Breaking the Barrier to Fixed Ops Change
Does the real obstacle to improving customer experience lie within?
Friedrich Nietzsche, the renowned German philosopher once said, “you yourself will always be the worst enemy you can encounter.” Exterior challenges like new market disruptors and rapidly shifting customer expectations clearly indicate the need for change in Fixed Ops. The hard truth? Recognizing the need for change is one thing. Committing to it is another.
The Pressure is Real
The inertia in regards to affecting change is understandable. The pressure on dealership Fixed Operations has never been greater. Supply chain snafus, microchip shortages and rising inflation have delayed decisions on car purchases, significantly adding to vehicle maintenance demand. Making it worse, Service Managers face internal operational challenges as well, such as high turnover and lack of skilled technicians. The proliferation of third-party digital channels (Carvana, Vroom) has driven down vehicle margins, leaving Fixed Ops to make up the difference.
Agent of Change or Barrier to it?
All these exterior pressures hardly provide the ideal setting for launching significant change. But here’s the thing. They’re not going away. Yes, leading change is hard. Terry Cummins, VP Sales at Dealer-FX witnesses resistance to it first-hand. “We create software, but our strategic advantage is Change Management. In truth, we’re process consultants, leveraging years of Fixed Ops experience to give customers added confidence.” As legendary CEO Jack Welch once said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.” Has the time come for dealership leaders to take a hard look in the mirror and ask: Am I an agent of change…or a barrier to it?
Exterior pressures hardly provide the ideal setting for significant change. But here’s the thing. They’re not going away.
Towards a Change Management Strategy
Of course, committing to change is just the first step. What comes next? Developing a successful change management strategy. But that’s a topic for another blog. For now, here are a few tips to help your thought process:
- Focus on initiatives that make the largest positive difference
- Resist launching big changes all at once
- Keep transparency of process top-of-mind
- Adopt digital tools that increase customer convenience
Three Questions About Digital MPI… And One Special Feature
Exceeding expectations in a profitable and efficient way requires technology. That’s a simple fact. For Dealer-FX, getting to the heart of the matter is what Digital MPI is meant to do. It’s designed to be a fast and convenient way to get approvals on service recommendations. By reducing the time it takes to get a response from the customer and decreasing phone calls back and forth, Digital MPI improves department efficiency and vehicle throughput, saving technicians and advisors time.
Nourse Nissan Streamlined Processes and increased $ Per Repair Order with Nissan SWS From Dealer-FX
Nourse Nissan has been on the Nissan Service Workflow Suite from Dealer-FX since April of 2017. The solution has been integral to implementing a consistent service process in the service lane and has generated impressive results.
Dealer-FX Announces Expanded Integration with PBS Systems
Dealer-FX, the leading customer experience management provider for automotive OEMs and their retailers, today announced a more comprehensive partnership with PBS Systems. PBS Systems is a leading provider of DMS software providing accurate, reliable dealership software, services and support for over 30 years.