Why the current way of managing aftersales retention is broken - And how to fix it

Emphasizing the importance of retaining aftersales customers seems obvious. But 90% of car dealers rely on manual and ad-hoc processes to win customer loyalty. Our experience from working with 600+ dealerships in Europe suggests that automotive retailers encounter three fundamental challenges when working with aftersales retention:

1. Managing hundreds of different repair codes
   Repair codes are brand-specific, dependent on following the correct processes, and typically result in sending reminders to the wrong customers and missing out on 25% of potential service opportunities.
2. Dealing with loads of manual tasks
   Manual and ad-hoc processes – such as identifying the correct repair orders, selecting the right maintenance interval, keeping track of ownership changes, etc. – take away valuable time and resources from the dealership.
3. Being reactive instead of proactive
   Car dealers spend most of their time picking up the phone instead of following up proactively and timely with customers who haven’t booked or dropped out of the booking flow.

So how can car dealers overcome these challenges and improve their aftersales efficiency?

The answer is simple: by capitalizing on their existing DMS data.

Unlocking the full potential of the DMS

There are different solutions for aftersales automation available in the market. However, some of them require complex implementation. Some don’t integrate with the Dealer Management System (DMS). Some only automate the send-out of service reminders, leaving the aftersales team struggle with identifying the correct repair orders and following up with unresponsive customers.

DMS-powered aftersales automation solutions harness data from the retailer’s DMS, organize that data and turn it into action.

At its core, extending and unlocking the potential of the DMS data helps car dealers send automatic service reminders to the right customers at the right time, and ensure customers don’t forget to book their next service appointment (e.g., maintenance, tire change, vehicle inspection, etc.).

Beyond service reminders: less manual work, improved efficiency, and greater customer retention

Supercharging the retailer’s DMS data with powerful aftersales automation, however, has a lot more potential than just sending service reminders.

What car dealers really struggle with in aftersales is all the manual tasks that need to be performed before and after sending reminders, such as ensuring that the data is updated and reliable, that the right customers are reminded at the right time, and that they are followed up with to ensure they book a visit.

Powerful aftersales automation should enable car dealers to:

• Save time and resources by eliminating manual work around service reminders
• Significantly cut down inbound phone calls
• Identify and activate more aftersales customers with timely and relevant messages
• Increase conversion to online bookings
• Maximize customer retention
  

Introducing Autoflows

Autoflows is a Keyloop certified add-on that unlocks the full potential of your DMS data and supercharges it with powerful aftersales automation.

Autoflows is a used today by over 600 car dealerships in Europe.

One of them is P. Christensen A/S, a Danish multi-site car dealership that sells Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, FIAT, Alfa Romeo and Jeep cars. Martin Ring Bjørnelund, Aftersales Manager at P. Christensen A/S, says:

“We used to spend so much time managing the process for service reminders. Now we save 2 hours per day, and get in return 20 times the resources we used to spend for data exporting, handling and cleansing.”

In less than 6 months after starting to use Autoflows, P. Christensen achieved the following results:

• 25% reduction in inbound phone calls
• Identification and activation of 25% more aftersales customers
• 30% increase in online bookings
• 75% customer retention

You can read some of Autoflows’ customer success stories here.

How do I get started?

Autoflows is deployed as a configuration-free service in just 30 days, requiring zero implementation costs and resources. And you can try it risk-free with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

If you are interested in learning how Autoflows can help you supercharge your Keyloop DMS data and unlock hassle-free aftersales automation, you can:

• Watch this video to see Autoflows in action
• Register for one of Autoflows’ free webinars to get a live demo of Autoflows
• Book a demo to experience Autoflows with your own DMS data