VinSolutions, the marketplace leader and developer of Internet-based customer relationship management (CRM) and internet lead management (ILM) for the automotive industry, and Xtime, the leading retention solution for automotive manufacturers and service departments, today announced a new partnership. This partnership will enable dealers to have an enhanced service CRM experience by utilizing both the VinSolutions CRM platform and the Xtime retention solution to enable call centers, service advisors and even salespeople to meet any customer's service needs from any part of the dealership.

"Lifecycle management is becoming evermore important for today's dealerships, and by integrating VinSolutions' CRM platform with Xtime's leading retention solution, we are helping to fill an unmet need in the industry," said Brian Skutta, vice president and general manager of VinSolutions. "For our dealer customers, this new partnership will enable them to have an end-to-end view of their customers, which will help them provide a best-in-class experience each and every time consumers engage with the dealership."

Benefits of this integration for our joint customers include:

• Complete Consumer Engagement: Ability to manage customer sales and service interactions all from the VinSolutions CRM tool. Any person in a dealership—from the sales person to the receptionist—can assist customers who call in, whether for a sales or service appointment, which will greatly enhance the efficiency at the dealership and the experience for the consumer.
• Service Needs Transparency and Conversion: With Service Scheduling 7, the latest version of Xtime's scheduling solution, dealers can put service packages online to provide consumers with dealer and factory recommendations, as well as the auto manufacturer's service schedule. The Xtime Cloud solution provides dealers with consistent and accurate access to essential information, including factory menus, vehicle history, customer details and availability, enabling them to provide an exceptional experience for consumers and to maximize shop utilization.
• Website Integration: More efficient and effective online service scheduling through VinSolutions and Haystak website integration.

"This partnership represents the first integration between leading sales and service CRM products," said Xtime CEO, Neal East. "The variable and fixed operations of the dealership can now leverage each other's strengths to access new revenue sources and boost CSI. This innovation will benefit both companies and most importantly, our customers."

For more information about the expanded partnership, visit the VinSolutions booth (#2427) or the Xtime booth (#6735) at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention in New Orleans, January 25 – 28, 2014.