dealer base just continues to do business the same way they have for years while the aftermarket gets more and more aggressive finding ways to gain business. It’s time the Dealer base wakes up and re-gains their customers.

On average the consumer’s perception is that the Dealers are too EXPENSIVE!   In most cases I would have to say they are right. The Dealers continue to raise their rates to offset the decline in business. If this practice keeps going in that direction they will hand over more of their customer base to the aftermarket.

It’s great to make money and that’s why we are in business. But not being competitive makes no sense to me and hopefully not to you either. It is wonderful to have a $100.00 Door Rate, except your competition is at $75.00. The sad thing it’s not just your Door Rate causing defection. .

To answer the questions in the first paragraph, they (aftermarket) are not better than the Dealer base, their technicians are by no way better trained, they are however less expensive in most areas due to using aftermarket parts instead of OEM and their door rate is less. Their facilities and equipment are not better than most Dealers, but they do a better job with the customer with personalized attention. That is the customers’ perception.

Change needs to happen TODAY! The old saying “Remain the same — get the same” no longer holds true, instead it is “Remain the same— get less”. Can you afford to keep getting less? There are many areas that need to be looked at, so here are a few to get you started.

1. Shop your competition and set rates to be competitive.
2. Offer your customers’ options, an OEM price and an aftermarket price, let them choose what fits their budgets. Make sure they understand the features and benefits.
3. Utilize your Social Media to get the word out on how competitive you are.

That is just a start. If you need help moving to the next level please contact us to see how Harding Resolution Management, LLC can make these changes so you can stop getting less and start getting more.

Stop wondering and put Harding Resolutions Management, LLC to work for you.

These days it seems that everyone tells you to add a blog to your website.  You might be wondering why.  After all, at first glance, it can seem to be yet another ‘thing’ to take up your time.  But there are important reasons to do so.  Here are three of them:

- Marketing

Because content can easily be added to blogs, you can put current marketing information in an easy to read format.  For example, was there a comparison test conducted where a model that you sell came in first place?  Note it in your blog.  Have you started offering a new service that will differentiate you from your competitors?  Note it in your blog.  Are you having a special event coming up?  Announce it in your blog.  A blog can also be important for getting Google to index your site.  As you add fresh content, it can help increase your page rank.  And finally, the brief articles on your blog give people a link that they can spread through other social media avenues, thus increasing the reach of your site. 

- Customer Education

One of the main reasons that customers visit your website is to gather information.  While you have their attention, why not provide some value added content to help them remember your site?  For example, teach them how to prep their car for winter.  Or show them what to check before taking it on a long trip.  Teach them something special about the way the brand you represent is engineered, thus helping them appreciate the value of that brand.  What are their side interests and concerns?  Write a brief, informational post that appeals to those interests. 

-Product Placement

Last but not least, a blog helps you dispense quick bits of information relating to your product and services.  Is buzz building about a certain model that will be released soon?  Post the latest information about it.  Is there a feature that makes your vehicles unique, or did the manufacturer release a hot new technology?  Let everyone know through your blog. 

Those are just three of the most basic reasons why adding a blog to your site can be beneficial.   It’s relatively simple to do, easy to update, and can help you reach your target audience in a new and exciting way.  Since it’s something that gets regularly updated, it’s a reason to email the people on your email list.  Chances are, you can add it to what you already have in place.  Why not find out just how easy it can be to add this to your current site?

 Harding Resolution Management, LLC realizes the value in Blogging and for that reason has formed a partnership with The Kelly Company Professional Services, LLC. The combination of working with Harding Resolution Management, LLC and The Kelly Company Professional Services, LLC will insure you achieve the maximum results from your Blogs.

We all understand that our customers’ perception, desires and needs have changed. The million dollar question is; have we changed? From what I see I would have to say not at all. I see stores that are engaging their customers in social media, some on a very limited basis and then there’s the few that are working to gain the long term benefits that it will produce. 

There is a definite long term gain for those who utilize the social media tools available. That all being said, it does help with the immediate need to drive customers in right NOW!

 I have found a new tool that will help drive business to your dealership. This new idea gives the power to your customers. What are you discounting when you do market, 5%, 10%, 15% or more? Are you offering set price items, i.e. – was 79.99 now 69.99. What is your response rate 2% to 6%? If your crew does not up-sell off that of what’s being brought in and with what you paid to do this marketing, then it will be a big loser.

 I suggest you check out www.carservicebids.com. It is a totally new way to engage customers allowing them to name their own repair price. You may be thinking; why let them name their own price? Well, their perception is that the dealerships are too expensive. I suggest we do something to change that; or else the article I just read will deem true. The article predicts the aftermarket will gain over a billion dollars this year in sales. By using the carservicebids.com tool we can start to combat the aftermarket stores and get our customers back. 

Change and perception won’t occur by not changing how we do business. We need to create transformation by taking different paths to get customers into our Dealerships and the above tool is just one way of doing so, but yet there are still many more. We need to set  short and long-term goals and start today before we lose more market share.

 Contact Harding Resolutions Managment, LLC to get connected to carservicebids.com.

On average a new or used car salesperson sees 3 to 4 people a day (it may be less in these times); when your Service Advisors are in contact with 12 to 25 people a day. That is approximately 80% of your customer base that you are trusting to someone that has no training in customer service, processes or selling.

We spend our resources on training salespeople to see 20 people a week and spend almost nothing on advisors who see 100 clients a week. This could be the major cause for low retention and why we have to constantly spend more dollars driving customers to our dealerships. Then there is the Parts Department. Have we ever even entertained the idea that they may need to have some training? Ever call your parts department and see how they handle the customer? It will shock you. The best phase is “parts hold”. If I’m a customer and get that cold greeting upon calling, I’ll probably not hold for fear they’d forget I was there or risk wasting 3 to 5 precious minutes.

Can you afford to continue down this path? Are your new and used car sales that good? Where are you going to make up profits? It will have to come out of your Fixed Departments, but that will never happen unless we take a different mind set. The Service and Parts Departments need to be trained on how to interact with the customer correctly, have a defined process and then train them on it as well as how to sell.

You have a defined Sales process for selling vehicles and train on it constantly, but do you have a process or know what your Service Drive process is? I hope so, but when visiting most dealerships I can’t see one in action.

Our goal is to drive sales by developing the best practice scenario for your business.

Harding Resolution Management, LLC ―Which Lane are you in?