Why Hide Your Sevice Department?
#1
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Why Hide Your Sevice Department?
An interesting comment from FoxNews, but Id like to warn the readers not to turn this into a dealer bash or I will remove this thread.
From Foxnews
Rich
From Foxnews
By Neil Cavuto
You want your new car fixed? Well, don't go to where you bought your new car. Increasingly, I've noticed that auto showrooms are a long way from auto repair rooms. Not only in a separate building. Sometimes, they're in a separate town!
I kid you not.
Dealer after dealer, showroom after showroom, it's the same thing: buy the car here, fix it there — way over there.
I hate to be jaded, but I think I know why: If you've bought a lemon or just have problems, the last thing that dealership wants is you barging in complaining. You might chase good customers away.
So they've taken the courtesy of chasing "you" away to a whole new location — far from potential buyers, to whom you could be a potential distraction.
Trust me, I've done no scientific survey here. But others have confirmed what I've discovered out there. At least four different dealerships by me have gone this route. One told me it was for efficiency.
When I asked what was wrong with the old setup that seemed pretty efficient to me, he simply said, "This is even more efficient."
Given so many automakers' quality issues, I frankly think this guy was lying. Because nothing turns off a hot-to-trot salesman than a hot under the collar former customer.
I say if you have to hide your service department, you're hiding something else. But I could be wrong. I'd like to hear from you.
You want your new car fixed? Well, don't go to where you bought your new car. Increasingly, I've noticed that auto showrooms are a long way from auto repair rooms. Not only in a separate building. Sometimes, they're in a separate town!
I kid you not.
Dealer after dealer, showroom after showroom, it's the same thing: buy the car here, fix it there — way over there.
I hate to be jaded, but I think I know why: If you've bought a lemon or just have problems, the last thing that dealership wants is you barging in complaining. You might chase good customers away.
So they've taken the courtesy of chasing "you" away to a whole new location — far from potential buyers, to whom you could be a potential distraction.
Trust me, I've done no scientific survey here. But others have confirmed what I've discovered out there. At least four different dealerships by me have gone this route. One told me it was for efficiency.
When I asked what was wrong with the old setup that seemed pretty efficient to me, he simply said, "This is even more efficient."
Given so many automakers' quality issues, I frankly think this guy was lying. Because nothing turns off a hot-to-trot salesman than a hot under the collar former customer.
I say if you have to hide your service department, you're hiding something else. But I could be wrong. I'd like to hear from you.
#2
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I think it's so the knowledgeable vehicle owner doesn't interrupt/correct the "salesman" when he/she tells that "tire kicker" about things like "It'll get 30 MPG in town", "Hemi-Diesels", "Dodges with Allison Automatic trannys", or "Ford Owns Cummins".
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I've seen that at a couple of dealerships around here. The service department is across the street or down the street.
It could have a lot to do with the things stated above, but around here I think it also has to do with land issues. They want to expand the show room and have to move the service department to do so. They don't own all the land around them and have to go down the street to find a place to put it.
There could be lots of factors in this.
It could have a lot to do with the things stated above, but around here I think it also has to do with land issues. They want to expand the show room and have to move the service department to do so. They don't own all the land around them and have to go down the street to find a place to put it.
There could be lots of factors in this.
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From a dealer point of view it's a great idea! How many times have you walked around a service dept and seen piles of broken down vehicles. I'm a service advisor and I hear it all the time when people come through, "there sure are a lot of broken down volkswagens!" The customer just assumes there broken down, they down take into consideration that the vehicle may be in for regular servicing.
#5
Exactly, no one wants to see their potential car being "repaired" because that should never happen.
Not only that, but you oughta see some of the ways the guys work on and drive your cars while youre at the dealership .. Definetly would scare off potential customers.
Keeps the sales lot looking better, though.
Not only that, but you oughta see some of the ways the guys work on and drive your cars while youre at the dealership .. Definetly would scare off potential customers.
Keeps the sales lot looking better, though.
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I sell tractors...not the same thing, but close.
Personally, we use our shop to help sell machines. Customers see that 80x80 space and know that when they HAVE a problem, he have the space to fix it, and other machines at the same time. Meaning, they won't have as much downtime when it does happen...they know it will, we know it will, but we both know that it needs to get fixed ASAP!
But what do we know...we have to sell machines that cost 3 times what a truck does, without the help of 0% intrest and years and years of warranties
Chris
Personally, we use our shop to help sell machines. Customers see that 80x80 space and know that when they HAVE a problem, he have the space to fix it, and other machines at the same time. Meaning, they won't have as much downtime when it does happen...they know it will, we know it will, but we both know that it needs to get fixed ASAP!
But what do we know...we have to sell machines that cost 3 times what a truck does, without the help of 0% intrest and years and years of warranties
Chris
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#8
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I sell tractors...not the same thing, but close.
Personally, we use our shop to help sell machines. Customers see that 80x80 space and know that when they HAVE a problem, he have the space to fix it, and other machines at the same time. Meaning, they won't have as much downtime when it does happen...they know it will, we know it will, but we both know that it needs to get fixed ASAP!
But what do we know...we have to sell machines that cost 3 times what a truck does, without the help of 0% intrest and years and years of warranties
Chris
Personally, we use our shop to help sell machines. Customers see that 80x80 space and know that when they HAVE a problem, he have the space to fix it, and other machines at the same time. Meaning, they won't have as much downtime when it does happen...they know it will, we know it will, but we both know that it needs to get fixed ASAP!
But what do we know...we have to sell machines that cost 3 times what a truck does, without the help of 0% intrest and years and years of warranties
Chris
#10
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Another factor might be that car showrooms are located in prime locations, where lots of people will pass by, in the center of town. This means expensive property, lots of rules regarding noise and emissions and also what your business has got to look like.
So it's preferrable to put the repair dep. somewhere where it's cheap and you can actually work without disturbing the owner of the birkenstock exclusive outlet and the owner of the organoprobiolunarphaseconscioouslyharvestedfairtra defengshuiwholegrain hot dogs.
AlpineRAM
So it's preferrable to put the repair dep. somewhere where it's cheap and you can actually work without disturbing the owner of the birkenstock exclusive outlet and the owner of the organoprobiolunarphaseconscioouslyharvestedfairtra defengshuiwholegrain hot dogs.
AlpineRAM
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There's a dealer in Colorado Springs (not a dodge dealer) that specifically put their service department in front, and they advertise that fact...
I would assume they put alot of effort into making their service dept. at least look flawless...
I would assume they put alot of effort into making their service dept. at least look flawless...
#15
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Yup, pretty sure.... but globalisation goes a looong way
We have the same trend over here, but it goes a bit farther, repair and sales being completely different business entities, owned by different people. Makes salesmen even better when they don't have any chance to get polluted with knowledge from folks who work on the vehicles.
AlpineRAM
We have the same trend over here, but it goes a bit farther, repair and sales being completely different business entities, owned by different people. Makes salesmen even better when they don't have any chance to get polluted with knowledge from folks who work on the vehicles.
AlpineRAM