TICKLE FILE

TICKLE FILE

Postby bsilcox » Thu Jan 29, 2009 11:39 pm

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


bsilcox
 

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