Phone enquiry handling….make
[video width="720" height="632" mp4="htt
Read More
If there’s one topic that’s been talked to death in automotive retail, and yet still causes major leakage in results, it’s enquiry management. We’ve both seen the tools. The CRMs. The automated SMS systems. The follow-up scripts and prospecting templates. But despite all that, many dealerships still struggle with the basics: logging, tracking, and following up with every single opportunity. Why? Because enquiry management isn’t a software problem — it’s a leadership and habit problem. At its core, enquiry management is about Giving every lead the attention it deserves Having clear standards on who follows up, when, and how Making sure nothing falls through the cracks, especially when things get busy Training your team to treat every enquiry like a potential delivery, in other words cash in the bank From a customer’s point of view, the experience of being ignored
Read More
In many dealerships, the front-end of the business gets all the attention. New car sales, advertising campaigns, closing rates, these are the visible battlegrounds. But anyone who’s been in the game a while knows: if your fixed operations aren’t right, the rest doesn’t matter. Service and parts are your profit stability engine. They’re less volatile, more consistent, and, when managed properly, can not only smooth the bumps in any market they can be the greatest source of repeat business you have. But here’s what we’ve noticed working with dealerships across the country - fixed operations too often become the “quiet corner” of the business. If there aren’t customer complaints, leaders assume things are fine. But dig a little deeper and you’ll often find Labour recovery slipping month-on-month Lost parts sales or stock control issues Unacceptable Work in Progress levels that
Read More
Ask any dealership team whether they care about customers and the answer is almost always “oh yes, of course we do.” But when you dig beneath the surface, when you walk the showroom floor, sit in reception, or listen to follow-up calls, the truth is often very different. Look we know that some customers can be difficult, and they can cause dramas, but what is important is that most of them are good people who just want to be looked after (by you and your team if you are up for it!) and yet, we often treat the good ones, like we do the difficult ones, not so well. We’ve walked into dealerships where the sales team is buzzing and professional, but the receptionist seems fed up. Or where the service team is under the pump, phones ringing off the
Read More
When things get tough in a dealership, it’s rarely the cars or the process that break first, it will be your people. We’ve both seen it first-hand: key staff burning out, quietly walking out the door, or mentally checking out while still on the payroll. And very often, it’s not the “poor performers” who go first, it’s your best ones. The people who prop everything up. The ones everyone turns to when things go wrong. The cost of losing these team members goes far beyond recruitment fees. It shows up in lost sales, service delays, frustrated customers, and pressure on the rest of the team. And when the market is tight, like it is now, replacing talent isn’t easy or quick. One of the biggest red flags in any dealership is over-dependence on a handful of people. If there’s only
Read More
It used to be enough to be the sharpest voice in the room. The one who knew the numbers, called the shots, and made sure the team “knew who was boss.” But the modern dealership does not respond to that kind of leadership the way it once might have. In fact, we have seen it push good people away. So leadership in the modern dealership is required. Today’s top performers do not want a commander — they want a coach. Someone who is in it with them. Someone who listens. Someone who earns their respect through action, not just tenure. Leadership in 2025 is not about being the loudest, or the first to point out what went wrong. It is about creating an environment where people feel safe to improve, where wins are shared, and where the bar is high
Read More