CRM, ILM, Chat, Desking, Emails, Phone, SMS

A dealer inquires about DealerTrack's CRM tool, and responses indicate it is a basic solution suitable for dealerships new to CRM systems but lacking advanced features needed for more sophisticated operations. One user with extended CRM experience switched from DealerTrack CRM to Dealer Socket after a few months, suggesting the tool has significant limitations for established dealerships with complex needs. The thread implies DealerTrack CRM may serve as an entry-level option but is not recommended for dealers requiring robust functionality.

# Summary Dealers discuss InstantPricer, a tool that displays instant pricing to website visitors, with John Marazzi from Brandon Honda reporting 47 sales conversions in one month as their best ROI. The conversation evolves into debate about automated negotiation systems that could auto-accept/reject customer offers based on dealer thresholds, with technical discussion about whether to base acceptance logic on cost-plus formulas or internet pricing percentages. A key insight emerges that customers may be more committed to purchases when they feel they've negotiated, suggesting back-and-forth offer systems could outperform simple instant pricing displays.

A BDC manager serving 10 dealerships on Contact Management (CM) seeks reporting functionality to track daily appointment volumes across multiple stores, noting that CM lacks true BDC capabilities. Responders suggest the Desk Log feature may provide some of this data and recommend exploring call tracking systems, though one respondent notes that most CRMs offer this functionality and suggests consulting with the vendor or upgrading systems like VINsolutions or DealerSocket for centralized multi-store visibility. The key insight is that while the requested reporting may exist within CM or through add-on systems, Contact Management appears to be an inadequate platform for managing a large-scale centralized BDC operation.

# Summary Automotive CRM professionals debate why dealership CRM systems lack the sophisticated email segmentation and deliverability capabilities of dedicated email marketing platforms like Constant Contact and MailChimp, and discuss workaround solutions. Key insights include that specialized email management systems and CRMs serve different purposes, API integration between the two could solve sync issues with opt-outs and engagement data, and that car dealers have a poor industry reputation for email practices—making compliance with strict segmentation and relevance standards essential for both deliverability and professional credibility.

# Summary A dealer's manager proposes excluding credit apps, trade appraisals, email blasts, and tracked phone calls from internet lead closing ratio calculations, claiming these are "solicited" rather than true leads; however, multiple experienced professionals strongly push back, arguing that tracked phone calls from online sources (like AutoTrader/Cars.com) are definitively internet leads and that excluding legitimate conversion paths artificially inflates closing ratios. The consensus that emerges is that closing ratio calculations should count all trackable, sales-related leads that your department owns responsibility for, with proper deduplication and assignment protocols—and that the manager's approach would produce misleading metrics.

# Summary A graduate student researching dealership lead management asks three key questions: whether systems should be separate or integrated, how to identify duplicate leads across multiple sources, and whether third-party vendors provide lower-quality leads than OEM/dealer websites. Industry professionals—primarily a BDC manager and CRM expert—consensus that integrated ILM/CRM systems connected to the DMS are superior for compliance and duplicate detection, though lead quality issues stem from fake customer information, data manipulation before arrival, and inconsistent contact details that make scrubbing difficult regardless of source.

# Summary A dealer discovered a significant security vulnerability in VinSolutions' CRM where salesmen could access leads and data belonging to other salesmen by directly entering URLs, bypassing the system's access controls that rely solely on hiding links rather than enforcing page-level permissions. A VinSolutions representative acknowledged the issue and indicated it would be patched in the next day's release, attributing the problem to the company's focus on shipping new features and updates.

Jon Berna raises a critical question about how CRM systems serve multi-location dealer groups, specifically referencing industry expert Brian Pasch's article on the topic. Rather than focusing on reporting capabilities, he argues that the real value lies in how front-line sales staff, internet managers, and BDC teams can access and use consolidated customer data across locations in a unified platform. The implicit conclusion is that enterprise CRM functionality should prioritize practical usability and a complete consumer profile view for daily operations over sophisticated reporting features.

# Summary MidwestFord seeks validation for his internet lead follow-up schedule (immediate email + same-day call, then daily emails and calls on specific days over 90 days) after his salesman claims it's excessive, despite only one opt-out complaint in six weeks. Multiple experienced dealers confirm the schedule is standard and not too aggressive, with several sharing similar or even more intensive follow-up protocols (calls 2-3 times daily in week one, extending to 180 days), while emphasizing that quality of contact matters more than frequency and that leads often convert beyond the 30-day mark.

# Summary Dealers discuss the viability of cold calling Craigslist sellers to buy their vehicles, with experienced contributors confirming modest success using a buyer-focused approach that emphasizes the dealer's genuine interest in their specific car and current market demand. Key practical advice includes positioning calls as legitimate vehicle purchases (not commercial services), taking detailed notes during initial contact, and bringing prospects into the dealership for a full evaluation and negotiation. A sample script is provided at the thread's end demonstrating the opening pitch structure.

DealerOn is hosting a live webinar competition featuring eight finalists showcasing their best Internet Lead processes, with industry judges evaluating each dealership's approach. The thread announces the event and invites forum members to register for the free webinar airing Thursday to watch the competition unfold. One participant expresses enthusiasm for the event and predicts a strong competitor will win, with the original poster confirming the field includes high-quality lead management processes.

An Internet Manager at a rural Nissan dealership seeks affordable CRM software to independently manage 75+ monthly leads and automate daily follow-up tasks like calls, emails, and birthday cards. Community members recommend various solutions including Salesforce, Zoho, Highrise, CarSalesAssistant, and open-source options, with most emphasizing affordability and the importance of maintaining separate account access to protect customer data. The thread concludes that while the dealership's existing iMagic ILM system has the necessary capabilities, a dedicated individual CRM tool would better serve the salesman's personal productivity needs without conflicting with company information ownership.

A UCLA graduate student requests interviews with dealers to research CRM system effectiveness, costs, and their impact on sales from existing customers, offering Starbucks cards as compensation and promising to share final findings on purchase funnels and dealer spending optimization. The student subsequently posts a shortened SurveyMonkey link for those unable to commit to a full interview. No substantive dealer responses or conclusions are documented in the thread—it functions primarily as a research recruitment post rather than a discussion generating industry insights.

A dealer expresses frustration that VinSolutions' Advanced Desking cannot support their custom lease vs. purchase comparison tool despite sales assurances that it could, revealing a significant gap between promised and actual functionality. Community responses highlight the importance of thorough product demos and testing before purchase, with one user sharing a negative experience regarding VinSolutions' customer service responsiveness. A VinSolutions representative indicates they're escalating the issue internally to address the problem.

# Summary Dealers using Reynolds Contact Manager and ADP CRM are experiencing compatibility issues with Internet Explorer 8, as these legacy systems don't support the newer browser version—creating a catch-22 where staying current with automatic OS updates breaks critical business software. While mattwatson81 suggests IE7 compatibility mode as a workaround, users report this doesn't reliably work, forcing dealers to either delay OS upgrades or downgrade browsers, effectively locking them into outdated technology until vendors update their software.

A UCLA graduate student solicits survey responses from dealership owners and decision-makers to research how CRM systems and service lane practices impact sales efficiency and cost reduction. The 17-question survey targets operational insights with an iPad Mini offered as incentive for participation. The thread represents an academic research recruitment post seeking industry data to inform thesis work on dealership profitability optimization.

A BDC manager seeks advice on optimizing lead follow-up frequency and process, currently using multiple same-day phone calls and emails. Responses debate whether multiple contacts should come from the same person versus a team approach, with most agreeing that process consistency and training matter more than a magic number; the key insight is that relevance and personalization of communications drive engagement more effectively than contact frequency alone.

Phone Ninjas and DealerOn are running a competition to identify the top automotive internet salesperson, with participants responding to a test lead (Skip Miller) for a chance to win $1,000 and have their response featured in a live webinar. The panel of judges includes notable industry figures like Grant Cardone and Joe Webb, and responses will be reviewed by an expert to provide constructive feedback. The contest has a 10-day deadline and is designed to help salespeople benchmark their internet lead response skills against industry standards.

A user reports that customer replies in Vinsolutions are routing to their Smartermail inbox instead of appearing in the customer dashboard, preventing proper logging and follow-up. A respondent indicates they've escalated the issue to a contact who should reach out directly. The thread appears to be an early-stage troubleshooting exchange without a clear resolution posted yet.

# Summary Jerry Thibeau warns dealers that recycled phone numbers often retain old web listings, causing misdirected service calls—a problem he experienced firsthand when acquiring an 800 number previously owned by another dealership. The thread expands to discuss related issues like customer emails landing in spam folders and best practices for vetting phone numbers (Google searches, checking 90-day call history, monthly audits of your published contact information). The key insight is that dealers must proactively monitor where their contact information appears online and verify that new numbers aren't already associated with other businesses or services.

# Summary An Internet Sales Manager (ISM) seeks advice after upper management decides to cut their CRM due to poor salesman adoption, despite the ISM's heavy reliance on it for productivity and lead management. Community members overwhelmingly argue that eliminating the CRM is a false economy—pointing out critical functions like opt-out management, duplicate prevention, lease tracking, and lead accountability that cannot be handled adequately by a DMS alone—while also suggesting the real issue is salesman accountability rather than the tool itself. The consensus is that the dealership should either invest in a lower-cost CRM alternative or address the underlying people-management problem with sales staff, as cutting the CRM entirely will cripple internet operations and profitability.

A Honda-Hyundai dealership in upstate New York seeking a CRM replacement for VinSolutions receives recommendations from peers across multiple platforms, including Dealer Socket, ImagicLab, AutoRaptor, and Dealer.com. The respondents emphasize that CRM selection is highly personal and dependent on dealership needs, with several vendors offering demos and strong customer support; however, there's a notable divide between those advocating for simple, straightforward solutions versus those encouraging dealerships to maximize CRM potential through campaigns and data analytics. The emerging consensus is to demo multiple options and talk to current users before deciding, while one respondent specifically recommends Dealer.com as a newer, well-designed platform with strong vendor support.