• Stop being a LURKER - join our dealer community and get involved. Sign up and start a conversation.

Thoughts and questions about TDDS 2.0 (Toyota Dealer Digital Solutions)

Rick Buffkin

Sausage King of Chicago
Oct 29, 2009
729
830
Awards
8
First Name
Rick
Ok guys....

Can any of you guys confirm for me that I understand this correctly.

If you're a Toyota dealer, in order to use any of the providers thats on the TDDS 2.0 list (website providers, Chat providers, Service Appt Scheduler providers, etc.. ), you (the Toyota dealer) have to enroll in the TDDS 2.0 program. The provider will not provide services to Toyota dealers that are not on the TDDS 2.0 program.

Did I hear that correctly???
 
Last edited:
It appears that is correct, and looks like I will have to pay about 4x more for the same thing that I already have with my current provider with "Shift's negotiated rates"
Well to be fair Shift needs their 30% fee to pay for their valuable expertise. I'm also super excited about their upcoming recommendations to just buy MORE stuff and spend more, all the time... yes the strategy is buy more stuff and spend more.

BTW what happened to Toyota smart path (DR) where to continue using the program, you had to choose a pre-defined CRM provider? I guess that didn't go over well with the dealer body? Imagine that.




Edit: Just wanted to add there's no negativity here in this thread, just a driven passion to win with Toyota and do the best we can. Sometime's that passion fuels dialog regarding business decisions which might be perceived as negative, it's absolutely not though. Having uncensored open dialog is crucial, if we can't talk about it, we won't grow or learn, we'll kid ourselves into mediocrity.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Will.I.am
Here's what I've heard...
- Shift Digital gets paid by each vendor per month per dealer serviced
- Shift Digital gets paid by the dealers/OEM?.
- Shift Digital decides which vendors they let in (if the vendor doesn't pay, they don't get in... not based on best vendor for the dealer)
- Dealers no longer have the freedom to do business with the vendors they prefer/gives them the best results.
- Shift goes so far as to threaten dealers with withholding inventory if the dealer doesn't comply with using only "approved vendors".
- Because Shift Digital charges the vendor a fee and the OEM/dealers, the actual cost is higher than if the dealer had the freedom to choose for themselves with no middle man service like Shift Digital involved. What's the benefit??

If this is all true, it's a little scary. This post is also rather enlightening:
https://www.drivingsales.com/rico-olinger/blog/dear-shift-digital-we-dont-need-you-in-canada
 
Here's what I've heard...
- Shift Digital gets paid by each vendor per month per dealer serviced
- Shift Digital gets paid by the dealers/OEM?.
- Shift Digital decides which vendors they let in (if the vendor doesn't pay, they don't get in... not based on best vendor for the dealer)
- Dealers no longer have the freedom to do business with the vendors they prefer/gives them the best results.
- Shift goes so far as to threaten dealers with withholding inventory if the dealer doesn't comply with using only "approved vendors".
- Because Shift Digital charges the vendor a fee and the OEM/dealers, the actual cost is higher than if the dealer had the freedom to choose for themselves with no middle man service like Shift Digital involved. What's the benefit??

If this is all true, it's a little scary. This post is also rather enlightening:
https://www.drivingsales.com/rico-olinger/blog/dear-shift-digital-we-dont-need-you-in-canada

Very sad if true as I never dreamed Toyota would succumb to this model, especially in a time when auto sales are starting to slow.