Recognized by Automotive News with DeliveryMaxx program

Business is pretty simple. If you provide a good product, and great customer service dealerships will increase sales and have the opportunity to win customers for life.

Two years ago, Southwest KIA located in Dallas, Mesquite, and Rockwall hired DeliveryMaxx to provide a Social Media Marketing and Online Reputation program that would help the North Texas Dealership spread their message to the world. Since that time, the stores have seen an increase in overall sales by 18% with some of the highest CSI Scores in the industry.

DeliveryMaxx has developed and currently has a Patent Pending with the United States Patent Office for one of the most comprehensive digital solution programs available in today’s market. The program combines the exciting time customers take delivery of their new vehicle and their review or testimonial about their experience. With the combination of these two pieces documenting a customer’s dealership visit; DeliveryMaxx is able to market the dealership to the world increasing sales, CSI scores, branding, repeat and referral business, service conquest, and a variety of other advantages.

“The program is very simple to use. Our sales people take a picture of the customer utilizing the DeliveryMaxx app with their smartphone. Our finance managers capture a review or testimonial from our customers which is posted directly to the major review sites by the customers themselves. We provide bullet points of events and specials to DeliveryMaxx and they write customized blogs for our dealerships” states, James Seale, General Manager of Southwest KIA Mesquite.

Southwest KIA utilizes DeliveryMaxx

Southwest KIA utilizes DeliveryMaxx to help their Customers share their Wonderful Experiences with the World For 10 consecutive years Southwest KIA Dealer Group in North Texas has been the recipient of the company’s prestigious Kia President’s Club membership selected from a pool of more than 755 U.S. dealers. KIA USA President’s Club recognizes the “best of the best” dealers who achieve the highest overall sales volume and outstanding customer satisfaction. On any given day, one can visit the dealer which is known for besting any new KIA deal in Texas as stated in their commercials by company president, Bill Dickason and see happy customers. When a customer arrives at the dealership they are greeted as family, and treated to an outstanding buying experience. Customers are given the opportunity to review the dealership before they leave, given a tasty apple pie, and then the moment is captured for a lifetime with a digital picture of the customer and their family in front of their new purchase. “Since we have partnered with DeliveryMaxx, our sales have increased, CSI scores have been at an all-time high, and our customer loyalty is the strongest in the industry” says Steve Dodge, Southwest KIA of Rockwall General Manager. “DeliveryMaxx has been so easy to work with, to deliver exactly what our dealership was missing. We have always been above industry standards, but with DeliveryMaxx we are able to truly share our message with the world because of the technology they have developed” explains Mr. Dodge. “I have been in this industry for a long time, and have never seen a program quite like this. More importantly, DeliveryMaxx’s Images of Success Program has exceeded every expectation that I have had. Because of their program, we are actually selling five to ten additional units each month utilizing their digital solution program.” DeliveryMaxx was founded by Josh Deaton and James Schaefer who have spent their fair share of time in the automotive industry. They are true “car guys” that understand how to help companies, particularly automotive dealerships gain and win customers for life. “Our program is very simple for dealerships to utilize as well as see immediate measurable results in Sales, Social Media Reach, Online Reputation, and additional fixed operation revenue” states DeliveryMaxx’s Chief Operating Officer, Josh Deaton. DeliveryMaxx has a patented program that helps dealerships obtain published positive reviews, strong company branding, outstanding search engine optimization, accurate local searches engines, and a customer loyalty program unlike anything the automotive industry has ever seen. “It is a total dealership customer care program” that will help the dealerships customer return to the dealership time after time for years beyond the initial sale. DeliveryMaxx has developed a program that turns happy customers into virtual social media billboards for the world to see. Key results for DeliveryMaxx clients are increased sales both repeat and referral business, positive online reputation management, strategic result oriented social media marketing, additional fixed operation revenue, lower advertising cost, higher CSI scores, web domination, customer loyalty, and retention. These results are achieved utilizing modern technology and common sense business principles that many companies lack in today’s time.

Marketing Your Automotive Dealership is NOT that Hard to Do

Recently, I traveled to New Mexico to consult with a dealership about their marketing strategy.  The conversation went a bit like this:

DeliveryMaxx: “What are you currently doing with advertising today?”

Dealership: “We are doing print (newspaper), TV, Radio, and I have a billboard two exits down.”

DeliveryMaxx: “How is that working for you?”

Dealership: “I can’t really put an ROI on it, but I think it is branding us.”

DeliveryMaxx: “In a perfect world, what would you like your marketing and advertising do for you?”  

Dealership: “We want it to brand us, talk about our customer service, and help us sell more cars?”  

DeliveryMaxx: “At least you know what you want it to do for you.  Now, is that strategy working?”  

Dealership: “I’m not sure.  That is what we have always done.  I do know this.  We are spending a lot of money for this advertising, and I can’t measure the results.”

 As a marketer, I see a lot of marketing and advertising spends, but the strategy is all too often ambiguous at best.  There is nothing wrong with traditional advertising.  However, in today’s climate businesses have to maximize their advertising spend.  Is your marketing and advertising accomplishing your goal?

 Before we talk about strategy, let’s use the traditional billboard advertising medium and see if that is providing the best return for your automotive dealership.  The cost to design and produce a billboard averages $ 900 to $ 5,000 depending on the content and who creates the advertising piece.  For a 4-week cycle (marketing companies charge this way because they get an extra month of fees) your cost will range from $ 900 to $ 5,000 for city and interstate signs.  Many of our major highways command as much as upwards of $ 10,000 per cycle (4-weeks).  DeliveryMaxx’s offices are in Dallas, Texas and a recent price quote I received for signage on Loop 635 (LBJ or Lyndon B. Johnson Highway) was for $13,600 per cycle and an additional 25% during December.

 What is Your ROI for this Ad?  What are you trying to say?

 I am not advocating vacating your traditional media spend.  In fact, Ford and General Motors allocate 70% of their advertising dollars worldwide to traditional media.  However, dealerships must have a precise strategy especially during cost-cutting initiatives.  Too often, I see strategies that are the equivalent of throwing ideas into a fan and seeing what sticks on the wall.

Do your marketing meetings produce results like this?

 Marketing and Advertising your automotive dealership is relatively easy to do.  Motivating the consumers’ actions take some well thought out strategy. 

First, you need to identify where the eyes of your consumers are looking.  According to JD Power & Associates Automotive internet Roundtable nearly 80% of all vehicle buyers consult the internet before making a purchase.  That means, you should move more of your dollars to Digital Marketing or Social Media versus traditional forms of advertising.

Second, what is the goal or consumer behavior that you are trying to accomplish?  When considering what type of vehicle the consumer is going to purchase they research published online reviews, blogs, friends and family via Facebook, Google plus, & twitter, and then dealership websites (generally in that order).  Ultimately, your goal is to entice the customer to view your website or visit your dealership.  So how do you influence the consumer to give you a chance to sell them a vehicle?

You have to have a plan.  Social Media is not going away.  It is too convenient and immediate for the consumer.  Sites may change, but the medium is here to stay.  Therefore, how do you talk to potential customers?  There are hundreds of Social Media Sites that resonate on the worldwide web.  Sites such as Pinterest demographics are 97% women.  LinkedIn is dominated by the workforce.  Facebook has replaced many phone conversations.  FourSquare is the new GPS.  YouTube has replaced MTV.  Google Plus is the new business card.

 

 For centuries, businesses have become great their customers have advertised for them.  In the past, it was by word of mouth at a family gathering.  Now, Social Media has made it acceptable for society to share anything from what you had for breakfast to where you went last night.  People will actually take a picture of food and show it to the world.  This is no different for your business.

 The Math is Simple!

The average Facebook user has 245 friends.

If you sold 200 vehicles in a month and your customer showed off their vehicle on Facebook, you would be branded to 49,000 new potential consumers a month.  That’s just Facebook!  Don’t forget about the other sites as well as online reviews.

Now, think about this.  If 1% of those customers were interested in your dealership because of the positive message that was sent by your client, you would have an additional 490 opportunities for a new sale.

The above photo of this happy family from Southwest KIA Dallas was put as their public image on Facebook for the world to see immediate after they purchased their vehicle.  In one hour, the photo received 15 “Likes” and 10 comments.  If each of the Facebook users who “Liked” and “commented” on the photo also had 245 friends then that one sale would have REACHED 6,370 people. Remember, this family also reviewed the dealership online, and their family portrait went to hundreds of other Social Media sites.  In short, they became a virtual billboard for Southwest KIA.

Marketing your dealership is not that hard to do.  You just have to have a great product, excellent customer service, and a strong strategy to share your message.

For more information on Social Media Marketing, Online Reputation Management, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Local Search Engine Optimization (LSEO), and Customer Loyalty & Retention, please visit DeliveryMaxx.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Right Tools for the Job: Internet Technology in the Service Drive

There are many generations of vehicle owners pulling into dealership service drives across the nation.  Furthermore, they can be driving anything from a late model relic to the latest in automotive wonderment.  You pick the letter in the alphabet to define the generation...Boomers, Gen-X, Gen-Y, Millennium-Gen.  That's a lot!

As a service professional, it's your job to pick up your customer's highest expectations and maximizing profits per repair order.  Oh yeah, did I mention you've got to do all that AND get high CSI scores?  A circus juggler might come to mind as you try to wrap your head around it all.  But let me highlight the concept of Effective Communication.  Without a doubt, effective communication between you and your customer is the single most critical aspect of your success, your business, your R.O. averages, and your CSI scores...PERIOD.  Are you still using the telephone to do that?  Let me expand that thouught just a bit.

I have a Time Magazine from April 1993.  The cover reads, 'The Info Superhighway' (Time Magazine: April 12, 1993 / Vol. 141 No. 15/ www.time.com/web ).  There is a page after page of concepts pertaining to internet technology in the future.  It was all so foreign to the average consumer that it seemed like science fiction.  However, now, looking back on all of that in the rear-view mirror, it's like "(yawn)...what's your point?"

The point is this, when that article came out I was writing service for one of the largest Honda dealers in Portland, Oregon.  The computer at my write-up station had a green-screen for crying-out-loud!  The most sophisticated car in the suite of automobiles available to our customer had 24 on-board computers, very few people had a personal computer at home, cell phones were flip-phones that made phone calls...that's it, and Data, he wass a character on Star Trek: The Next Generation.  Nevertheless, the basic elements of service consulting in the dealership service drive haven't changed that much over the last 20+ years.  The tools for communication have.

The basic tenants of added-value customer service are still the same: courtesy, cleanliness, promptness, professionalism, product knowledge, effective communication, active delivery...all the same.  Yet the products are more sophisticated and so are your service customers.  My boss at that Honda store summed up customer perception like this, he said, "if you're customer has to call you before you contact them by the end of the day then you've lost their perception of a high standard of customer service."  Are you still using the telephone to do all of that?

I like to get out into dealerships and talk with the pros working on the front lines of service consulting. In fact, the other day I was at Southwest KIA of Rockwall in Rockwall, Texas talking to a few of the writers in that store. It’s a new store with an exciting suite of products. The service area and write-up area are clean and very modern-looking. It’s a really nice store. They have a consultant named Kevin Leary who’s been writing service since 1979. Do you think he’s seen some changes?! Needless to say, Leary is a valuable asset just by his years of experience alone. I was talking to him about some of the modern technology they are using in their service drive. Leary says “We’re reaching our service customers in ways we’ve never dreamed of before.” By that he’s referring to internet technology via emails and social media like Facebook and Twitter as well as texts and data sharing on customer’s smartphones. Leary also utilizes powerful write-up tools like remote pads to do the customer write-up at the car. The remote table also allows him to pull up vehicle and customer history, previous service recommendations, current service recommendations, and any current recall information from the manufacturer for that customer’s vehicle. John Monigold, also a service consultant at Southwest KIA of Rockwall, has developed an email template to interact with his Generation-Y service customers after they’ve visited him. John says he uses modern internet technology to cultivate a high volume of highly favorable CSI review responses by his younger, tech-savvy customers. Leary concedes that he prefers the telephone to do most of his consulting and communication but, he realizes the power and value in internet technology, especially with the younger generations of car owners. Regardless, it is easy to understand why Southwest KIA of Rockwall’s service department has earned the highest CSI averages in their district. Great job!
 
Another service pro I talked to is Richard Ancheta at David McDavid Lincoln in Plano, Texas. With 11 years of experience, Ancheta is the highest producing Assistant Service Manager in the service drive at the Plano store. He also uses email, texts, and data sharing with his service customers as a form of effective communication. He conveys estimates, pricing, progress reports as well as up-to-date warranty and recall information to his customers throughout the day. Like Kevin Leary, Ancheta says that “At the end of the day, there’s nothing more solid than a verbal conversation with your customer…” but the internet and technology via social media and smartphone technology make him vastly more effective in conveying the perception of the highest standards of customer service to his service customers. So, are you still using the telephone to do all of that?

Isn’t amazing how quickly technology in automobiles change? Earlier in this article, I mentioned that in 1993 a “high-end” car had about 24 processors on-board. Since then that number has more than doubled. All of those processors are synched with control sensors and monitors; it is a marvel indeed, the cars we drive today. So why would any service consultant in the modern dealership not want to employ all of the benefits of modern technology to communicate with their customers?  These customers who are likely to be tech-savvy, and at the very least, as sophisticated as the cars they drive. According to Kevin Leary, “It’s important to keep technology fresh and updated.” In other words, is your service customer’s perception of your operation up-to-date and modern, or is it lacking?  Updated, modern technology is often a large expense for dealerships, but that cost is a small price to pay when compared to the loss of customers, revenue, and low CSI in its absence.  Perhaps perception can be improved by a service consultant simply asking their customer which method of communication they prefer, “Email, text, phone calls, or smoke-signals.” Regardless, effective communication is at the forefront of every service transaction, and crucial to the success of your service business. And so, if you are a service professional working in the modern dealership today, are you still using the telephone to do all of that?

DeliveryMaxx in the Automotive Industry Leader in helping dealerships with customer loyalty, increasing CSI Scores, higher SEO value, published positive reviews, strategic social media marketing, additional fixed operations revenue, more sales, and repeat and referral business.  Our company was founded by “Car Guys”, and we make it a practice to hire the top talent that has automotive dealership experience.  Craig Rodenmayer, the author of this article, has spent years working service in the automotive industry.  His experience allows us to provide programs that are advantageous for fixed operations.