Bring the service drive to your customer's driveway
Nationwide stay-at-home orders have more than 200 million Americans working, attending school or just staying put in their homes, trying to stop the spread of COVID-19. Time not spent commuting is now free for other tasks that didn’t quite fit into the day before, like putting the car in for service.
Thankfully, the federal government deems automotive service departments essential businesses and some Dealerware customers are even reporting an uptick in business at the service department. To keep service dollars flowing while the nation responds to the coronavirus pandemic, we recommend offering pickup and delivery for service appointments.
The following how-to guide will help you bring the service drive to your customer’s driveway in no time.
Dealerware Mobile
The keys to pickup and delivery are Dealerware’s Mobile Contracts, which let you automatically collect customer information and process payments securely from a mobile device, anywhere.
All customers who enable Mobile Contracts also get access to Dealerware Web, an analytics platform that helps you track utilization rates, average length of loan and other key performance indicators for your fleet.
To learn more about setting up Dealerware Mobile Contracts you can visit our support center or contract the support team at [email protected] or by phone at (855) 777-4785.
Setting up pickup appointments
Once you have mobile contracts configured, you’re ready to schedule appointments to pick up your customers’ cars and drop off courtesy loaner vehicles.
Whether you schedule with your customer by phone, email, or text message, you must ensure you and your customer agree to and confirm:
- Exact address for pickup and delivery.
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- Date and time of pickup.
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- Special instructions (Parking garage or gate codes, etc.,).
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- That the customer will be present with appropriate documents to complete a loaner contract.
Be sure to send a confirmation message through your customer’s preferred communication channel reviewing these details. That message may look like the example to the right.
Sample Confirmation Email
Checking in before your appointment
Before a member of your team leaves to pick up your customer’s vehicle and drop off the loaner vehicle, be sure to send a reminder text message.
In case your customer needs to make any last-minute changes to their appointment, a text message gives them the opportunity to quickly confirm or reschedule. A quick confirmation text should look like the example below.
Sample ETA Text
Completing Contracts
Dealerware mobile makes contracts fast and simple. When you arrive, complete the following process to create a customer profile and a contract for the loaner vehicle.
- Use the device camera to scan your customer’s driver’s license and autofill their information on the contract.
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- Use the device camera to scan and automatically capture your customer’s credit card number.
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- Snap a picture of your customer’s insurance card to attach it to their contract.
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- Present the device for your customer to accept the agreement terms and sign.
To put your customers at ease and help prevent the spread of COVID-19, you should carry device-safe antiseptic wipes with you to clean the device before handing it to your customer for them to agree to the terms and sign for their courtesy vehicle.
That’s it! This process can be completed in just a few minutes and research shows that simple contract processes delivered via mobile device can increase your dealership’s CSI scores.
Delivering the customer's vehicle
When the customer’s vehicle service is complete, contact them via their preferred communication channel and repeat the process of scheduling a delivery time, confirming the appointment and checking in before you leave the dealership.
These confirmation communications may look like the examples to the right.
Why pickup & delivery matters now, and how it will help your business later
We expect pickup and dropoff services will help dealerships retain revenue while sales are slow or forcibly shut down during the nationwide response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, after stay-at-home orders and social distancing measures end, pickup and delivery services will remain a powerful competitive differentiator between your dealership and others. It’s also likely that service appointments will take longer due to fewer immediately-available parts, increasing customers’ needs for alternative transportation.
Launching pickup and delivery programs now will help your dealership prepare for newly-changed customer expectations in the near future. Contact our support team if you have any questions about your fleet’s readiness for pickup and delivery, or for help getting set up.
