EPISODE 30
What 70% Online Scheduling Adoption Tells Us About the Future
Featuring Guest Tiffani Stefanescu
Episode Description
If you’re still trying to control every slot on your scheduler, you’re probably pushing customers away. Today’s customers don’t want to call. They don’t want to wait. And they don’t want to be told when they can’t come in. They want control, convenience, and clarity. Dealerships that give them that? They’re the ones earning long-term retention. So, how do you design a service experience that gives customers control without losing visibility or profitability?
In this episode, sponsored by DriveSure, Bill Springer sits down with Tiffani Stefanescu, Director of Performance Management at Cox Automotive. With a 13-year career spanning Xtime’s early startup days to her current leadership role, Tiffani shares how data, technology, and cross-brand collaboration can elevate the service experience from first appointment to final trade-in.
Takeaways from this episode:
- The customer scheduling shift: from 10% to 70%+ online appointments and what’s driving it
- Why controlling appointment availability too tightly can drive customers away (and train them to stop using your scheduler)
- How top dealers are locking in that first service appointment before the customer ever leaves the lot
- How declined RO data can be used to identify potential trade-ins and future sales
- The real ROI of alternate transportation (and why it’s worth it)
BILL SPRINGER
and president of Krex Inc.
Tiffani Stefanescu
Director of Performance Management at Cox Automotive
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Convenience Has Changed the Fixed Ops Playbook
Customers are no longer comparing your service drive only to the dealership across town. They’re comparing it to every fast, convenient, transparent experience they have elsewhere. Many dealerships may not realize how quickly that standard is rising. Keeping up means choosing technology and service models that fit your customers rather than adopting every new tool the same way.
Moving Beyond the Discount
A discount may win today’s repair order, but what brings that customer back for the next one? As service prices rise and customers become more price-sensitive, dealerships need to separate the offers that close a transaction from the strategies that build an actual habit.
The Trust Gap Hiding in Your Multi-Point Inspections
Most dealerships say they want to build trust in the service lane, but too many are sitting on one of the simplest tools for doing exactly that. Video inspections don’t just explain recommended work. They help customers see what you see, and that visibility can be the difference between hesitation and approval.