Car dealerships face many challenges, from a shift in buyer habits to competing with third-party online car sales. Investing in the right auto dealer software can help them stay ahead of their competition.
When choosing a car dealer software solution, look for these top features:
Inventory Management
Car dealer software allows dealerships to track and organize a large volume of inventory. They can use it to manage vehicle pricing, process sales, run credit reports, and print paperwork for each customer.
Some systems also offer features such as online showrooms that allow customers to browse vehicles and book test drives in advance. This allows dealerships to create a more personalized shopping experience and attract a broader range of prospective buyers, including those who might not even be interested in visiting a physical showroom.
Other features available with auto dealer management systems include service plans and estimating tools that help dealerships keep track of repair costs and warranty coverage. This can be especially helpful for dealers who offer repair services to customers outside of their showrooms. Some systems can even help automate parts ordering so that technicians can get the right parts quickly and efficiently.
Many automotive dealer management solutions also come equipped with CRM functions that make it easier for dealership staff to stay up-to-date with customer information and communicate more effectively via email templates automatically sent out based on specific user behavior. This can also provide important insights into customer demographics that can be used to inform new marketing campaigns that increase ROI on advertising spending and enhance overall customer satisfaction levels.
Customer Relationship Management
Auto dealer software offers a streamlined way to manage dealership operations, from inventory management to customer service tracking and reporting. It also increases accountability since all transactions are recorded in a centralized system. This eliminates the need for paper documents that can be misplaced or lost, ensuring accuracy in all financials and reports.
Most car dealer software programs offer features like online showrooms that allow dealers to create virtual showrooms for their vehicles. Some even provide virtual tours and interactive product features to assist buyers in making informed purchasing decisions. They also have tools to process credit applications and connect customers with financing institutions seamlessly.
Finally, a robust dealer management system includes features to streamline maintenance and repair processes. They include repair-order tracking, parts sourcing, and service plan estimating to improve efficiency and reduce time spent on manual tasks. They also have a feature that allows dealers to track vehicle mileage, fuel consumption, and other vital data that help fleet managers optimize their vehicle usage.
Auto dealer software can also manage customer relationships by offering a customer-friendly contact center and mobile app for sales reps to contact leads, respond to questions, and provide assistance. It can also monitor marketing spending and quickly calculate a return on investment.
Finance Management
Automotive dealerships rely on multiple systems to manage business operations, from accounting and sales to customer relationship management and inventory. When choosing a car dealer software solution, look for one that offers comprehensive functionality and the ability to integrate with other applications you use seamlessly.
Auto dealer management software comes equipped with vehicle dealing tools that streamline closing deals, from gathering the necessary information to generating sales reports. Some auto dealer programs also allow for easy processing of credit applications and connecting customers with lenders and financing institutions.
Auto dealer software’s customer relationship management feature enables companies to store customer histories, record conversations, and categorize contacts for easy reference. The system can also help develop operating budgets and track performance over time. Other essential features include the capacity to generate reconditioning and flooring expenses and swiftly provide industry-standard book values such as NADA or KBB.
Bringing in more customers is a top marketing priority for dealerships. With auto dealer software, marketers can track website activity to identify which messages are working and which ones aren’t. With a more robust lead generation strategy, salespeople can focus on talking to qualified leads and converting them into customers. Auto dealer software can also automate some of the most repetitive and tedious tasks, such as data entry and order processing, allowing employees to spend more time on customer interaction and sales activities.
Reporting
Car dealer software solutions often provide various reporting tools that help businesses track and analyze their performance. From sales to inventory to marketing, they typically offer several features to help dealerships improve their operations and increase profits.
For example, auto dealership software can help companies monitor the performance of each vehicle in stock by displaying current pricing information on its website and integrating it with POS systems for efficient point-of-sale transactions. This can help dealers reduce operating costs and maximize their ROI on advertising dollars by ensuring that each vehicle is priced optimally for the targeted demographic.
Auto dealer software also includes customer relationship management (CRM) tools to streamline communication between company personnel and customers. This can help dealers improve the customer experience and increase CSI scores. Using these tools, dealers can keep records of customer contacts, send emails with customized templates, and collect and analyze feedback for each vehicle sold.
Another essential feature of auto dealer software is tracking upcoming payments and invoices. This can help business owners avoid late fees by promptly managing recurring bills and paying for products or services. Some dealer management systems can even track invoices and sales transactions from multiple locations in one central location for more efficiency.