Electronic vehicle health check (eVHC)

EVHC systems can boost customer retention by aiding up-sell, but if red work is not converted within 48 hours, customers armed with online pricing information are likely to go elsewhere, warns supplier BTC.

When it installs its autoVHC product, BTC sets a benchmark including average invoice at each dealership. It has tracked a consistent £20 per invoice increase once the system is in use.

For amber work, with SMS and email reminders following a call, more than 40% of customers will return. BTC says its statistics show the average transaction value of these customers is £93. For an average dealer seeing 500 customers a month, and assuming half will have outstanding amber work, that translates to £111,600 in additional parts and labour sales. However, it is the red work which proves the most elusive – over the past 12 months, autoVHC has identified £212 million of red work, but only 57% was converted.

Guy Allman, BTC chief executive, said: “Service advisers are not salespeople and are often apologetic when they contact the customer.” To address this, BTC created its TLC (Think Like a Customer) training scheme, which has been delivered to 300 Ford and Peugeot dealerships resulting in an average invoice increase of £25.

“Our statistics say the average dealer could add £93,000 to its turnover and a significant amount to its bottom-line profits,” said Allman. “Technology can improve efficiencies and reporting but it’s no substitute for good management, which is at the root of every successful business.”

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