In our latest Autoflows podcast, we were joined by Morten Hyllekrog from Andersen Biler and Frederik Hansen from Hampen. The conversation offered important insights into the challenges Morten and Frederik believe future dealerships and workshops will face when it comes to strengthening profitability and efficiency.
In this summary, we’ve gathered the key takeaways from the podcast – read on to gain insights into the challenges and opportunities that Morten and Frederik believe will shape the future of the aftersales.
We have identified four main focus areas highlighted in the discussion:
1. Take control of which jobs come in
2. Use data for forecasting, making planning and upselling more precise
3. Focus on data-driven and automated upselling
4. Use automation and AI to eliminate non-sustainable tasks
For at øge indtjeningen skal værkstederne aktivt styre, hvilke opgaver de tager ind, og sikre en bedre balance mellem rentable og tidskrævende opgaver.
Not all tasks contribute equally to the workshop’s bottom line. It’s crucial that the most profitable jobs are prioritized. To ensure a healthy business, workshops must take control over which tasks they prioritize. It’s not about being busy – it’s about being profitable.
To increase profitability, workshops should actively manage which jobs they accept and ensure a better balance between profitable and time-consuming ones.
“When you have a waiting list or a two-month backlog, it can be difficult to sort tasks. But there’s no doubt that if the workshop is to remain profitable, the jobs on the lift need to be of a certain type.”
Morten Hyllekrog,
Andersen Biler
By managing incoming jobs, workshops can:
As Frederik Hansen from Hampen said: “We have data showing exactly how long a job takes and how much time is allocated – but we’re not always good at using it.”
A structured approach to job management also improves customer satisfaction, as customers receive accurate time estimates and clear expectations.
“Customers are more satisfied when we can clearly tell them when their car will be ready – and actually deliver on that.” said Morten Hyllekrog, Andersen Biler
An important part of this approach is distinguishing between “green” and “red” jobs. Categorizing and distributing these correctly can be critical to optimizing workshop capacity.
“If we can achieve a better balance between red and green jobs, we can optimize efficiency without compromising quality.” Frederik adds.
Workshops have access to large amounts of data but often fail to use it systematically. Forecasting is about using data to anticipate customer needs so that both planning and upselling become more accurate.
“Forecasting is about the whole pre-sales phase – knowing what needs to be done before we plan the day. It’s not enough to wait until the customer shows up.”
- Frederik Hansen, Hampen
Data and forecasting can be used to:
As Morten Hyllekrog from Hampen said: “We have the data – we just need a system that processes and presents it, not only to us but also to the customer. So we can say: ‘Based on your history, we recommend this service because it makes sense for your car ownership.’”
“When we know a customer’s history, we can anticipate their questions and service needs. That makes the dialogue smoother and more relevant.” Frederik adds.
Using data also reduces workshop downtime by improving scheduling accuracy. By analyzing past repairs, workshops can identify trends and prepare better for future work.
“If we can use data to identify the most common issues on specific car models, we can ensure we always have the right spare parts in stock.” Says Morten.
Upselling shouldn’t be about pushing products but about using data to identify relevant services for each customer. The future of upselling lies in being relevant, timely, and personalized.
“Upselling is especially important now, as we enter the electric vehicle era where there are fewer mechanical parts. We must find other value areas, but it’s about training customers to maintain their EVs properly.” Says Frederik.
“Upselling isn’t about sales tactics – it’s about using data intelligently so that it makes sense for the customer.” Morten adds.
To optimize upselling, workshops can:
Automated systems can send personalized recommendations by SMS or email based on past service data.
“If we present upselling as part of the service experience, customers will be much more likely to say yes.”
Workshops should also differentiate between upselling that adds customer value and short-term revenue boosts. Long-term customer loyalty is built on meaningful, helpful recommendations.
“Upselling shouldn’t feel like a sales trick – it should feel like we’re helping the customer. When done right, they’ll come back because they feel well cared for.”
Morten Hyllekrog,
Andersen Biler
When upselling becomes an integrated part of the service experience, it boosts both workshop profits and customer satisfaction.
Automation and AI can transform workshops by removing unnecessary manual tasks and freeing up time for customer interactions. Many daily tasks are routine-based and can be streamlined through technology.
As Frederik Hansen said “Automation has become very important – the more we can automate, the better.”
Automation enables workshops to:
“If we let AI handle the routine work, we can spend more time on personal service – something customers really appreciate.”
- Frederik Hansen, Hampen
Another benefit is reduced employee stress. Removing repetitive and time-consuming tasks allows staff to focus on what they do best – working on cars and serving customers.
“We shouldn’t remove the personal touch, but we should remove the stress of juggling 10 tasks at once – taking calls, figuring out customer needs, and trying to balance it all.”
- Morten Hyllekrog, Andersen Biler
AI can also help optimize workflow and resource utilization by analyzing workloads and suggesting smarter scheduling.
“We’re already seeing AI solutions that help us plan, predict busy periods, and ensure we have the right staffing levels. That can be a major competitive advantage.”
- Frederik Hansen, Hampen
Automation and AI are not just opportunities but are necessities for the workshops of the future. Those who invest now will be far better equipped to meet the demands and expectations that will define the aftersales in the coming years.