Volume 32: Take Advantage of the Latest Xtime Engage Features

Take Advantage of the Latest Xtime Engage Features

Xtime Engage now has more tools to help improve your service process while delivering a world-class customer experience. The newly released Pay Type integration and Suspend & Resume features were built to add efficiency and consistency in your service lane.

You can now Suspend & Resume with Xtime Engage

Engage users can now “save and exit”—or Suspend & Resume—a vehicle check-in at any point, and then pick up right where you left off later to complete the check-in.

Greeters and valet drivers can now greet the customer, confirm contact information, collect mileage, obtain walk-around photos, and then pause to allow advisors to sell via menus and complete the check-in. This enables the entire check-in process to be more mobile, while also increasing flexibility when checking in vehicles inside and outside the dealership.

Existing Engage users will have this feature activated through the regular product release cycle.

New Pay Type Integration from Xtime Engage to Your Dealer Management System

If you’re an Xtime Engage dealership with Dealertrack DMS, CDK Global or Reynolds & Reynolds dealer management systems (DMS), you can take advantage of the new Pay Type integration that enables service advisors to update and push the pay type from Engage to the DMS for a specific service during the vehicle check-in.

Those with Dealertrack DMS can also utilize the Service Type integration in conjunction with the Pay Type integration.

Pay Type integration improves the service check-in process by delivering:

  • A more accurate review of work performed and service estimates
  • Fewer updates/keystrokes to be made in the DMS when rolling the appointment/walk-in to a repair order

To begin utilizing these features, connect with your Xtime Dealer Performance Manager or email xti.dpsadmin@coxautoinc.com.


Fast Lane: How to Accelerate Service Loyalty and Unlock Its Profit-Making Potential

At NADA 2018, we debuted Cox Automotive’s first book about fixed operations, Fast Lane: How to Accelerate Service Loyalty and Unlock its Profit-Making Potential by Xtime’s Divisional VP, Marketing & Managed Services, Jim Roche. In the book, Jim shares how dealerships can drive profitable growth by delivering the ultimate customer experience. Through facts, figures, analytically-driven insights and dealer case studies, Fast Lane provides direction and best practices to unlock a service department’s profit-making potential.

Jim has over 30 years of automotive fixed operations high-tech experience. Prior to Xtime, Jim was founder and Chief Executive Office of AutoPoint, where he was the visionary and driving force behind the development of the industry’s first multichannel marketing platform, its adoption by hundreds of dealers and its subsequent acquisition by SRS. Over the course of his career, Jim has visited over 2,000 dealerships to provide his expertise in creating experiences that not only deliver on customer expectations, but also generate growth and profitability.

You can accelerate your service loyalty — order your copy of Fast Lane here!

Xtime Spectrum is the Proven Solution to Increase Your Bottom Line

Xtime Spectrum is the fully-integrated solution that delivers on vehicle owners’ higher expectations while driving retention and profitability, which is why dealers continue to rate Spectrum as #1 in fixed-ops products*.

Each component that Spectrum delivers helps you increase critical key performance indicators such as number of repair orders (ROs) and retention**.

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INVITE

A Revolutionary Way to Fill Unsold Shop Capacity

179 ROs generated per month

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SCHEDULE

The Industry’s Premier Scheduling & Shop Management Tool

5% increase in retention

40 additional ROs per month

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ENGAGE

The Next Generation Service Lane Solution for a World-Class Customer Experience

29 additional ROs per month

8% increase in retention

$10 lift per RO

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INSPECT

The Industry’s Best Digital Inspection & Service Selling Solution

$47 boost per RO

*Based on an independent market research study, November 2016.

**Period Analyzed: January-December 2017.

Service Star: Ferman Volvo Cars of Tarpon Springs

Xtime VP of Marketing & Managed Services Jim Roche with Ferman Volvo Cars of Tarpon Springs Service Manager
Matt Ketchum and Service Director Billy Monteverde

Ferman Volvo Cars of Tarpon Springs, Winner of the First Xtime Customer Experience Excellence Award, Uses Xtime Spectrum to “Treat Customers Like Family”

Matt Ketchum, Service Manager at Ferman Volvo Cars of Tarpon Springs in Florida, has not forgotten the simple rule he learned in grade school: treat others as you want to be treated. It’s a rule he and his colleagues abide by every day at Ferman Volvo Cars, and one of the many reasons the dealership was awarded Xtime’s inaugural Customer Experience Excellence Award at the recent Digital Dealer 24 in Orlando.

 

I wouldn’t want to work at a dealership that doesn’t use Xtime.

Xtime sat down with Matt to learn more about his philosophy on customer service, his experience with Xtime, and how Ferman Volvo Cars delivers a superior experience to each customer, every day.

How did you first hear about Xtime?

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.

Which Xtime products did Ferman Volvo Cars start with?

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.

How does Ferman Volvo Cars use Inspect? What problems does it help solve?

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.

You recently won the first Xtime Customer Experience Excellence award. Tell us more about this.

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.

Ferman Volvo Cars had a customer retention rate is 85% over the past six months. Why do you think customers keep coming back to your service department?

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?

You’ve increased your retention using Xtime software. Wy do you feel using software is important for dealerships?

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.

You’re in the process of implementing Invite. Why did you decide to do this?

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.

Please summarize your experience with Xtime and the products.

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.