Ways to increase Customer satisfaction by lowering the time a customer spends in a dealership For Nick Oliver & John Rossingold
Jul 29, 2015
Ways to increase Customer satisfaction by lowering the time a customer spends in a dealership
For Nick Oliver &
John Rossingold
Why the need for reform?The average American spends anywhere from
4-6 hours in a single dealership to buy a car.Our average customer service survey results
are 75% satisfied, the main reason for negative results is time.
An average minor service repair takes more than an hour and a half.
A major service repair averages 21 days in our service department.
Service customer surveys results are 82% satisfied, the main reason time.
My Goals To find a way to grow AutoNation by
speeding up the car buying processShorten the amount of time a customer
spends in a dealership for up to two hoursIncrease customer surveys by at least 10% in
both sales and servicesIncrease the amount of referrals created by
satisfied customers bragging to there friends.
How will we work together to accomplish those goals?
Create a better pre-approval system online Lower all prices to eliminate negotiationsSchedule more appointments by doing more work
online, eliminating any potential time wasted on waiting for a salesman
Train all salesmen on the products and offers in finance
Add three more service bays for just oil changesAdd two senior service tech’s as supervisors Increase the amount of storage for parts to have a
larger inventory of parts available
How will we work together to accomplish those goals?
Create a better pre-approval system online:Set up a secure system online for customersMake it easy to use and understandWill give customers a price range before they
come in and have us tell themEliminate the need for a finance director to
get approval from the bank
Create a better pre-approval system online:Benefit: Risk:
Eliminate time spent waiting for an answer from the banks on approval
Eliminate potential public embarrassment on a credit denial
Give customers a budget to work with before coming in
Discourage customer from trying
potential Identity hazard with all information online all the time
How will we work together to accomplish those goals?
Lower all prices to eliminate negotiations:AutoNation already has market pricingMark down to a fixed amount above cost on
each vehicleSalesman is prepared to show numbers
confidently with proof of cost
Lower all prices to eliminate negotiations:Benefit: Risk:
Eliminate back and forth negotiations
Save large amounts of time of back and forth between management, salesman, and customer
Avoid angry talks over numbers
Cut company profits per car
lose customers to special “sales” and incentive deals from other dealerships.
Struggle to have customer trust in true “cost of car”
How will we work together to accomplish those goals?
Schedule more appointments by doing more work online, eliminating any potential time wasted on waiting for a salesmanEnsure customers have salesman to work
withHave salesman that are more prepared and
already had discussions with what the customer wants
Use the internet to its full advantage
Schedule more appointments by doing more work online, eliminating any potential time
wasted on waiting for a salesmanBenefit: Risk:
Eliminate waiting for salesman
Have all salesman prepared for customers before they come in
Designated times to ensure the dealership is busy throughout the day instead of in spirts
Over relying on the customer to come in when they say they will.
Anger the customer by not being able to work around there schedule.
How will we work together to accomplish those goals?
Train all salesmen on the products and offers in finance:Teach every salesman how to do the legal
paperwork to buying a carTeach every salesmen the extra knowledge to
sell extra products Work with all managers to ensure the proper
paperwork will be done be by each salesman
Train all salesmen on the products and offers in finance:
Benefit: Risk:Maintain relationship
between salesman and customer
Eliminate time waiting for the finance directors
Keep customer with the same employee the entire time
More hands touching money
More responsibility on the salesmen
More training cost for corporation
How will we work together to accomplish those goals?
Add three more service bays for just oil changes:
Take advantage of the extra space in the back of the dealership service area
Distinguish service tech’s from quick lane specialist (oil change department)
Will separate standard repairs from basic routine maintance
Add three more service bays for just oil changes:
Benefit: Risk:Increase available area
for service techs to preform repairs, and more room for oil changes
Speed up the quick lane service process
Open up the service techs to more detailed repairs for their special skills
Potential oil changes are not performed properly
Loss of spare space in the back of the dealership
Cost of paying quick lane associates
How will we work together to accomplish those goals?
Add two senior service tech’s as supervisors:Take the two top service techs and have them
inspect all work as it is doneInstruct them to lead with their knowledge
working with them as peers not as people in charge, leaving the service managers still in charge
Allow the techs to ask questions to the veteran techs in charge to ensure work is done properly
Add two senior service tech’s as supervisors:
Benefit: Risk:Ensure all work is done
rightSpeed up long term
repairs by having floating help
Have a veteran mind to answer questions any other techs may have
Two extra salaries to payConflicting opinions on a
repair
How will we work together to accomplish those goals?
Increase the amount of storage for parts to have a larger inventory of parts available:Make use of all available space on the lotCreate a more organized parts storage centerAllow for the dealership to use all space and
have more parts for the both short and long term repairs
Increase the amount of storage for parts to have a larger inventory of parts available:
Benefit: Risk:Speed up part searching
processGreater supply of parts
on hand, eliminates time waiting for parts
Speed up repairs by having set parts on sight
Cost of storage siteCost of salary to keep
track of storage inventory
Increased potential wasted inventory if parts are on sight that are never used
Final Recommendations:Implement a strong secure website in order
for all of our customers to submit all credit applications online
Have the salesmen trained up on all the finance products and numbers
Add two senior service advisors to oversee the long term repair process
Increase our supply of parts on the ground at the dealership
References:Austrailian Governement initiative. (2010). Your Identity. Stay Smart Online.AutoNation. (2014). Service department. AutoNation/service.com.Autotrader. (2012). How Long Will It Take to Buy a Car? AutoTrader.com.Cox, J. (2013). Buying a car, behind the scenes. Autotrader.com.Myers, S. (2014, November). Head Searvice Tech. (B. Cope, Interviewer)