Automotive News Canada - May 2021 - 8

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BEST PRACTICES

SPOTLIGHT

When test-drive customers with appointments arrive at Mississauga
Toyota, the vehicles are ready to go. " You're not making the
customer wait around while you go to the back of the lot, " said
dealer principal Susan Gubasta. P H O T O : M I S S I S S A U G A T O Y O TA

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By KELLY TAYLOR

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WINNIPEG CORRESPONDENT

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we
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Stratford, Ont.
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Those changes -
News Canada said they
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including appointaren't looking back.
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ments, maximizing
" What we're learnTE
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intelligence on cus.
tomer traffic and
process was historicalreduced-contact serly is not going to work
Gubasta:
vice visits - are " just
for us going forward, "
" Why would
the right way to run a
said Susan Gubasta,
we switch
business, " he said.
dealer principal at
back to the
UpAuto operates
Mississauga Toyota.
old days?
Nissan, Subaru and
Customers have
This is what
Buick-GMC stores as
embraced online vehiwell as used-car dealer the customer cle shopping as well as
knows. "
Cargo.
measures imposed by
FILE PHOTO
Whether forced
COVID-19 restrictions,
to move to appointshe said.
ment-only selling or touchless
" Why would we switch back
drop-offs for vehicle service
to the old days? This is what
- which has depended on the
the customer knows. "
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By-appointment benefits
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ONTARIO NEW-CAR DEALER
Michael Carmichael wishes he
could travel back in time and
carry out some of the measures
that have been forced on his
business by COVID-19.
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SPEEDY SERVICE, SALES BOOST
Gubasta has seen the benefits. In service, customers
drop off their vehicles and
" can get on with their day, "
while service advisers contact
them later to discuss needed
We didn't have the discipline
work, with video, if necessary.
Customers don't have to wait to
before we went into this
speak with an adviser. In sales,
pandemic. Everyone found
customers with appointments
religion pretty quickly. I want
find their test drives ready to
go when they arrive.
to get better at it. I don't
" You're not making the
want to ease up on it.
customer wait around while
you go to the back of the lot, "
Gubasta said.
MICHAEL CARMICHAEL
She also noticed that with
UpAuto
appointment selling, the closing ratio went up, because
'DON'T WANT TO EASE UP'
customers typically booked
Carmichael said the pandemappointments only when they
ic has constricted hours, savwere close to buying. Gubasta
ing money in receptionist time
is not closing the door to walkand not requiring sales reprein traffic, however.
sentatives to be on hand until 9
Michael Wyant, chief operp.m. He also tracks foot traffic
ating officer of Saskatchewanas seriously as he does online,
based Wyant Group, said that
email and telephone traffic,
even before pandemic restricwhich he never did closely if at
tions came into play, he saw
all.
a shift. Customers who had
" We didn't have the disciextensively researched their
pline before we went
choices online were
into this pandemic.
making appointments
Everyone found relito finish their shopgion pretty quickly. I
ping process.
want to get better at it.
The Wyant Group
I don't want to ease up
has dealerships in
on it. "
Saskatchewan, Alberta
Monitoring that
and British Columbia.
traffic will allow for
" It results in ... a betbetter lead manageter experience, " Wyant
ment and follow-up,
said. " People are happy Wyant: Even
not letting opportuto pay a little bit more if before the
nities get away from
we're meeting them on
pandemic,
the stores. Wyant and
their terms. "
customers
Carmichael said it will
He said the appoint- were
also provide better
ment process maxiconducting
data on whether foot
mizes customers' time, their vehicle
traffic increases once
research
lets them control the
the pandemic is in the
process, leads to an all- online and
rearview mirror.
around better business then making
appointments
Still, Carmichael
environment and has
to complete
thinks some of the old
resulted in less prestheir
ways will return when
sure to drop prices to
the pandemic is over,
make a deal. There still shopping.
FILE PHOTO
such as a resumption
needs to be flexibility,
of expanded hours
however.
and advertising that promotes
" I cannot envision a reali " You don't need an appointty where I would want to have
ment to visit us " or " Hey, did
the front door locked and cusyou know all our sales staff are
tomers must call to show up, "
vaccinated? "
Wyant said. But " even when
" The pandemic has been
appointment-only was no londifficult, " said Gubasta, " but
ger required, we saw a masalso eye-opening.
sive migration to customers
" COVID has ... shown us
making appointments.
we're more nimble than we
" In Alberta still, more than
ever thought we were. If we
80 per cent of customers, for
can get through this, we can
the most part, are making
get through anything. " - ANC
appointments. "

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http://www.quoruminfotech.com
Automotive News Canada - May 2021

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