[GM lover]

I was recently hired to head up the Business Development Center for a Chevrolet Dealership in Maryland. The purpose of the Business Development Center is two pronged. One is to acquire more quality used cars and the other is to maintain and reach out to current and past customers. When reaching out to current and past customers I see how they are enjoying their current Chevrolet and make them aware of savings/incentives on new inventory.

I'm new to this position and have never done this type of work before and I'm asking for any advice or tips on how to run the department.

 

[Ed753]

I was recently hired to head up the Business Development Center for a Chevrolet Dealership in Maryland. The purpose of the Business Development Center is two pronged. One is to acquire more quality used cars and the other is to maintain and reach out to current and past customers. When reaching out to current and past customers I see how they are enjoying their current Chevrolet and make them aware of savings/incentives on new inventory.

I'm new to this position and have never done this type of work before and I'm asking for any advice or tips on how to run the department.

No disrespect to you or your abilities, but did you say you've;

A) Never done this type of work

B) Hired to run the department!?

Dear Gawd, that explains a lot, as I've been on the phone/e-mail with said groups a time or two in the past.

OK, having said that, congratulations on your new job!

Now speaking from personal experience;

1) Make sure EVERYONE you have on the phones, has very clear and well spoken English.

2) Make sure there is zero back ground noise, the last thing I want to hear is people goofing off in the background or like I'm talking to someone at the call center of the Jerry Lewis Telethon.

3) Make your people learn and understand what they are saying, you can tell when someone is reading off of cue cards or through a flow-chart.

 

[dslay04]

I was recently hired to head up the Business Development Center for a Chevrolet Dealership in Maryland. The purpose of the Business Development Center is two pronged. One is to acquire more quality used cars and the other is to maintain and reach out to current and past customers. When reaching out to current and past customers I see how they are enjoying their current Chevrolet and make them aware of savings/incentives on new inventory.

I'm new to this position and have never done this type of work before and I'm asking for any advice or tips on how to run the department.

Rule #1) Don't be a dic|<

 

[Hitman1970]

Know your product. Know your services. Know what you can and cannot make a deal on without permission from the boss. Best of luck with the new job.

 

[richmond2000]

I will at 2 pointers
#1 make sure you are targeting the correct person as my mother got a call on HER home # trying to buy MY G8 and I do NOT live there and NEVER have before (new number+town since I moved out)
#2 target the "right" replacement car IE DO NOT try to sell a MALIBU to a PONTIAC G8 OWNER (Camaro/Tahoe/Silverado YES Malibu/Equinox NO)

make sure you staff are "A" car people - at least "fake it" and know what they are trying to buy - sounds a LOT more "A" professional and "B" more believable that you have a buyer for the car + know its "worth" VS LOT STOCKING

 

[BlackGTP]

Being fluent in English. By that I don't necessarily mean don't hire immigrants/people with accents. Accents are ok if understandable. What I mean is many young kids sound like they learned how to talk via watching rap videos, i.e. incoherent. I can't stand getting on the phone with a kid who can't speak normal ENGLISH but clearly doesn't have an accent. And make sure they don't mumble or talk so fast they don't understand. That should be part of the interview and your normal day to day testing - to listen in on calls, if you can't understand the kid, what is the point of paying him money?

 

[Neanderthal]

No disrespect to you or your abilities, but did you say you've;

A) Never done this type of work

B) Hired to run the department!?

Dear Gawd, that explains a lot, as I've been on the phone/e-mail with said groups a time or two in the past.

OK, having said that, congratulations on your new job!

Now speaking from personal experience;

1) Make sure EVERYONE you have on the phones, has very clear and well spoken English.

2) Make sure there is zero back ground noise, the last thing I want to hear is people goofing off in the background or like I'm talking to someone at the call center of the Jerry Lewis Telethon.

3) Make your people learn and understand what they are saying, you can tell when someone is reading off of cue cards or through a flow-chart.

LOL. My thoughts exactly.

Are these "centers" the places that originate the post cards I get wanting to buy a car I sold five years ago? Or two years ago? Well, I do trade a lot.

So this is a call center. These are the pests who phone me at home wanting to sell me something or lure me into the dealership for some BS deal?

I recall that during my professional career, one of THE most obnoxious patients of all time was a call center guy. Staff couldn't stand him. Patients couldn't stand him. After discharge, he actually relocated to the east coast to follow one of the residents there, who apparently thought he'd escaped this guy's stalking.

Here is my expert advice:
1. Hire people with clear Australian, Irish, or French accents. Any of these with a tinge of southern drawl will be a magic combination. Also, ONE heavy New England accent will do no harm.
Do NOT hire Christianna Amanpourre.
2. Make sure they know their arse from their elbow regarding the bidness and the cars.
3. Before you call ANYONE, send chocolate to everyone on your call list. This might somewhat ameliorate the irritation people feel when some fool they never heard of phones them out of the blue.
4. Send chocolate after all calls.
5. Make sure your Call Center has good coffee and goodies for customers who wander through.
6. Good freakin luck, as Ed says. A dealership that hires a CCCEO who's never done the job before and doesn't know what it consists of is probably on the verge of bankruptcy or acquisition anyway.

Here's a cheat sheet:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/call-centers-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

Again, congratulations on your new job. May the Good Lord be with you.


ps: I believe Cher is single at the moment.

 

[eastcoasthd]

When reaching out to current and past customers I see how they are enjoying their current Chevrolet

Something to consider...

The customers that are not enjoying, satisfied with their current Chevrolet.

How do you intend to handle those situations?

Pass them off to another dept.? Most likely any owner with unresolved issues has already been down this road. If not handled properly you'll only be exacerbating the situation "become part of the problem". I doubt they'll care about your inventory or specials.

Best of luck with your endeavor.:tup::

I know you have your hands full at this point, but it would be great if you could keep this thread updated on your progress.

 

[Hitman1970]

I find that how the service department treats customers after the sales would have a huge impact for potential repeat customers. Who wants to buy a car from a dealership if you know you have to put up with a lousy service department? That relationship is likely far more frequent/important than the sales process.

 

[Neanderthal]

I find that how the service department treats customers after the sales would have a huge impact for potential repeat customers. Who wants to buy a car from a dealership if you know you have to put up with a lousy service department? That relationship is likely far more frequent/important than the sales process.

Fershur. An ineffective or dishonest service department--like my last Dodge dealer--will drive customers away faster than OJ can fly through an airport on his way to the Hertz desk.

 

[Neanderthal]

So OP, any updates?

 

[GM lover]

Thank you very much everyone for your responses