Service Manager Jacob Rogers chuckles as he recalls a visit from a representative for a service kiosk provider. With customer check-ins averaging just under five minutes, hours per repair order (RO) clocking in at two hours, and Empire Lakewood Nissan’s four-year run as Colorado’s top service department based on Nissan’s Service KPI Index, Rogers says the reps attempt to disconnect his department from Dealerlogix was over before it began.
“Dealerlogix is the greatest tool I’ve ever used. It drives our culture and operational efficiency, allows us to track what’s in the shop, build presentable multipoint inspections, and, most importantly, makes our customers feel like they’re in control,” he says. “Our return on investment with Dealerlogix is 20 times more than what the sales rep claimed his solution could deliver. I guess you can say he left here with his tail between his legs.”
Inspect What You Expect
Rogers' top advisors track between 2.5 and three hours per RO, which is “pretty high for Nissan,” he says. His goal for his advisors is to close 40% of the service recommendations they present — 35% being the minimum requirement.
“The great thing about Dealerlogix is its amazing reporting, which allows me to track each advisor, including the number of service recommendations they present, who is spending time going through the inspection reports, and the dollar amount earned by those efforts,” he says. “That allows us to develop a game plan if an advisor falls below 35%.”
Then there’s the software’s unifying effect on his service team, especially how the system alerts advisors and technicians when parts are pulled and priced by his parts counter. “We’ve even assigned each technician their own parts box, so there’s no waiting for the counter person when Dealerlogix lets them know when parts are pulled,” he says. “The software’s Work in Progress screen also lets advisors know when parts are pulled, and technicians see when there’s an authorization hold or when something’s approved. This keeps everybody making money in their position.”
Seamless Customer Experience
Rogers also praises the intuitiveness of the software. It knows when to update or create a new customer record in the dealership’s DMS — an integration that also makes price updates easy and immediate. That experience carries over to Dealerlogix’s Mobile Advisor, which powers the tablets Rogers' advisors use on the service drive to check in customers — interactions that begin with a review of previously deferred repairs.
“I wouldn’t trade Dealerlogix for any tool on the market today,” Rogers says. “Our dollars per RO is great. Our closing rate on service recommendations is great. Our CSI is phenomenal, and you couldn’t find a single person with a complaint about the way Dealerlogix functions.”
The appointment scheduler has proven especially helpful, keeping Rogers abreast of each advisor’s schedule, rotation, and capacity for the week. Rogers says the scheduler’s advanced algorithm also helps manage customer expectations by only showing available timeslots based on the services, advisor, and transportation type they select.
