Newest CRM thoughts

[ddavis]

Kelly, I wish I could answer that. We used DealerSocket as the CRM but we also used DealerTrack. It has been over a couple of years since I have worked with it.

 

[dwagner]

Kelly,

You just gave me a reason to be really happy about my position!! Hopefully you get the right product to replace some/all in one solution. Please let me know your feelings on the ones you see, and keep usupdated.

Thanks

 

[Alex Snyder]

Thanks for the reply! We re a single store. We do have 3 sister stores, but are independent, except for sharing DMS. We Are using ADP as our DMS, and have looked at their CRM, but it seemed very labor intrensive, and costly, to get the same results from other vendors. We are in a small market outside of 2 Large markets. We currently have about 5,000 customers in our database.

It sounds like you're in a good spot to be able to use just about anything you like. Unlike Kelly - she's just screwed ....only kidding Kelly.

I don't think anyone can tell you exactly what CRM to buy. It would be the same as asking "which girl should I marry?" I'm happy to help though and can spend some time on the phone with you next week during my 14 hour drive from Virginia to Vermont.

And I noticed you didn't mention iMagicLab as one of the contenders you're looking at. That would be a good one to add to your list.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

No Alex. It's true... Kelly is screwed.

 

[dwagner]

Lol. I agree that I am in a great position to get what meets our needs. Just a matter of showing benefits of one vs the other, and why the diference in prices. I also sent my info to imagiclab to schedule a demo, thanks!

 

[Kelly Wilson]

@Doug - I know it's a personal choice and everyone is always changing

@Alex - Thanks, and I know

@Jeff - You don't have an emoticon in the list for my reaction

@Darren - As we requested short notice demos we probably got less than the best show. VIN was all shinny new object; Dealersocket looks functional, as did eLead-though the eLead guy (as well VIN) were "YES" guys and I need to look deeper into the actual integration ability (VIN is more of a half ass no then the yes they gave the DP)


To my position and being screwed, well...I haven't hidden the fact that my dealer is under a rock..that's tethered to ASI and some oldschool...yeah. However, I am working diligently to change mindsets and establish process to move the dealer into the 21st century and beyond. I have the drive, intelligence, interpersonal skills and sheer determination to achieve much....

So if I'm screwed, grab a drill, a few bits and ven conmigo! I will build something great with the help of the community around me. Come along; I promise a fun and entertaining ride!

 

[dwagner]

Kelly,

I think being screwed is what you want to make of it. I think you are taking on a big challenge, and in the end gonna prove your worth to your dealership, and sounds like a great opportunity!!! I really liked dealersocket, yet they are the only one we have not recieved a propasal from. As I get further into this, as you said, integration is going to be our biggest help and or problem, depending on the product. That is the biggest worry with Dominion/Autobase/AVV. The others we have looked at all seem to be ADP certified, or will be very soon. Again thanks to all for the guidance and advice!! Hope everyone has a great Chriastmas, and look forward to hearing more ideas, thoughts, and updates!

 

[jscole86]

The others we have looked at all seem to be ADP certified, or will be very soon!

Darren,
Just a word of caution about future plans/ promises that a crm company makes. Speaking from experience, you should make your decision based around what is actually available at the time... Sounds simple, buts it's easy to get caught up in some of the hype and future promises (or over-promises )

 

[ddavis]

Kelly, I've worked for two large groups. The first one, VanTuyl, was very supportive. We had great websites, CRM tools, and a staff that could answer any question that you could imagine. If you were performing, anything was available. They viewed the internet as the future of the car business.

When you hear people, on DealerRefresh, recommending websites, CRMs, Inventory Management systems nothing we used, at the second group, would be on the top ten list. The Variable Operations Manager locked the backend tool, to the website, to not allow any form of formatting. Everything was locked down, at the dealership level, so you couldn't make any changes. They had a central accounting office in another city. Being a strong believer in a short days to market, I had to manually enter all the inventory or wait a week or more for my vehicles to hit my website.

When I got there, there were three ISMs selling 30 to 40 internet deals a month. When we went over 100, eyebrows were raised. When we hit 150, beating every dealership in the group, we came under intense scrutiny. The Variable Operations Manager, Efin Idiot, decided what we were doing was impossible. Nobody closes over 15% of their leads or sells 70% of their vehicles through the internet. He sent people to audit the store do determine how we were jicking the system. The Director, that I trained to replace me, is still being audited, months later. Instead of embracing their accomplishments, he is having each buyer called to prove that they are not internet customers. He has yet to find one jicked internet deal but he remains tenacious in his effort.

If he accepts that they are actually performing at this level, people will want to know why he isn't getting the same level of production from the other 140+ stores.

I have confidence that you can drag your dealer into the new millennium. Trust me, it is much easier than a large corporation. I'm sure many of you have an Efin of your own.

 

[dwagner]

JSCole,

That is an awesome point. anyone can promise, and believe things are coming, but if they are not already in place, there is no guarantee.

ddavis,

Just amazing you are not in prison for beating some sense into someone. I really look forward to getting a tool up and running, and putting it to work to maximize our potential. your results are nothing short of godly, and I just hope for a fraction of those results. hanks all again for any thoughts, advice, tips, or thoughts. So many great threads to read here, much appreciation to all!!!!