Modern dealerships depend on technology for almost every part of the customer experience. Service departments use connected systems to check VIN information, access recall data, track parts, process warranty work, communicate with customers, and manage increasingly complicated repairs. That makes technology incredibly valuable. It also means an outage can bring a dealership to a crawl very quickly. Honda and Acura dealers recently got a firsthand reminder when Honda’s Interactive Network — known as iN — was taken offline following a cybersecurity incident. The system is used across Honda’s dealer network for critical day-to-day functions, and the disruption affected far more than one department. Without access, dealers reported being unable to access recall alerts, process certain transactions, pull VIN information, track parts, complete more complicated repair work, and perform other routine dealership operations. One Honda dealer told Car Dealership Guy News that the disruption ...
For dealerships focused on long-term customer retention, the first service appointment may matter more than most stores realize. All American Auto Group recently shared how it approaches that first visit, and the process starts before the customer even leaves the dealership. According to Fixed Operations Director Jim Sabino, every new or used vehicle delivered across the group’s stores receives a first service appointment before the customer leaves. If the service department is open, the sales team introduces the customer directly to a service advisor or reception desk to schedule it. If the vehicle is delivered after hours, the dealership follows up by email and phone the next business day. That may sound like a small operational step. But it can have a major effect on the customer relationship. Once a buyer leaves the dealership without a clear next step, the service relationship has not really started. Months later, when the vehicle needs maintenance, that customer has options....