TICKLE FILE

[bsilcox]

If things are changing for the Fixed Ops area and we are going to be looked upon to support the Dealerships Fixed Expense (absorption) then when are we going to be treated the same as the vehicle sales departments? Do we want to run our Fixed Dept. like the average Sales Dept.? They hire sales people and its Ok to have Hugh turn-over? If the Fixed Departments had the same turn-over would the DPs or GMs look at us and say there must be something wrong to have that much turn-over in Fixed. Why? Anyway just a question that I think needs to be answered very soon, Like Right Now! Vehicle Sales to Fixed Sales Floor? If the Fixed Departments are the Next Sales Floor are we to walk, talk, act and brag like the Vehicle Sales Dept.? Can I allow my Fixed Sales Team to goof off, take 15 smoke breaks a day, ride around on golf carts and not do anything real constructive to help drive customers to the Sales Floor like the Vehicle Sales Departments do in a ton of Dealerships across the country. Or; should we work extra hard to train our staff to SELL products, services, goods, and time? Should we give the Fixed Sales Staff all the tools it needs to drive extra ordinary sales numbers? Should we teach our Fixed Sales Teams to be Sales People and not order takers? I do not mean to train them like vehicle sales people but real sales people. With good sales follow-up and skills that continue to grow over their tenure in our Fixed Departments. Ok heres the real questions: Who out there in Automotive World has and uses a full blown unsold work follow-up system, something like a tickle file? Here the picture, the customer visits the Fixed Sales Floor and the Sales Person (the service advisor) spends anywhere from 3 minutes to 30 minutes in the Meet and Greet, Listen, Prime Item research, Walk-A-Round of the vehicle at the vehicle, write up of the Sales Request from the customer, signature, alternate transportation request, verify the customer information including the e-mail address, name/address/telephones/text/fax/etc. Then the vehicle gets the Inspection Process Completed whatever that may be in your store, but the Technician has to touch and rack the vehicle then the parts dept. personnel does the P & A of the requests from the Fixed Sales Person and Technicians. Then the Fixed Sales Person attempts the Sales Process only to be told NO 4 to 5 times by the customer so all the time and effort has no benefit at this visit in growing your sales volume, gross profits and net profits. Now here is the million dollar question, where does that P & A, Parts Quote, Service Quote go after the above mentioned process??
1: Attach it to the hard copy of the repair order and file it away never to be seen again.
2: Or do we do something with that quote that makes it worthwhile to the efforts of the Dealership to help support the Absorption of Dealership Fixed Expense. TICKLE FILE, Sales Follow Up, and Reminder to the Fixed Sales Person that maybe they need to take another attempt at the Sales Process or do we T/O the quote to another person to attempt the Sales Process??
What is your PROCESS, Do you have one? Do you THINK you need one? Do you THINK its worth the effort? Do you file it away or attempt to continue to sell the needed quote to the customer before they leave and go somewhere else with your quote? Do you THINK you should charge your Fixed Sales People for ups (appointments) or just give them away for them to waste your Dealerships, time, money, efforts?
Or should we in the Fixed Operations Sales Floor have a process like a real Professional Sales Organization to make sure every effort has been make to complete the Sale? HELP is needed in the real Sales Floor of Dealerships all over the country, Fixed Operations! Who amongst you has the DRIVE to make it happen???
What-When-Where-How-Why-to make more gross and net to support the efforts towards 100% Fixed Absorption!! If you have a process PLEASE share it in this forum to help you peers!


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Fixed Ops Rhino

[TheOne]

bsilcox,

You might try a paragraph or two, it makes it easier to answer your questions.

I suspect the first half of your post was rhetorical, but a comment anyway. No we shouldn't run like the front end has. It doesn't work. If it did Fixed Ops would still be the red headed step child of the dealership. Should we demand a higher level of respect, and a seat at the decision making table? Absolutely, but we also better be able to deliver on our promises.

In my experience tickle files are ineffective. There are however a couple of system that take the process electronic. They are fairly expensive but if used with a good selling process quite effective.

[jazdale]

I've seen some very good processes.
But, like a vehicle sales dept CRM, its only as good as the manager that enforces its use.

You don't need an expensive add-on to perform inspections and track denied repairs. You need a bit of sweat equity and a follow-through process that remains in place until you start seeing positive results. When this process is in place, maybe the software will justify it's cost.

You'll run into objections - this is a promise. No system will be quicker than shooting from the hip with prices, setting appointments by saying "just bring it in", and running a line with a pen down the green section of the inspection sheet (if you do one at all).

My truism of the day...
Everything you write - will eventually be re-typed into a computer or ignored forever.

[bsilcox]

The One?

You speak a lot sometimes with a lot to say other times not so much worhtwhile! I askd a questions If anyone had a Properly Utilized Tickle File Process! If someone does I would love a copy of the process. I have one I am always looking for more!!

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Fixed Ops Rhino

[calgm988]

bsilcox

I'm not sure this will help you define a process or not; what we've done is process the lost sale. We defined what a "lost sale" was. From there we were able to find what happens to that lost sale. Once, we defined what it was we prioritized that lost sale. Tires, batteries, maintenance or larger service items (for sake of conversation I shortened our list). We prioritized that lost sale, then designed an email, letter campaign that we send ourselves and/or phone call. The response has been slow but at least we're tracking those lost sales, marketing to them and tracking our response rate. What we did find out was that typically the lost sale was generated due to a)delivery of the services needed (how much, why) or, b) we didn't give the customer a compelling reason to do it now versus putting the service off. (We did this by providing email pictures & tangible samples). or c) we found the means to pay for the service just wasn't available.

Anyway, we've increased our gross profit through "lost sales" and now we manage our lost sales better. Hope this helps you develope better results.

In closing, I have to comment on the negative sentiments towards the "average sales department". I don't get the negative feelings generated by some fixed ops people. Sales people are reflective of their environment. If you have poor sales people, than managment is poor, leadership is poor, and well...
Salespeople keep product moving even in difficult times,they are crapped on enough through media outlets, they don't need to be crapped on by their peers. Let's work together through this economic decline. We need improvments but its going to happen from within!

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"focus on the purpose, not the outcome."

[bsilcox]

calgm988;

I was not slamming the Sales Person or the Sales Dept. I was looking for feedback to see what the feelings where like If the Vehcile Sales Process is going to change. I THINK that the way the Industry sells vehicles is broken and needs to be fixed. If the Service Dept. worked over a customer like the Sales dept does we would not have any service business. Service must do a sales peocess within 3-7 minutes whereas the vehicle sales process can go on for hours, WHY? I don't beleive the customer is looking for that process. If they where why is there so many people on the lot when the Vehicle Sales Dept. is closed????????

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Fixed Ops Rhino

[calgm988]

Salespeople do not "work over" a customer! Get that through your head. I won't dignify that crazy question with a response. If you don't think spending $25,000 (average cost of a car) versus spending a $1000 in service, should take longer than you really are clueless. While I would agree the typical buying experience needs to change, I would also argue the typical service advisor needs to change even more!

It's sad when someone who knows nothing of the purchase process can be so critical.

[TheOne]

Well said calgm988.

bsilcox,

If you really wish to pursue the point of a good tickle file.

The best tickle file system that I have experienced puts the original inspection report in the physical file with the hard copy. It adds the the needed work to the customer history under the needed services in the appropriate field of the DMS. Lastly it provides a copy of the inspection to a designated appointment coordinator who derives a significant portion of their pay from shown appointments that complete the recommended services.

That said the prime point is that it removes the tickle file process from the service advisor so they can focus on selling first gen business.

The aftermarket solutions that I was refering to (without recommending a specific system) are much easier to mananage, don't require additional staff, and provide built in tracking tools.

Please enlighten me, exactly where did I hit that nerve????

[bsilcox]

calgm988

Uhummmmmmm! I think the truth hurt! I really do understand the Sales Process as well as the Service Process! I totally believe that both will change in the near future! But; as a dear friend of my states and I quote "when there are more people on the New and Pre-Owned Lots of the Dealerships of the world when they are closed than when they are open something must change".

Have a Wonderfull Time thinking about that ONE!

[This message has been edited by bsilcox (edited 02-05-2009).]

[bsilcox]

The One!

No nerve just thinking! As I said you have a lot to say! Good or Bad everybody has an opinion!!

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Fixed Ops Professional