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Parts managers and Service managers face the biggest challenges in increasing profit for services and monitoring the ROI of third-party resources. 

Today, fixed operations are faced with an even more urgent need to increase revenue, while inventory shortages result in unmet needs and plenty of backorders. 

How can a dealership create a successful parts department and a thriving service lane under the current conditions? The answer is simple yet complex.

You have the Insignia Group system, and you’re pretty sure you’re selling accessories to customers, so now what do you do?

Find out if it’s true! Our system is great for presenting accessories, tracking orders, creating new product bundles, adjusting pricing across the board, and making fixed operation jobs more effective. All those things are wonderful—until you discover that only half the teams that are supposed to be using it are actually using it.

Today, the automotive industry is in critical need of strong leadership. The nature of car buying continues to bend and reshape itself amid the ongoing challenges initiated in 2020. 

Though the term “Dealer Principal” can sometimes be used interchangeably with “General Manager,” this article is geared toward dealership owners. 

Exceptional customer service and high-integrity business practices start at the top of any owner’s priorities! To become a successful Dealer Principal, you’ve got to start with perfecting your own skillset as a leader, customer service manager, salesperson, parts expert, and service strategist. 

Here are three tips for setting yourself apart:

Consumers Want to Connect

The world is increasingly impersonal, with self-checkout, automated answering services, social media, and online shopping. It would be easy to assume consumers don’t care about a personal touch anymore. It turns out that’s not true. 

An article from McKinsey & Co. states, “The Next in Personalization 2021 Report reveals that companies who excel at demonstrating customer intimacy generate faster rates of revenue growth than their peers. And the closer organizations get to the consumer, the bigger the gains.”

What does that mean for selling online? Here are a few things you can try:

• Connect with your customer with a welcome video. 
• Include parts staff directory with a fun fact and photo about each to make them memorable.
• Utilize live chat with a person, not a bot!
• Show accessories on the vehicle for better understanding and visualization. 
• Send personal follow-ups and thank you messages.

Dealership service advisors have the opportunity for upward mobility. With a high school diploma and some automotive education or experience, you can begin your career as a service advisor with a clear path for advancement. 

From there, becoming your dealership’s top service advisor will increase your salary and put you on the path to climbing the ladder. Whether your plan is to become the top service advisor—and maybe, eventually, a service manager, or even a general manager—it starts with excelling in your current role. 

In an ideal world, your dealership supports your advancement and offers continuing service advisor training to help you improve. If that’s not the case, there are things you can do to create your own success. 

Follow these dealership service department best practices to become the top service advisor in your store by 2023!

The growth of electric vehicles is only increasing, and this growth will touch every department in the dealership. 

Specifically, the service department. 

Electric vehicles have fewer mechanical parts, which means fewer after-sales service appointments. And while consumers will undoubtedly continue to have maintenance issues, electric vehicles will significantly lessen foot traffic in the service department.

Welcome to your new role as an integral part of dealership operations! 

Fixed operations are enhanced by the service manager working hand in hand with the parts department. The service lane can generate new revenue, boost CSI scores, and increase accessory sales when run properly. 

As the service manager, you’ll become the most indispensable aspect of a well-run store. You’ll wear many hats, and be required to change them often. Here are some tips to ensure your success!

You just landed a new job selling cars. Maybe you’ve got the stereotypical car salesman in your head, and you’re unsure how to approach your customers. The good news is, it’s not as hard as you think. It’s simple—follow a proven process, and it works! 

First, know that someone walking into the dealership doesn’t equate to a qualified lead. It’s your job to qualify the customer to determine whether they’re serious about buying a car or not. You can easily find that out during your needs assessment, which will be your first step. 

The check engine light in a car is a warning sign of an underlying problem. Objections are no different. They’re a sign to point you to the actual problem.

Every day, car salesmen and women do mental gymnastics to get a car sold. At first, it can be strenuous and stressful—so practicing overcoming objections will make you more skilled. Before long, you'll be flipping over that balance beam with grace.

Selling accessories at the point of sale can also bring objections. Learning to bend without breaking in this arena offers enormous payoff. Within 90 days of purchase, 80% of your customers will accessorize their car. You can be sure that they’re going to buy accessories somewhere. 

Learn to overcome these common objections and get that cash back in your pocket.

Every car salesperson knows that the sales process starts as soon as you meet the customer. 

A customer walks into your dealership and sits down at your desk. Building rapport is strategically interwoven with an assessment that lets the salesperson know what their customer wants and needs. When the needs assessment is appropriately thorough, the first walkaround comes easily. 

If you’ve ever struggled to sell a car (so basically…everyone), read on to see how three walkarounds per customer can improve your odds of delivering a vehicle your customer can’t turn down.