Your Tools for a Safe and Active Service Department

Your Tools for a Safe and Active Service Department

The business world has changed dramatically, seemingly overnight. Many states, counties, and cities are enforcing stringent quarantine directives. In other areas, people are strongly encouraged to stay at home. In this unprecedented and unpredictable environment, many consumers may have decided that now is not the right time to buy a car. But amid the uncertainty, there is opportunity for dealership service departments.

Most local quarantine directives have classified automobile service among the essential industries that should stay open during the pandemic. More than ever, it’s important to focus on finding revenue from your service department and to keep your customers’ cars on the road. But it’s also important to promote a safe service environment, and to communicate those safety measures to your customers.

Concierge Services 

Provide your customers with first-class service and prioritize their safety by offering concierge vehicle pick-up and delivery. According to the Cox Automotive Reimagining the Automotive Consumer Experience Study, an overwhelming majority (89%) of customers already consider vehicle pick-up and delivery to be part of the ideal ownership experience. In this new environment, it’s become even more appealing and a practical necessity for some customers. Concierge services also drive customer loyalty and retention at a time when dealers must do more to keep business moving forward. Xtime offers a service pick-up and delivery solution, powered by Clutch Technologies, and right now it’s available at no cost through the end of 2020, with full remote implementation in only three business days.

Self Check-In Options

As your customers practice safe social distancing, allow them the convenience and peace of mind of self check-in options. Your customers are much more willing to bring their vehicles in for service if they know that they can check in and sign for services on their own devices. A self check-in option also increases efficiency in your service department by expediting the write-up process, which in turn drives more dollars per repair order. Plus, it assures your customers that you’re looking out for their interests, leading to a superior customer service experience and better retention and loyalty. With Engage, Self Check-In is available at no extra cost and requires no additional hardware. 

Smart Intra-Dealer Chat

Part of being a responsible business during a pandemic means your service employees take measures to stay safe, which helps to keep your customers safe too. Smart intra-departmental communication that allows employees to share messages and rich media, including video of a specific repair or needed part, for example, enables your employees to be more efficient. It also promotes social distancing in your service department by keeping technicians in their bays, which your employees and customers will appreciate. With Xtime Inspect, Intra-Dealer Chat is included at no additional cost. 

Online Bill Pay

For the foreseeable future, encourage your customers to pay their bills online. Send them a text or email request to pay for vehicle services with the option to complete payment on their mobile devices. Assure your customers their payments are secure and you are taking steps to reduce unnecessary interactions with others through the convenience of online payment options. Online payment is available to all Xtime dealers at no cost* through the end of June 2020.

As your dealership and your customers react to temporary changes in circumstance, communicate to them the measures you’re taking to keep them safe and to keep their cars on the road. At Xtime, we can help your dealership implement these measures, including convenient concierge services, efficient self check-in, smart intra-dealer chat, safe online bill pay, and more. As a service department, your goal is to provide a world-class customer experience, and there’s no better time to earn your customers’ trust and business like the present.

Let us know how we can help you keep your service department moving forward. Reach out to your Performance Manager today.

* Xtime Online Payment requires a compatible credit card merchant partner account with Worldpay or CenPOS.