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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRethinking the Marketing Budget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Craig points to one of the most common imbalances he sees in dealerships: marketing spend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt seems that a lot of dealerships spend 80 to 90 percent of their budget on the front end, the sales aspect of the dealership. And whereas the fixed upside is the biggest retention piece. In my opinion, that should be more balanced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of spending almost exclusively on the showroom, Craig recommends allocating closer to 50\/50 or 60\/40<\/strong>\u2014with fixed ops getting a much larger share than it often does. That\u2019s because dealerships can\u2019t afford to forget about the customers who haven\u2019t been back in 13 to 48 months. Many of those customers have drifted away to competitors or independents, and targeted fixed ops marketing is the key to winning them back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Craig emphasizes that efficiency and comfort matter more than anything else in the service lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think time is more important than money, actually. Efficiency is very critical. People love to come into a dealership if they can get in and out of there in a timely manner and be comfortable and have a fair bill and get out of there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From shuttle services and Uber assistance to comfortable waiting areas, dealerships that make customers feel valued will see them return. But when the experience breaks down, customers are quick to leave\u2014and much harder to win back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Craig, service lane efficiency comes down to more than just speed. It\u2019s about assigning the right job to the right technician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have certain technicians that are masters\u2026 and it\u2019s really critical to disperse those ROs properly to the right people. So you can maximize your efficiency, get it to the person who knows most about what\u2019s going on with that car, and get them in and out in a timely manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, effective scheduling and dispatching are critical to both profitability and customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too often, salespeople see the job as finished once the customer signs the paperwork. Craig warns against cutting the process short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou go through two or three hours with a customer to sell them a car and it\u2019s important to introduce them to the correct person, maybe the fixed ops director or the service manager and make them feel welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Craig recalls dealerships that took customers on a full walkaround of the store\u2014introducing them to the finance team, the GM, and service leaders. These introductions created comfort and trust, which led customers back for their first oil change and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key, Craig says, is training:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have to practice, we have to practice and we have to go through the steps. We have to continually repeat the process and make sure that nobody skips a step because every step is critical. Perfect practice makes perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Craig also believes dealerships should train their service advisors on sales techniques\u2014not to pressure customers, but to help them communicate value more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we teach them techniques, sales techniques and just basic things that customers appreciate, if they know these things, they\u2019ll just be more apt to sell more business. And I don\u2019t think enough folks train the advisors in that regard. It\u2019s paramount. It\u2019s absolutely necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the right training, service advisors can build stronger customer relationships, enhance trust, and contribute to the dealership\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sales and service sometimes operate in silos, but Craig insists that collaboration is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey all don\u2019t get along necessarily because they both have slightly different goals. But playing nice in the sandbox helps everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He experienced this firsthand during his time in sales, where strong communication with the fixed ops director and advisors led to increased referrals and repeat business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeing on the sales side, I got so many referrals from the fixed ops director and the advisors. And if you have activity back there, if you have everybody coming back and a loyal customer base, you just have that many more opportunities. It\u2019s a law of numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Craig Bugbee, the sales-to-service connection is about more than a simple introduction. It\u2019s about building trust, delivering efficient service, and ensuring every step of the process is executed with care. When sales and service work together\u2014and when dealerships invest properly in fixed ops marketing\u2014the result is stronger retention, higher profitability, and customers who return again and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For dealerships, the connection between sales and service is often treated like a baton pass\u2014quick, simple, and easily forgotten. However, according to TVI MarketPro3 Fixed Operations Specialist Craig Bugbee, the transition from sales to service is one of the most critical moments in the customer journey. When done well, it builds trust, loyalty, and long-term […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2509,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n
\n\n\n\nWhy Customer Experience Is Everything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nEfficiency in the Service Lane<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Importance of the Handoff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nTraining Beyond Sales<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nPlaying on the Same Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nConclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n