How To Engage Technicians with Technology
We hear it all the time from dealers. They have difficulty keeping techs and advisers in their service lane from leaving their jobs. There are many reasons, including pay and benefits, but a recurring one is that the employees are frustrated with the technology they use in the dealership.
That’s interesting, considering technology is supposed to make their job easier, not harder. Yet, we repeatedly hear that employees are frustrated with the technology they use because it’s either hard to use and navigate, not intuitive, or doesn’t automate the time-consuming manual tasks they must do. And if your techs and advisers are having difficulty using the software and getting frustrated, how does that translate to the customer? If your team that uses it daily is having a hard time with it, how will customers be able to use something they only see a couple of times a year?
Your service lane technology should be efficient, easy to use, and simplify your employees’ and customers’ lives. That’s the mantra we use here at Vehlo. We want our technology, from Dealerlogix, Rapid Recon, Text2Drive, eAdvisor, and Velocity, to be so simple and easy to use that it keeps your customers coming back and is a recruitment tool for getting people to stay and work at your dealership.
Your technology should do three things to keep your employees and customers happy.
1. Streamline Workflows:
- Digital Vehicle Inspections: Ditch the paper and pen. Tablets with integrated software allow for efficient, accurate inspections with photos and videos, increasing transparency and customer trust.
- Mobile Service Advisors: Empower advisors with tablets to move around the service lane, interact with customers, access vehicle history, and generate estimates on the spot.
- Automated Communication: Implement systems that send automatic appointment reminders, service updates, and follow-up messages, reducing manual tasks and improving customer satisfaction. This keeps your customers coming back for the vehicle’s lifecycle and then when they’re ready for a trade or new vehicle purchase.
Enhance Efficiency:
- Integrated Systems: Ensure seamless data flow between the DMS, CRM, and other service lane tools, eliminating duplicate entries and saving valuable time.
- Real-time Data: Provide technicians and advisors instant access to vehicle history, repair manuals, and parts availability, enabling faster diagnostics and repairs.
- Predictive Maintenance: Use software that analyzes vehicle data to predict potential issues. This allows for proactive service recommendations and increased revenue. This keeps your customers coming back into your service lane, increasing revenue and potential sales.
3. Improve Job Satisfaction:
- Reduced Administrative Burden: Automate routine tasks like paperwork and scheduling, freeing technicians and advisors to focus on customer service and vehicle repairs.
- Empowered Decision-Making: Provide access to comprehensive data and analytics, enabling informed decisions and increased ownership of the service process.
- Be Intuitive: Ensure the technology is so easy to use that it becomes almost second nature for your employees. Make sure they have all the training they need to use the tools in their sleep. This will make it a tool they can use rather than a burden they don’t want to even think about.
By embracing the right technology, dealerships can create a more efficient, engaging, and rewarding work environment. This will lead to increased employee retention and improved customer satisfaction that keeps them coming back. We want our technology to be so easy to use that techs and advisers want to stay and work at your dealership because you have our solutions.
Euwart Anderson
EVP & General Manager, Dealerships
Article originally published in Auto Success Magazine March 2025.
