Over the next several years the threat of further closings and consolidations will remain a part of life for auto dealerships. Those with the most efficient, customer-focused operations have the best chance of survival. That’s why more than ever, now is the ideal time for communications dealers to present surviving auto dealers with cost-effective telecommunications solutions that can enhance customer service. By replacing outdated, inefficient telephony systems with new converged, affordable ones, auto dealers can gain a customer service edge, reduce operating costs and add financial safeguards.
Every Call Counts. In today’s highly competitive auto sales environment, every call to a dealership requires immediate attention. Customers want their car dealer to be responsive and accessible. They also want to believe their personal representative is always reachable. An unanswered or lost call can mean a lost sales opportunity and decreased revenue for the dealership. Advanced telephony solutions help ensure no call goes unanswered and that everyone on the dealer floor is completely accessible.
For instance, a Samsung OfficeServ 7400 platform helped boost Richmond Ford Lincoln Mercury’s customer service functionality. Leveraging the system’s OfficeServ Connect function, salespeople are free to move throughout the dealership knowing incoming calls to their extensions can ring simultaneously on their cell phones. Additionally, the use of DID numbers allows customers to bypass the operator and directly reach their intended parties. Accessibility features like these offer dealerships an immediate customer service advantage over competitors.
Affordable Efficiencies. Affordability and efficiency are terms that are not always linked. So, most car dealers might be surprised at the operational efficiencies that can be gained and the long-term savings realized when an outdated telecommunications system is replaced with a feature-rich, yet affordable modern one. For example, cost-effective PC-based call management applications can help expedite internal appointment scheduling, contact tracking and outbound dialing. E-mail gateways can accelerate order fulfillment by delivering faxed orders to the parts department via e-mail. And strategically programmed hunt groups can expand call coverage capabilities and help reduce staffing costs.
Authorized Samsung dealer NTouchTel.com, of Ashland, Va., helped Richmond Ford do just that. Together they set up a hunt group for Richmond Ford that included the service cashier in the operator grouping. This allows the service cashier to conveniently pick up early morning and late evening operator calls without leaving his/her station. As a result, the need for a before- and after-hours operator was eliminated and the dealership saved on staffing costs.
