Servicing Millennials, from AutoPoint.
Dealership and fixed operations retention has always been a vital ingredient in the health of a dealership. While huge budgets are spent on the acquisition of new sales customers, the service department is in the background ensuring that the dealership has a solid foundation and can sustain it during economic downturns. Keeping the service bays full and customers lining the drive is imperative to profitability. However, dealerships are facing a twofold challenge. First, consumers inherently distrust dealers. Second, the service market is highly competitive – independents dominate consumer service business with vehicles outside warranty. And for new vehicles, dealers have 2-3 years to build that trust before they risk losing that consumer to an independent, should they fail.
Many dealers have settled into a predictable retention marketing strategy – service reminders, coupons, etc. – to keep service customers coming back to the dealership and entice those who have gone missing. Past generations are accustomed to these more traditional forms of communication – phone calls and direct mail pieces – strategies that have been working, until now.
Times have changed. With new technologies arriving seemingly every day, things will continue to change at an increasingly rapid pace.