Create a “captive” audience for accessory sales
Are you finding yourself with an abundance of accessories, including expensive entertainment centers and navigation systems? Is the normal promotion with the showroom displays and spiffs for salespeople bringing no results?
Try installing the showroom display model into your shuttle van so they become interactive with the merchandise and the driver has a captive audience every morning and every afternoon. This is a much better way for the salespeople to show off the accessories.
Analyze the service-selling effort
Do you have a system of tracking what is being sold on the service drive?
Here is a simple management tool that all service managers should use — the 100 RO Analysis. For this analysis, all you need is a form to collect the data and 100 consecutive customer pay repair orders. Then simply keep a running total from each repair order of the services performed, the year of the vehicle serviced, and the number of labor operations performed.
As you analyze this data, here are some questions to consider:
Are service advisors discounting labor? How many one-item repair orders are we writing? Are service advisors selling service or taking orders? Are they spending enough time with the customer? Are we able to upsell from our specials? How old are the cars we service?
Remember, we must “inspect what we expect.” Have your service manager perform this simple task each month. You'll see a positive effect on your effective labor rate and hours per repair order.
Avoid unnecessary collection efforts
Is your office manager tired of chasing NSF checks? Do you look at your tele-check expense and cringe?
You might want to consider an instant funds transfer service. These services allow you to scan a check and instantly find out if the funds are in the customer's account. IF they are, the check is endorsed as converted to ACH or electronic transfer. That night the funds are transferred, and you have your money.
With “hold” checks, you can scan them and know if there are funds available in the account. If the funds are there, you convert the check to ACH and the transfer is made that night. When you have an NSF check you can monitor the account for adequate funds and facilitate the transfer instantly. The funds are zapped out. No more negotiating with the check guarantee service. This saves time and money. There is no outside check guarantee service involved. Only a very small transaction fee for actual checks converted to ACH status. Implement this idea and your office manager will appreciate it.
Money-making minutes is provided by NCM Associates in conjunction with the Automotive Satellite Television Network (ASTN).
