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Which CRM are you using?

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#111
Steve,

Welcome to DealerRefresh :thumbup:

As you probably know (I think you alluded to it), Dealer.com has an ILM tool that is certainly not a CRM. As of right now, I would recommend looking at these CRM's for starters:


  • iMagicLab
  • DealerSocket
  • eLeads
  • and maybe even VinSolutions

Those are a few I am familiar with that I have either had good experiences with myself or have heard good things from people I trust.
 
#112
Steve,

I would suggest going to NADA and doing your due diligence since most of these vendors will be at NADA. The only one that I don't think will be present is iMagicLab. Perhaps you can do a demo with them online. Choosing a CRM is like getting married, so choose wisely. Unless it's a prenuptial contract in your favor, avoid long term contracts.
 
#114
I wanted to share our experiences with CRM. I've owned a very progressive, top volume domestic store for 7 years and for the 1st 6 years we were with Higher Gear.

For some strange reason I thought we were missing "something" and we switched to a company that was full of flash and bells and whistles. 45 days later we were back with Higher Gear.

I would caution everyone to avoid the trap of trying to find the magic CRM tool. As always, it comes down to people. Great people that buy into your processes is critical to making your CRM work.

The best part of Higher Gear is it is very simple for all of your staff to use the system. And as we all know, the more the system is used, the more business you will get.
 
#116
jsalzman said:
I would caution everyone to avoid the trap of trying to find the magic CRM tool. As always, it comes down to people. Great people that buy into your processes is critical to making your CRM work.
Click to expand...

That is a good point, and there are times when you should stick to what you know.

However....

There are advances in technology and evolutions in personnel (I hope) that push the boundaries of dealership process and interaction from time to time. You need to make sure you're partnered with the right vendor(s) who will bring the advances you need to grow.
 
#117
Technology advancements have very little to do with how succesful a CRM is deployed in a store. To the contrary, the level of spphistication of the typical floor salesperson has dropped significantly over the past ten years. Pay scales have gone down dramatically because of low pricing as a result of internet pricing and practices. In the 80's good salespeople were bringing in 6 figures quite commonly, I was one of them. Those opportunities have gone away. A CRM that is good will be simple for showrrom personnel, service and office personnel. It also must have an ILM on board for skate protection. A real time phone and DMS connection and TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING. The latest greatest technology.....not really as significant as those qualities. Selling cars over the internet reduce grosses, cut into service penetration and are buyers that almost never return to the dealership, for anything. It is very difficult to add a customer for life that buys from an internet salesperson. Find the easiest one to use, one that has ONSITE training and phone \ DMS connectivity and you will have a decent returno0n your investment. Higher Gear is at the top of the list, maybe Autobase and Hmmmm..anything server based for security of data, you wouldn't want someone at home stealing your databsewith a managers password. Especially with privacy violations over 10K nowadays!! And ON SITE servers can real time connections to phone records, the DMS and excellent speed on printing deal jackets for every prospect. Much more relieable than a website. Anyway..that's my take on which one to use, there are a few that will qualify.
 
#119
I have used Higher Gear since 2001 when we installed it in the AMSI stores. We have since installed it in the 3 stores we currently have and really enjoy the ease of use. We can hire a new associate and have them familiar with how to work the system in a matter of a couple hours.
The thing I like best is the EASE OF USE. Like any system, it is only as good as what your Associates put into the system and with this system it is so easy to enter information and gives us accurate EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND reports.
We have looked at all the different systems available and each has their advantages and disadvantages but overall we are able to get the information into the system and have knowledge of what is going on in each store. Also, with the Corporate View, we can check instantly and see what activity we are having in Sales, Service and Personnel. Yes, EVERY Associate clocks in and out using Higher Gear.
I have interviewed potential Internet Associates and Sales Associates before that logged onto the CRM that their store uses and displayed their current customer base. With Higher Gear, it is server based and that does not happen.
This is our choice.
 
#120
Jay RTL said:
Technology advancements have very little to do with how succesful a CRM is deployed in a store. To the contrary, the level of spphistication of the typical floor salesperson has dropped significantly ......TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING.
Click to expand...

For a long time many of the older CRM's did not have ILM capabilities. They didn't even have email capabilities and I still hear about one of the major ones requiring something like 11 clicks to add an attachment. Do you consider the ability to email a customer important? Do customers ask for photos, PDF's, etc to be sent by email? This is one very basic example of how technology enhancements are absolutely critical in a rapidly advancing technological world. I can go on and on and on.

CRM training is not about training how to use the CRM. CRM training is just another word for basic dealership training - training on how to sell cars. Car sales sure isn't rocket science; there is no reason why so much training is needed.....oh wait.....yeah there is. People are lazy. Actually "Why we suck" explains it pretty well.

Jay RTL said:
Selling cars over the internet reduce grosses, cut into service penetration and are buyers that almost never return to the dealership, for anything. It is very difficult to add a customer for life that buys from an internet salesperson.
Click to expand...

OMG are you kidding me? Reeeeeeally - REALLY???? Did you really write this? How did it feel when 2011 smacked you upside the head?

Sales is still sales. Whether you were selling a car in 1983 or starting a deal via text message in 2013 people still buy from whom they like and trust. If you are talented the new communication technologies are simply tools to help you continue selling and holding gross as you always did.

Jay RTL said:
..anything server based for security of data, you wouldn't want someone at home stealing your databsewith a managers password. Especially with privacy violations over 10K nowadays!!
Click to expand...

Do you do any online banking? Do you use your credit card online? Awwww.....hell, I'm not even going to start this argument. You don't care about timely updates and technological advances - keep your server-based systems.

Jay RTL said:
And ON SITE servers can real time connections to phone records, the DMS and excellent speed on printing deal jackets for every prospect. Much more relieable than a website. Anyway..that's my take on which one to use, there are a few that will qualify.
Click to expand...

What phone records are you talking about? Are you on a VOIP system? I'm not sure what you're saying here.

Printing forms can be faster over an on-site server-based system, but much of that depends on your internal network.....same as those online systems. A lot also depends on the size of the PDF's you're printing, your printer's ability to handle certain file sizes, etc, etc.

Anyway, I'd be happy to sell you a Delorean with a Flux Capacitor.
 
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