13 Ways to Increase Service Traffic

[Think Now 2009]

Great Selling to All of You! Please read these 13 items and add any NEW Ones to this List! I Think it would be great to see what all the Manufactures and Dealers have to Offer to DRIVE the Business in the Service Drive!
13 Ways to Increase Your Service Traffic in 2009 This was sent to me by a Manufacture!

1. Utilize Available Lists to Follow Up with Customers with Open Recalls
Many customers have put off getting Field Service Actions performed. As vehicle
owners may be holding onto their vehicles longer, now is the time to have them visit your dealership to get these recalls performed and provide them a free inspection. In addition,
many of these vehicles are older, so there is a higher likelihood that additional maintenance or service items will be needed. This type of traffic is extremely valuable V make sure you are completing a Multi-Point Inspection on EVERY recall customer that comes into your store!

2. Maintain or Increase Your Dealership Service Advertising
Obviously dealers are looking for every opportunity to cut expenses, but don't fall prey to the temptation of cutting your service advertising. In order to grow your service business and continue to drive customers to your store, you need to keep your name in front of people
who need service work.
3. Use Direct Mail for Targeted Mailings
direct mail tools has numerous options to specifically target customers
for a special offer. This can drive down your costs and increase your response rate.

4. Get Behind all of the Great National Service Offers. Manufactures continue its aggressive service marketing in 2009 with outstanding price point and rebate offers.
5. Get ready for SYNC version 2
We will soon release a new upgrade of SYNC, and owners with the first version will be
required to come to your dealership in order to get 911 Assist and the Vehicle Health
Report. There are several things your service department should do to prepare for the
upgrades:
1) Determine how much (if anything) you will charge customers for the upgrade.
2) Ensure your service advisors and technicians complete a full multi-point inspection on
each upgrade customer to give you the ability to sell these customers other needed services
and establish a relationship with them.
3) Ensure the customer enables their Vehicle Health Report via www.syncmyride.com!
Doing so will allow them to receive updates on their service needs and greatly improve the
likelihood that they will return to your dealership.
4) Put together a plan to market the upgrade. Our direct mail tool will list
all of your customers who need a SYNC upgrade and will have a variety of offers you can send them (i.e. price point for a stand-alone SYNC upgrade, "buy the Works and get a
SYNC upgrade free", etc.). This is a highly targeted, cost-effective way to drive traffic to
your dealership. For instructions on how to access your ConsumerTRAC lists, see #3
above.

6. Genuine Direct
Our direct mail program is the best in the industry and it is getting even better in January.
The completely updated program will be easier to use, easier to target, and more cost
effective. Your FCSD Zone Manager will be reviewing the new Genuine Direct features with
you shortly and we strongly recommend that you maximize your Genuine Direct Loyalty and
Genuine Direct Prospecting VIN counts.

7. Genuine Credit Card
With today's difficult economic environment, customers may need help to afford the services
they need. That's why the Genuine Credit Card can be so useful in ensuring your service
department can capture this business and help the customer at the same time. The card
offers 90 days same as cash for purchases over $150 and you should use this tool to help
sell the customer on getting their service done.

8. eREACT Prospect Lists for Brakes, Batteries, and Tires
If you have entered the yellow and red multi-point inspection codes for brake, batteries, and
tires, you can retrieve a list of customers who almost certainly need maintenance work on
their vehicle. By following up with these customers, you can drive traffic and enhance
customer loyalty. The report is called Checklist Opportunity VIN Detail and can be found
in eREACT under Management Reports. If you are not using a report card and entering
codes in the system, this report alone is reason to begin doing it. Customers with red and
yellow codes are "low hanging fruit" V make sure you go after them!

9. eREACT 1st Appointment Retained VIN Lists
There are two first appointment retention lists available for both new and used vehicle sales
(4 reports altogether):
FnMonthly Returned and Non-Returned VIN List - This report lists the status of every
Vehicle and can be used to follow up on customers who did not return for a 1st
appointment.
FnNon-Retained VIN List (4 to 6 months) - Provides a list by sales type and month of
customers due for a first appointment.
The maintenance schedule for FLM vehicles is 7,500 miles or 6 months; even low-mileage
drivers are due for maintenance twice per year. With softer sales, I encourage you to
refocus the sales and service team on retaining every customer for a first service visit. It
requires scheduling and multiple reminders, but is key to building a loyal customer following.

10. Take Advantage of Owner Advantage
Owner Advantage Rewards is an outstanding way to continue to drive customers to your
service department. A few tips on getting the most out of Owner Advantage:
1) Make sure your sales consultants review Owner Advantage with every customer. New
vehicle sales customers will be enrolled automatically, but they need to know that they will
earn rewards by returning to your dealership for service work.
2) Ensure every service customer gets enrolled in Owner Advantage. This is a program
that is FREE to your dealership unless they come back for more service work at your store.
What better way to build in service loyalty?
3) Ensure you are obtaining customer e-mail addresses at the time of enrollment. This
allows you to market to them during our service events and provide them special offers.
4) Ensure all transactions are properly recorded for enrolled customers. Customers expect
that the rewards they are promised will accumulate in their accounts, so don't let any of
them go unrecorded.
Owner Advantage Rewards has been developed to drive traffic to your store and generate
customer loyalty. Make sure you make the most of it!

11. Capture Fleet Service and Parts
All dealers have no-charge access to the Quality Fleet Care (QFC) website which contains
fleet business reports for the past 10 years at their dealership. The reports provide detailed
visiting fleet repair information including VIN and Repair Order to get contact information.
Remember, if they haven't been back to your dealership in more than 6 months, they
probably aren't still your customer!! To access this info, go to FMCDealer > Parts & Service
tab > Service tools (left menu) > Fleet Service > Quality Fleet Care Website , then click
on the "Dealer Business Report" under the Online Reports tab.
Dealers who participate in the Business Preferred Network (BPN) can request fleet
prospects in their area for only 10 cents a name! (Ford pays an additional 10 cents per
name to subsidize the cost.) The prospect info will include the business name, phone
number, fleet count, Duns number, and SIC code. To access this info, go to FMCDealer >
Parts & Service tab > Service tools (left menu) > Fleet Service > Business Preferred
Network Dealer Web Site , then click on "About Commercial Connection Database" under
the "Prospects" heading.
Certified Parts Wholesaling Dealers (CPWDs) can also utilize the following link for parts and
service opportunities with fleets:
http://partswholesaling.dealerconnectio ... ewlist.asp
Follow these simple steps:
1. Create a custom list name (i.e. Fleet Prospects)
2. Enter in the desired zip code
3. Select your mileage radius
4. Check the boxes listed: Fleets with repair facilities and fleets without repair facilities
5. Click Submit and you are all set!

12. Preferred Fleet Vendor Enrollment (Quick Lanes only)
Quick Lane is now a preferred vendor for six national fleet companies. By enrolling in the
vendor agreements, your Quick Lane will be noted as a preferred service and maintenance
location for their customers. To register for the agreements, see your zone manager and/or
logon to the Quick Lane site.

13. Sell ESP
FnSell ESP on the service drive. Present ESP to ALL applicable customers and staple
an ESP brochure with a business card to the customers RO.
FnRecontact all non ESP customers within 3/36. Mail them a Happy Anniversary card.
FnAdvertise/Market ESP in your customer waiting area. Develop a custom flyer to
display and reinstate the ESP 100% refund certificateKif the plan is not used.

Thanks a Bunch for any and all Ideas!!!!


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Did I Make You Think?

[sp7128]

don't hire a consultant (like the one above) for any ideas......

[Think Now 2009]

sp7128 !! ??

What makes you think I am a Consultant? I am just a hard working Fixed Ops Pro trying to drive business and these are the things I am receiving from ONE of the Manufactures I have the responsibility to cover.......

THINK Hard maybe you will learn something!!

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Did I Make You Think?

[KA]

Think Now :
I have read some of your current and past posts . Are you employed by Mike Brescia ?
What car line ? What city and state ?

[skittlecar1]

I have to absolutley laugh when someone thinks that advertising through direct mail is a good idea. Don't these people get mail themselves at home? Doesnt junk mail go directly in the trash? Do people actually sit down and go through all that crap??

[byoung]

It's interesting why some of the profiles read as they do. Are you ashamed of your position with a company or organization, do you really want to help other people in your profession, do you really want to share good business practices, do you have valid questions or responses, or is this just a "glorified Craigs List Rant and Rave", or just another way to advertise?

Sorry, just my point of view.

Personally, I welcome good information and enjoy sharing my experiences related to my specific field. I have been a Parts Manager/Service Manager, Warranty Clerk/ for over 40 years, and by far I am far from "Knowing-It-All". I love my job and I really enjoy the interaction with knowledgeable people.

Bob Young

[Think Now 2009]

Good Morning All;

I am not a Consultant or Marketing Guru! Just an honest, hard working Fixed Ops Pro, Which is trying to do everything Possible to drive Business into my stores! I get a lot of Information out of the forums but so many of you have your heads in the sand and have no clue as to what is happening in the Retail Automotive Business! All you are concerned about is what is directly in front of you or your stores.

GET OUT OF THISE BOXES! EAT YOUR FROG! EAT THAT ELEPHANT ONE PIECE AT A TIME! CHANGE! CHANGE!

That is what happening right in front of you! Get out and beat your COMPETITION in your market areas! It won't happen sticking you head in the sand and hoping these current issues are going to go away anytime soon! I have been in this Business since 1967 on the Wholesale Side and a ton of years in the Retail Side. I have worked for many product lines Foreign and Domestic and I have owned and run 3 different Independent Operations over the years. I am currently in a large Retail Operation in the West! But! I can tell all of you there is a LIGHT and its being and becoming the BEST SERVICE Operation in your Market Areas! Those of you in Domestic stores "THINK Retail" Those of you in Foreign brand stores, you do not have the cat by the tail! The aftermarket is going to come after your lunch and dinner pail very hard!! The question is do all of you in Dealer World "THINK RETAIL"????
If you don't you better start and we all have a long way to go to get to the retail mentality that our Competitors. They spend millions on ways to attract our customers that we have a beginning relationship with, The vehicle sale! "THINK RETAIL"!!

If those of you in Dealer World dont think your Dealers are looking at FIXED right now to help them survive YOU do not belong in this business! This is the BEST of times for a Fixed Operation. We are going to get more attention that we ever have! THINK RETAIL!


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Did I Make You Think?

[KA]

Think we are stupid (sp?) :

I take offense to what your are saying.Speaking only for myself I would have to say that most all of us on this site are here for the same thing = GROSS PROFIT . We bounce things off each other and are constantly looking for ways to increase business. We all know that customers dont lay down in front of us and more often than not our fixed operations "pay the rent".

I have looked at many of your past posts and have noticed a trend that you get really defensive.I have not been in the business as long as you ( only 28 years ) , but you seem to be really EVASIVE . Almost like a motivational speaker or telemarketer....

You say "Fixed op's pro" in the first section ,then in the last "If those of you in Dealer World". So are you CURRENTLY employed at a New Car Dealership ?

You say in your post "Wholesale" and "Retail" ? What does that mean ? Napa ? Carquest ? Walmart ?

Take a minute to read your own post(s) (LET ALONE YOUR USER NAME AND SIGNATURE ) , and you might understand why we all question your motive(s)......

[KA]

read above

[KevvyG]

Well, let's see. I have been around the Parts biz for 24 years, a little over 10 in management. This line in particular stuck out for me as I have heard it from more than one consultant.....

"and I have owned and run <<insert whatever number here>> different Independent Operations over the years"

...which always makes me think, "Well gee, if you really did have the tiger by the tail...you'd still be running a successful "Independent Operation"!.

Just an observation, nothing more....