Retaining Business Through Fixed Ops Training
Fixed operations like service and parts departments are essential parts of a dealership’s income. These steady departments are where many dealerships have an opportunity to secure repeat customers for consistent business.
NCM Associates has developed fixed ops training courses to help dealerships retain more business and create a better service experience for customers from employees. To help dealership owners learn more, NCM Institute instructor Robert Peterson discusses what employees and dealership leaders can get from these courses.
Contact us with any questions or if you’re ready to get started.
Addressing the Opportunities and Challenges of Customer Retention
Customer retention is a vital part of fixed operations. A driver should feel comfortable returning to their dealership’s service or parts department in order to get the care they need for their vehicle.
NCM’s fixed ops training courses address the opportunities and challenges that may arise while your team members work in those departments. Our teachers use the latest industry information to help our students notice the direct correlation of Units in Operation (UIO) and the increase or decrease in service sales. We also teach them how to implement customer retention processes based on the dealership's capabilities and offerings.
The opportunity to address customer retention includes digital marketing and online customer engagement. Using analytics from the various search engines and customer feedback avenues, our students understand what may need to change and how to implement those changes.
What Dealerships Can Aim to Achieve Through Fixed Ops Training
Dealerships can enroll employees in courses at all levels of management to help enhance customer experiences of their service and parts departments. We offer general management courses in financial and fixed operations management, which can help managers more effectively lead their teams to create a customer-centric environment.
Our teachers use a 6-step approach for accountability and management:
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Plan your work, work your plan
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Defining and communicating expectations
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Measure what you intend to manage
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Inspect what you expect
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Respond appropriately to positive or negative performance
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Develop a systemic structure/culture
This method helps our students better understand and deliver a better retail experience. We also tailor a student’s experience to what your dealership is able to accomplish based on the training we provide.
Measuring Progress and Success of Fixed Ops Training
NCM Associates measure a fixed ops department’s success with year-over-year growth in three areas:
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Customer Paid transaction count
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Customer Paid labor hours billed
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Combined Customer-paid repair order sales and gross profit
These three metrics address customer retention and the effectiveness of the department’s operations. If growth continues, then the department is successful. Monitoring these metrics can also indicate if a change in direction is needed or if certain teams need additional training.
Another way to monitor student and dealership progress is through the use of the NCM’s Guarantee of Action (GOA) process. Dealerships learn the expectations of the student and can keep track of their progress during our courses. This helps keep the dealer and the student accountable.
Learn More About NCMI Fixed Ops Training Today
If you want to learn more about our fixed ops training courses for your dealership, contact NCM Associates. We will work with your team to help increase customer retention and satisfaction as well as develop a better understanding of their position.
Contact us to discuss fixed ops training courses today.