My “radar” detected one bright object during my last customer visit to Belgium. I want to share this business insight with you today.

If a dealer carries out many repair orders daily (150+), many customers are potential “waiters.” The waiter is a customer who wants to stay and wait in a showroom until their vehicle is ready to pick up. If only 30% of 150+ customers a day are potential waiters, one has almost 50 customers in the lounge trying to figure out what to do next. Sure, dealers can see it as an excellent upselling opportunity, and showrooms are shaping into shopping malls. On the other hand, the high number of waiters puts a lot of pressure on the dealer organization, especially during marketing service campaigns or tire seasons.

What do we know about the waiters?

In fact, waiters are more “allergic” to potential service delays than customers who are out of the workshop following their daily routines. AND waiters are less likely to approve additional work because unexpected extra time without their vehicles may significantly affect their schedule.

It seems the most challenging experience for dealers is to start to control the “right” number of waiters in the workshop during peak hours. Dealers are proposing better access to loan vehicles, introducing express services for loyal customers, motivating them to visit their dealership afternoons, etc.

Managing the correct number of waiters has become a trendy topic for everyone in our business. The call centers have asked if the customer wants to wait during their vehicle inspection. This simple approach helps dealers to manage the workshop utilization and balance it with the correct number of waiters.

Modern DMS has to help here and offer a simple way to track and visualize waiting for customers per day and hour.

As part of our latest product update, we have introduced new charts carefully integrated into the service booking workflow. Users can now work with the correct information at the right time of service appointment booking. An easy task for us product guys if we listen to customer needs. Small details create a big difference.

Looking forward to your feedback and am genuinely interested in your experience.

Dr. Juraj Hanus, hanus@taxapa.com

Data Analytics & Automotive Applications Expert for Dealerships