Your CRM is one of the most valuable tools you have at your dealership. It’s full of not only customers, but it also contains tons of information you might be overlooking. The CRM from your service department is a great example. Do you know how many customers purchased from the dealership, but never came in for service? How about the number of people who came in once and never came back again? All of that information is right at your fingertips, and we are going to give you some tips on how to get the most out of your service department’s CRM.

Do a Little Digging

First thing you’ll want to do is take a look at your CRM in general. Chances are, you’ve logged in a million times, but now you’re taking a look at it from a different perspective. Is information being updated? If the proper information being entered or filtered in? If you see anything missing, or things that aren’t right, address that with the proper staff at the dealership to ensure you have sold information going forward.

Start Pulling Some Lists

Once you’ve gone in and investigated the quality of the information, try pulling some lists. A good one to start with is people who haven’t been in for service for 6 months. Most CRMs have an export option where you can filter down to a list of criteria and then export the names. It’s a great idea to send them an email, give them a call, or send them a postal mailer with some coupons. These are just a few of the things we do at D2D as part of our Targeted Service Campaigns.

Evaluate your Current Strategy

You might not be doing any marketing in your service department, and that’s okay. Often times, service managers are so busy, it’s hard to take time to carve out an auto repair marketing strategy. You’re taking the right steps by reading this blog! Most likely, the manufacturer is sending out postcards to current customers, or your system has an automated email generator that sends emails when service is coming due. The truth is, there is so much more you can do. Evaluate what’s currently being done and determine what should continue and what might be due for a break.

Make a New Plan

If your dealership is working with an automotive advertising agency for the sales side of the business, it might be a good idea to set up a meeting with them to discuss a service strategy. At D2D, we specialize in all things automotive including fixed ops advertising. Discuss segmentation of your CRM (how you want to break out lists) and what messages you want to send to the different segments. Put together some new specials you can use for coupons in your marketing. Don’t forget to think seasonally when putting your specials together!

With your new plan in place, you’re ready for a jolt in your service department! One thing to consider is that it’s always best to send out professional messages. Sending out “one off” emails might not be the best plan of attack. So be prepared with something specific and timely to give your customers. If you have your service advisors or a service BDC rep calling customers, it’s a good idea to give them some sort of script to use as a guideline. Customer experience is key, especially in service!

If you need any help with your service strategy, or have any questions about what you read here, feel free to give me a shout at cbeougher@digital2dealer.com!