BDCs often struggle getting vehicle owners to book service appointments, and to keep those appointments once they do. Convincing customers to commit, especially when they’re concerned about long waits and the disruption to their day, can feel like an uphill battle, even though it’s in a customer’s best interest. And that’s before mentioning the balance of trying to keep the service lane busy without compromising customer satisfaction.
Since the “I’ll get around to it eventually” attitude is a recipe for letting small vehicle issues become big ones, BDCs need some extra support getting customers into the service center. That’s where DriveSure can help.
By integrating DriveSure into your strategy, you’re not just making the appointment scheduling process smoother; you’re providing customers with tangible benefits. DriveSure solutions like Renewable Benefits and Prepaid Maintenance Packages (for the service lane) give customers compelling reasons to book their service appointments.
From added incentives to come in for service, to reducing workload for BDCs and creating more satisfied customers in the process, let’s take a look at how you can use DriveSure to improve BDC outcomes.
Use DriveSure to book more appointments
DriveSure helps BDCs provide customers with compelling reasons to schedule appointments. For instance, DriveSure provides more urgency because BDCs can now say “hey your Honda is due for service and your DriveSure benefits are expiring on the 24th, can we get you in before then so your benefits renew?”
DriveSure’s Renewable Benefits package provides vehicle owners with road hazard tire protection, dealer-loyal roadside assistance, and emergency alternate transportation coverage, which all expire at a set date unless renewed through a service visit. These offerings not only incentivize customers to return for maintenance but also provide peace of mind and added value, making the dealership’s service offerings more attractive.
This creates a stronger reason for the customer to schedule an appointment, as they may miss out on their DriveSure benefits if they wait too long. As a result, BDCs book more appointments, and have happier customers.
What keeps customers coming back to your dealership in 2023?
Insights from Nearly 1,500 Dealership Customers
Use DriveSure’s Prepaid Maintenance package to incentivize appointments
BDCs can use DriveSure to encourage customers to book appointments by informing them when they have unredeemed services from DriveSure’s Prepaid Maintenance package. By highlighting the availability of unredeemed services, BDC representatives can offer tangible benefits to customers, making the prospect of booking an appointment more appealing. This serves as an extra incentive for customers since there is no associated cost.
In some cases, BDCs may encounter customers who have already exhausted their last PPM redemption. In these situations, the BDC can reach out to the customers and offer to set them up with another PPM to help them save money (which they can purchase over the phone or at the dealership).
Reduce BDC workload when your customers have DriveSure benefits
DriveSure benefits significantly reduce the BDC workload by incentivizing customers to proactively schedule their maintenance visits. This helps improve metrics like increasing the number of appointments set, and reducing the need for outbound calls. This efficiency boost not only enhances the customer experience but also streamlines BDC operations
Dealerships working with DriveSure often report big improvements to us, sometimes in areas they don’t expect. For example, many BDCs have noticed a rising trend where customers initiate contact to arrange their next visits, because they’re motivated by the expiring DriveSure benefits.
“We typically receive 10-15 people per week wanting to schedule an MPI to keep their DriveSure benefits intact,” says Micah Basarich, a Sales/BDC Manager of a Volvo dealership in Illinois. “Newer Volvos have maintenance intervals of 12mo/10k miles or 24mo/20k miles, depending on EV or ICE, so this program helps keep our customers in front of us more frequently.”
In fact, many customers actively choose to renew their DriveSure benefits well before the expiration date, often during a current service visit. When your customers are clear on what DriveSure does for them, you start to hear requests during service visits, along the lines of “I know these DriveSure benefits are expiring in 180 days, can I just go ahead and set my appointment now?”
This allows them to set their next appointment in advance, streamlining the process for BDCs to merely confirm these appointments. Proactive customer behavior like this lessens the demand on BDCs to fill schedules, allowing them to concentrate on enhancing service quality and managing inbound inquiries more effectively.
DriveSure handles the administrative load for tracking benefit expirations
When it comes to tracking which of your customers have expiring benefits, DriveSure handles the process, whether you’re a large dealership with an internal BDC or a smaller one with a centralized setup. You won’t have to figure this out on your own.
We regularly provide you with the expiration report lists, detailing customers whose DriveSure benefits are nearing expiry within a predefined period, such as the next 14 days. This allows BDCs to proactively reach out and schedule service appointments, tailored to individual dealership needs.
For larger dealer groups, DriveSure coordinates to deliver multiple reports for multiple dealerships, ensuring a synchronized effort across the region. This approach not only reduces the administrative burden but also enables BDCs to focus on delivering exceptional customer service by efficiently managing benefit expiration and service scheduling.
DriveSure trains your BDC to leverage the benefits more effectively
DriveSure equips BDC teams with comprehensive training to enhance customer service and efficiency. This training covers the essentials of DriveSure’s offerings, such as benefits renewal and claims handling. It also includes unexpected situations, such as a nonstandard call from roadside assistance.
In the unfortunate event that a customer experiences an unforeseen issue while driving, such as a flat tire, dead battery, or lock-out, they can rely on their DriveSure roadside assistance benefit to provide prompt and reliable assistance. This comprehensive service has your dealership as the default destination if they’re within 25 miles, helping you get customers back on the road safely and conveniently.
Typically, this benefit is handled through a dedicated QR code or phone number on the custom windshield sticker. However, if a customer mistakenly calls the dealership directly, you still want to make sure they’re taken care of.
That’s why as part of the training, BDC representatives learn to assist customers with roadside assistance requests directly, including collecting vital information like VIN and location, to facilitate the service.
By aligning BDC training with that of service advisors, DriveSure ensures a unified, knowledgeable front that can confidently guide customers, enhancing engagement and reinforcing loyalty through every interaction. Learn more about getting started with DriveSure today.
What keeps customers coming back to your dealership?
Download the 2023 Dealership Service Retention Report to see what dealership service customers have to say.
