I prefer ISMs working cradle to grave

[Kelly Wilson]

News from under the rock...

We had our eLead CRM install last week. We're 1 mo in on now the 4th idea on how to handle leads...

The "new guy" was moved to special finance. Leads now go to the "High 5" (top 5 in volume from past mo)
The rule was set if a FU was stopped/skipped, they would lose leads for the rest of the month & have 1 last chance the next time around. They also have 3 days to contact customer/set appt or it is on to the next one in the group.

So far it looks like our numbers are back up to where they were before the last experiment (1 dedicated? guy)

C2G - w/out actual ISMs just select floor guys... anyone else have a complicated system like this...or further ideas?

@joepistell don't forget about "clubbing baby seals" & "it's not sold 'til it's out killing bugs"

 

[roywilder_TCC]

Hi John -- I liked your latest article "Blah Blah Blah". Great points were made on tech speak.


Hi Joe, To the contrary I really have no problem with the "slang names" you mentioned and both (to me at least) are very different then the term "Cradle to Grave". Call it "wordy-nerdy" but to me the word "grave" suggests finality. You know that when the deal is done and "that car is over the curb" it is far from final. More often then not there is follow-up needed, maybe a Due Bill, Service and Parts intros Rewards enrollment and all for the sake of hopefully establishing a back end relationship so that hopefully your customer finds value in and will purchase their next vehicle from you too. If that process is "Cradle to Grave" then maybe I missed something but I'm fairly certain that I make a valid point wordy-nerdy or not.

 

[joe.pistell]

...Hi Joe, To the contrary I really have no problem with the "slang names" ...[snip]... Call it "wordy-nerdy" but to me the word "grave" suggests finality. You know that when the deal is done and "that car is over the curb" it is far from final. ..[snip]... I'm fairly certain that I make a valid point wordy-nerdy or not.

Your totally right Roy... on every point. In the new ZMOT marketing chatter, you're referring to SMOT (the post sale experience).

That being said, you did say "you enjoy the banter here" and I figgered that you've made 5 posts and needed some... bantering

 

[john.quinn]

Nice "Banter" Roy! You've got a lot to offer -- please continue to chime-in!!

The situation you pose is interesting. I'd like to hear from Doug Davis, a proponent of CTG ILM.

Doug: is "Grave" when the car is over the curb, or when a client physically dies? How does your ILM team maintain long-term relationships?

 

[CAORYAN]

Sorry I did not jump on this thread yesterday when it started, but I had a busy day.



Easy now, I did spend a few months mystery shopping and training John's team, plus John is not a weak willy manager. I'd take this bet if John were still there.



Bingo! Uncle Joe is right again. Both systems can work, it all comes down to accountability. My company preforms over a hundred mystery shops each and every month and we see good and bad from both. In the end it's the stores that are properly managed and trained that get it right.

Cradle to grave allows you to build a relationship with the customer from start ti finish. With a BDC that relationship has to be broken along the way. BDC's generally execute better on time since there's always a person there ready to respond to the lead. With a cradle to graver what happens if all reps or busy on a day or time when the department is lightly staffed? Both solutions have their pros and cons.



FAIL!!! I know you're joking, but one of the biggest complaints going on is how people hate dealing with third world call centers. There has been a movement going on to bring this back to the states. Airlines used to be terrible with this, but they are getting better. At the last Digital Dealer I did a session titled "Mystery Phone Shop" and I had Alex Jefferson play the role of a financially challenged customer and on his mystery shop he got a gal of Indian decent and she had the strong accent. Nothing against ethnicity, but I would never had hired her for the job. I would not want my customers thinking I outsourced my calls to India.

One last tidbit before I must start doing some business. We have found that women are much better appointment setters than men within the BDC. I have example after example of this taking place. But I will say there are exceptions to this statement. Two of the best are Tom Safko and Tom Hilliker who have been on the Phone Ninja program now for over a year. The two of them and Amanda Ladwig have had more perfect calls than I can count. They all work at different dealerships. Just go to this page to see them in action: PhoneNinjas.com » Featured Sales Calls of the Month

Take Care!

"In the end it's the stores that are properly managed and trained that get it right." this is the best statement in this thread and probably all threads ever on this board.

As for the India statement. We run into this all the time in our business. The problem with outsourcing other than the normal reasons is the privacy laws aren't the same in foreign countries. They tend to find alternative ways to make money like selling the customer information. Calls, emails, or chats should not be handled over seas. Make sure who you use has a U.S. based answering service.

 

[ddavis]

Nice "Banter" Roy! You've got a lot to offer -- please continue to chime-in!!

The situation you pose is interesting. I'd like to hear from Doug Davis, a proponent of CTG ILM.

Doug: is "Grave" when the car is over the curb, or when a client physically dies? How does your ILM team maintain long-term relationships?

John, physically die. ISMs have a different contact schedule after the customer purchases and it appears on their daily workplans.
How does a BDC follow a sold customer seeing that they don't have a real relationship with the customer?

 

[john.quinn]

How does a BDC follow a sold customer seeing that they don't have a real relationship with the customer?

Setting aside the "real relationship" silliness...

The BDC is an extension of the Store. Life-cycle follow-up can be assigned to the salesperson who delivers the unit or stay with the Store. So depending on your Store's follow-up philosophy -- foster a relationship with the salesperson or the store -- you have options.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Setting aside the "real relationship" silliness...

The BDC is an extension of the Store. Life-cycle follow-up can be assigned to the salesperson who delivers the unit or stay with the Store. So depending on your Store's follow-up philosophy -- foster a relationship with the salesperson or the store -- you have options.

Too few people have a "real relationship" with a car sales person anymore. Not saying people don't "buy people" and the "one on one" communication and customer service a professional sales person can provide during the initial purchase, it happens all the time.

But let's face it, our doors swing too much on the sales floor. Over half of the time the sale person is no longer at the dealership to participate in the life-cycle follow-up. I would hand most to all of these communications to the BDC. As long as a representative of the dealership is making the contacts, that's more than most other dealers (businesses).

It just makes sense.

And hey, if the sales person is still there and they too follow-up. The more the merrier.

As John points out - we have options.

 

[ddavis]

""real relationship" silliness..."
John had a hard childhood. His earliest memory, as an infant, was ripping his way through a tow sack and swimming to shore.

We have an ISM at both stores with over a decade with our organization. They both do a ton of repeat and referal business. I have added additional people. I will have the resources available and haven't ruled out a BDC but in the distant future.