First of all I would like to wish all my automotive friends, clients, associates, and future clients and associates Happy New Year !

Grant Cardone and other like to spend time exposing the problems in Dealerships, and other retailers and I hate to tell them that TV reporters have been pointing out the problems in retail for years. It is easy to take shots at retailers and film them as they try to respond to the "problems". The question isn't what the problems are it's how that retailer can solve them long term. Anyone can do a fluff video and expose the problems, but most of these creative video people can't really solve the problems long term.

Automotive dealerships and other retailers are selling products without a modern process. If large retailers like Walmart, Starbucks, and Disney made it up each time they sold something or helped a client how healthy and profitable would their businesses be in 2011 and 2012. The problems in automotive retail today stem for a number of common problems that can be repaired and these same retailers can grow in 2012.

Here are a few of the problems our team runs into as we work with dealerships all over North America.

One: The Owners, Managers and even Sales, Service, Parts, Business Office Staff, Receptionist and Lot Staff are not really accountable for their day to day activity. Sure targets exist, but does every customer get the best possible service and are phone calls, internet inquiries and social media inquiries really handled to the highest standard every day. Every client deserves to have the best possible experience at your dealership and this means a process that is followed every time by all your staff.

Do you really think making it up every day, or doing it right from time to time makes sense at your dealership.

Two: Capturing all the information "all the time", from customers who visit the dealership and making sure that they are all looked after in a professional, timely manner. Most dealerships feel that their walk in traffic and appointment traffic is down so they advertise more to increase the numbers and results. The problem is that they don't even know or capture the customers who visit their dealership. Why would you spend more money on advertising if you are not even helping all of the customers you have now.

I can't tell you how many times I have visited dealerships when I am in the market for a vehicle only to be ignored and even if the staff helps me, never to be contacted again.

Three: Most dealerships also have no process to contact their existing customer base and set sales, service and parts appointments to generate more "repeat business" for their dealership. I don't need to tell the automotive industry the cost of capturing a new customer, yet we don't put our arms around the customers we already have. With email, social media, websites, events it makes no sense that we don't contact our existing customer base on a regular basis.

If all dealerships did was service all their existing customers cars 1 more time every year the additional revenue would pay for the effort several times over.

Four: The belief that service writers, service coordinators and sales staff will make the calls that need to be made to grow your dealership. It would be great if we could re-train and maximize the staff we already have to get the job done. Why not set up a call center and have the Sales and Service Managers get it done at your dealership. The only problem is we don't live in a perfect world and making it happen with a "Hybrid" BDC setup has never worked well in the first place. If you don't believe me look at the Traver's system and find stores that had real long term success with this system.

The solution is very simple, hire and train a specialized team that are trainable and can give your customers the white glove service they desire and grow your business today.

The BDC Experts have been helping dealerships get it done and experience real growth over the short, medium and long term for over 20 years. If you want to turn your new years resolutions and projections into reality at your store call the BDC EXPERTS AT 1 877 452 2753 today and ask about our FREE HEALTH CHECK.

Still not sure, call for Details on our Sales and Service Boot Camp and learn how to make it happen at your dealership in a few days.

If you have questions, we can help!!!!!!

Ian Nethercott
Proactive Dealer Solutions
Make 2012 the best year ever with the help of the BDC Experts......

http://www.bdcexperts.com