Over the past few years, managers have been working to turn every stone in the
dealership regarding opportunities. One phenomenal idea created is called an
“upgrade” or “exchange” program. If you’re not up to speed, a sales associate
spends time in the service lane, and their job is to speak to potential service
customers and work to convert that customer to a new vehicle sale AND retain a
trade from the transaction. There are many benefits to working with a client this way
and generating a lead in this manner; the biggest advantage is that the customer and
the vehicle are in the building without having to set an appointment for a sales pitch.
The second benefit is that they’re NOT in the market, so they’re not shopping you.
When working their leads correctly, a vehicle exchange specialist [VES] should be
able to determine which customers are in the correct position to present an
opportunity. Depending on whether the customer is coming due on a lease, they
have never been in for service before, or their vehicle is on its last leg, there are
plenty of scenarios to work with daily. They should be working to create a
comfortable relationship with the service customers in the waiting lounge, and they
should also create a good relationship with the service advisors. This is crucial
because when the departments cohesively work together, the customer wins every
time.
Communication between the departments and the efficiency of how details are
processed should be quicker. The used car manager should have an even better idea
of trade value when the vehicle is in for service since they’re essentially getting a
free multipoint before having to put a number on the car. Having one person to
assist both departments and the customer is always a great way to ensure all
necessary details are handled, and the customer has a reference point throughout
the process. Even if the customer doesn’t plan to purchase right away, if their
experience in service was good, they are likely to return to that sales department
and their VES before going anywhere else.
It really all comes down to excellent customer service and making the dealership
look like a cohesive team instead of separate departments. With that being said, can
a VES be a detriment? The answer to this is – if they are not up to speed on what
vehicles and customers are appropriate to present to and their communication
between both departments is poor – then yes. A VES needs to be able to
communicate with service advisors, managers, and customers during the entire
process. If they cannot communicate with all of those parties from the start of the
process, then they are not the right person for the job. A skilled VES can never be a
poor asset to either department or its customers.
As the COO | Partner of Phone Ninjas, Chris delivers leadership, coaching, and mentorship to 55 team members providing software sales and phone skills coaching. He fosters powerful partnerships and collaborations with leaders across various business sectors, establishing expectations, communicating vision, and escalating performance to maximize productivity and effectiveness.
Chris is an innovation-driven business executive with over 25 years of experience delivering leadership to teams of up to 75 overseeing development, launch, and sale of website lead acquisition, reconditioning process software systems, and technology that support automotive dealerships across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
