Tech support can get expensive.
Tech support can get expensive …. I suggest that this should read …
A lack of Tech support can get expensive.
It’s interesting that in today’s automotive world an information technology manager is often considered a cost to the dealership. This in fact is a reflection of a lack of insight into what an information manager does in respect to creating profit for the store. The fact is that an I.T. department (person) can be a reliable profit center in numerous ways.
Consider: There is not a single touch point in dealing with a customer that does not involve information and information systems. As such is the case these systems and the related data flow need to be constantly managed and streamlined.
I am currently the I.T. manager for two stores in Canada and generally have a medium to high work load in managing all aspects that keep us at a very high level of customer satisfaction, especially in being able to consistently resolve customer issues by seamlessly utilizing our in house people’s knowledge base and related technology.
One example of the financial impact of tech support being an employee on the dealership staff was the research we conducted in DMS selection which took almost a year. When we finally decided on what DMS we would be migrating to the I.T. department took the lead to make sure the transition was virtually seamless. The cost savings to the store in making this move was just over $100,000 a year. Our goal in the migration was twofold: 1) that we would be able to keep the changeover stress on our employees to a minimum by including them in the process. 2) That the changeover would have virtually no impact on our level of service to our customers. I am pleased to say that we accomplished both of these successfully.
When any aspect impedes the ability of staff to work efficiently because of an interruption of their information systems it can often cost the store
hundreds of dollars per minute in lost revenue. Having an I.T. person on hand who can instantly resolve issues is paramount to customer satisfaction.
An example of recent improvements made to our systems by the I.T. department.
Recently I worked with one of our key vendors who supply’s our store the lounge media TV systems that display the status of the work being done on the customer’s vehicle. I mentioned to their key programmer that the system was good but I think with minor tweaks could be made “GREAT”. He listened and after back and forth discussions we created a newer more informative media presentation for the customer to interact with. The result is a fully informative and richer “shopping” experience for the customer with our dealership.
As well, the fact is that there is so many known security issues that when compromised can do incredible damage to a dealership network. Protecting the in house systems and related data is a major responsibility of I.T. For example: I was contacted recently by a tech support vendor we utilize who assists about 500 automotive stores in Canada and their comment was that numerous dealerships they work with have been hit with Ransomware. The highest ransom payout they were aware of was $5,000. In all cases these viruses impacted the store’s profitability and ability to operate efficiently. As an I.T. person I take these issues to heart and take them personally in that there are some 110 people working at our stores who depend on me to make sure that our systems work smoothly, so they can work without interruption and earn their living and service all our customers with the highest level of customer support. As such is the case the I.T. department has put in multiple layers of security with one added key aspect and that is training our staff about the computer security issues we are facing both here and at home. My belief is that our best defense against hackers and related malware that would do us harm is a well-trained and knowledgeable employee.
There are so many more aspects that an in house tech person looks after that makes it possible for every information system and person to function well.
Bottom line is that an in house quality information technology person can create revenue both directly and indirectly for the modern-day dealership.
“A lack of Tech support can get expensive”.