Volume 32: Take Advantage of the Latest Xtime Engage Features

I started in the car business 14 years ago, with a Chevy dealership that used Xtime. Then when I made the move to Ferman, Xtime was being utilized here as well. We used another tool for a while but then came back. I work closely with the BDC and that’s one of our healthier success points, in that it allows us to have great communication with our customers.

We started with Schedule, which was exactly the service we were looking for, then added inspect and Engage right after one another. Our Fixed Operations Manager, Keith, made the decision that we needed to use the platform.

You have to remember that we’re a very intimate dealership, so what I like about Xtime is that as soon as the customer sees you pull out the tablet, they’re right there with you, getting involved in what’s going on with their cars. The tablet also encourages us to do a proper walk-around and not get lazy about doing so! You start talking with the customer and it opens up a line of communication, which forms a bond with them as soon as they arrive. The old way of doing things wasn’t as engaging, and I find a lot more guests get involved on the service lane thanks to Xtime.

When I first started in the car business, I was in sales. I had no experience at first but an older sales person told me that when you tell a customer, “Follow me,” they’ll do that. Engage is the equivalent of “follow me.” Most people are used to dropping off their cars and being as uninvolved as possible; Engage solves this problem. It’s not always about selling—it’s about getting to know the customers. We probably know more about our guests than anyone. If the relationship isn’t there, you’ll never see them again. Engage has enhanced that because it gives us more time to talk to the customer and build that relationship while still being methodical about the vehicle walk-around.

As a general rule, auto technicians are resilient to change. They look at change as something bad; like, “Why are you telling me to do this?” But with Inspect, they know how to use it and actually use it. It’s a nice presentation format for our guests—when you tell them their immediate car needs, upcoming needs, and so on, you’re not scribbling a number and telling them, “Here’s what you owe” without giving them a cost breakdown. Our guests can look at what they owe in an organized, itemized way, with full transparency. Because of that, they know we’re honest, there’s no bait-and-switch, and they’ll be back to see us because of that transparency.

I think Ferman Volvo Cars won because we try our best every single day. We put our guests before anything else. Our mentality is that when we walk through the dealership doors in the morning, we put aside our personal problems and put the guests first. Whether someone is going through a divorce or a death in the family, we treat them as we would a family member going through that. You treat others how you want to be treated and you never lose sight of that. I think that is what makes us stand out is that we don’t look at our guests as dollar signs—they’re family.

It was an honor to win this first award. Our guests keep us on our toes and I think that has a lot to do with our strive for excellence. We have such a good relationship with our guests that they’re not afraid to tell us if we’re not delivering—and if they do tell us that, we fix the problem.

Also, we don’t let compliments go to our heads. It’s nice, but we don’t get too relaxed when we receive accolades—we continue to strive for the best.

When I first heard we won the award, it didn’t really sink in. But when it did, we were so ecstatic about it! I couldn’t be prouder, of my team or this dealership. You do your job day in and day out and one day, someone tells you that you’re the best. Honestly, we just treat people like people. That’s what we do. But we’re truly excited about this award.

A lot of it is attributed to us being active in our marketing initiatives. Dealerships have always had a bad rap when it comes to marketing. There’s $392 billion in car repairs revenue in America every year and only $64 billion of that comes from service at dealerships—the rest goes to the aftermarkets, namely big chain stores. Dealerships have to be competitive now, so were very active in our marketing initiatives in addition to treating customers the way we do.

If a customer comes to us consistently for service, they’re a lifer—they’ll continue to come to use for service, or when they need another car, and so on. They’re loyal. For others who might not come to us as consistently, we ca target them with deals and coupons. As for customers we’ve lost, we offer the most aggressive deals we can. I truly believe that once we bring them back here, they’ll become loyal customers.

Lastly, we never want to make our guests feel like they’re bothering us. We’ve all had a terrible service experiences, whether at a store or a doctor’s office or a restaurant, and we all know how that feels. So why would a dealership treat its guests that way?

Using one platform is so important, because having all of your tools integrated frees you up to do more things. You can service more guests but in a quality way. You can have three cars in the drive and not miss a beat with all of them. It’s all in the computer, so the technician can start in on the car instead of waiting for the paperwork. Technology has made us all more efficient across the dealership.

People tend to dislike change, and they don’t always trust technology. There are some people who still think the Internet will go away. Well, it won’t. And that’s why using Xtime has been so great—getting everyone to see how all the Xtime solutions work together helps us embrace change by being more efficient. It equates to higher CSI scores, retention, and so on. Having Xtime’s suite, which integrate so well together, makes the flow so much easier. We can keep track of everything in real time, and as technology changes and grows, I see more positive elements out of it than negative.

Dealerships have to embrace change. You can stumble and fall, but tech is the future. Xtime makes life less complicated for everyone.

What’s more, customers of ours who are older and tech-averse are getting it. We have 80-year-old customers who know how to schedule appointments from inside their cars. It’s allowed us to communicate with guests—all guests—in a way we never thought possible.

We know our customers, so we know what they want. Adding Invite gives us more control over what we’re sending and track the results in real time. That’s something we didn’t have before. Unless it’s a must-have-now service, nothing we suggest to customers is a sales pitch—it’s something to keep in mind for when you come back. It makes customers feel in control and it helps us maintain the relationship with them.

Our overall experience is awesome. I would recommend it to anyone. When we [stopped using] Xtime in 2010, I became the advocate to bring it back. The products are awesome and on point. Can there be tweaks? Yes. Is Xtime willing to listen? Always. Overall, Xtime has the best suite anyone could use.

I cringe when I hear people complain because they don’t know how to use the tools. The support Xtime offers is second to none. They’re engaged with their partners. I wouldn’t want to work at a dealership that doesn’t use Xtime.