Warning: DealerTrack Web Finance Form Users :Warning

[joe.pistell]

Dealers, GMs, GSMs, Finance Managers, ISMs

If your site uses DealerTrack Finance Forms, you need to hear what I've been through in the last 45 days. Summary 1st, details last.


SUMMARY:
I replaced my DealerTrack online finance forms with one's I built myself* and BAM! Finance app volume DOUBLED over night.



DETAILS:
I track all my internet traffic and form stats. For the last 4 years, EVERY single stat is up (year over year), except finance forms. About 18 months ago Finance form traffic got soft, then, it got worse, and in the first Q of 2011, they're down by 50% (yet all other traffic is up).

That does it! Something is WRONG!

Looooong story short, after the DealerTrack support team "found no problems", the 1st thing I found is the form is not Chrome compatible. ACK! that's 9% of all of my traffic. After a heated exchange I break out of level1 support, get escalated and I ask the DealerTrack Senior support team to fix it. They blame it on the Chrome user. Their solution is to put text on the top of the form that says:

This application is supported by Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox.

ACK! I protest and tell them to add a simple script that recognizes the Chrome user and THEN serve up a big ass: "Sorry, Your Chrome Browser is not supported..." message.

They ignored me and stuffed the text message at the top. Grrr...


Problem #2&3: Co-apps and phone number errors
I see multiple chat transcripts and reps that tell me that occasionally, randomly, the form thinks the phone number is entered incorrectly and won't let the user advance. Users state that no solution can be found.

The last straw was the co-applicant side of the form started seizing up. This was a new issue and is defcom5 in my book so I went past level1 customer service, and emailed the level 2 "Senior Client Services and Support" manager that had worked with me earlier. I got back a "observe protocol, get back in line" email. That did it.

I removed the DealerTrack Finance forms and added my own to see if there was any noticeable change in volume.

BAM! A double... OVER NIGHT. Ten days later, average daily volume is still up >90%.


Managers, 1st identify is you use DealerTrack finance apps on your site. If you do, you'd better deep dive this and lay hands on everyone in your organization that uses them, RIGHT NOW.


Disclaimer:
I don't know if DealerTrack has one Finance form for all dealers or multiple types.

*SurveyGizmo - Online Survey Software : An online survey tool for creating surveys, quizzes, polls and forms.

 

[joe.pistell]

Dear DealerTrack management,


Your support team needs your help. They need more trouble shooting tools, a feedback system and training to improve support requests.

Currently, when they can't re-create the problem, your team is forced to request detailed user information (browser and version). I am sure that in 99% of these requests, that no dealer employee will ever have time (nor the knowledge) to chase down this info. Ergo, the complaint gets filed as "user issues".

One idea is to create internal analytics that pairs log files against incomplete forms to help draw insights from your sea of data. You would have seen the "telephone # is wrong", the Chrome error and the co-app error long before I called.


Feedback ties it all together.
Your subscribers get frustrated when they run into a string of errors over a few weeks and they keep hitting supports' need for detailed user information (browser and version). The end result is no one calls support anymore.

If your 1st line team had a communications system that sent all "dead end" requests "upstream" into a central compiling area where they could be aggregated and reviewed, then your 1st line crew could inform your subscribers that "although I can't reproduce your complaint, I've sent your request to our ___ team to look into this further, should this happen again please try to ask your customer which browser they are using..."


Result?
Spikes in un-solved complaints get attention for deeper analysis (i.e. comparing these against the log file analysis tool) AND, most importantly, your front line support players and subscribers have a more satisfying experience.



Sorry, I find the tag line rather ironic.

Your support team needs your help.

 

[ArtMorris]

Joe, you've highlighted a very good point: technical support from our vendors is kind of a joke. Look what you've just done, you did all their work for them!

This infuriates me.

I expect to get knowledgeable support when I contact my vendors. Because that expectation is not in line with reality the more difficult the problem the less inclined I am to call support.

Thanks for sharing your findings. Our community needs people to point out problems that the vendors might never find on their own. Now we can work around them.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Nice catch Joe. These vendors through this stuff into the packages but no one ever knows anything about them, nor do they do anything to make them better. Makes little sense to me. They could really build this out and have something worth upselling to the dealers. I'm sure the ROI makes little sense for larger vendors.

 

[joe.pistell]

DealerTrack Finance Form Up Date.

The Dealertrack finance form volume has been poor for over a year and was getting worse. After trying to plea my case and getting no where, I ran a test to remove DealerTrack finance forms on 6/23 and replaced the form with another company (not in auto biz).

July #s came in and For the 1st time in over 14 months, Finance Forms were higher this year than last year.

August 2011 is on track to beat August 2010 by approx 100 more F&I apps, yet, website traffic is nearly identical. This information can't stand alone. It is entirely possible that one of 1000 other variables can cause the finance form counts to rise.

On July 6th, Keith Roller, the VP of Service for DealerTrack reached out to me with a Private Message on DealerRefresh. He's not got back to me. His email is not on DealerTrack's site, he's not responded to his LinkedIn message.

Keith, If your out there, please send me an email at joe[dot]pistell@usedcarking{dot}com.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

DealerTrack #FAIL

 

[joe.pistell]

On July 6th, Keith Roller, the VP of Service for DealerTrack reached out to me with a Private Message on DealerRefresh. He's not got back to me. His email is not on DealerTrack's site, he's not responded to his LinkedIn message.

Keith, If your out there, please send me an email at joe[dot]pistell@usedcarking{dot}com.

Good News!

Keith Roller, VP of Service at DealerTrack has reached out to me and we're mendin' fences!

DealerRefresh'ers, this is a classic example of how DealerRefresh.com and the DR community can make a big difference in your world!

 

[ArtMorris]

Keith Roller, VP of Service at DealerTrack has reached out to me and we're mendin' fences!

If they're your fence-building vendor why the hell do you have to help them with their work?

They ought to be paying *you* for debugging their product.

Does this acceptance of half-assed, overpriced software solutions exist outside of the automotive business?
That's an honest question, I haven't worked outside of automotive but our software vendors make me want to pull my hair out.

 

[joe.pistell]

If they're your fence-building vendor why the hell do you have to help them with their work?

They ought to be paying *you* for debugging their product.

Does this acceptance of half-assed, overpriced software solutions exist outside of the automotive business?
That's an honest question, I haven't worked outside of automotive but our software vendors make me want to pull my hair out.

Art,

You're a SUPER smart guy. I've read your work and I am going to challenge you to try some new tactics. It won't come easy, you got to keep trying, but once you taste success, it'll change your LIFE. Now, onto your rant...


I feel your pain, we ALL feel your pain. One of my best pals is the head Doc in charge of Emergency at a hospital. You should hear him ramble about the antiquated software being held back by the 'legacy system' that no one dares to touch (sound familiar???

So... its not really an automotive problem. You want to know the real truth? It's a PEOPLE PROBLEM. Software peeps are... software peeps! They don't heal people, they don't put cars over the curb, they write code.

Yes, that's over simplified, but, here's a lil' wizdom from ol' Uncle Joe taken from a 3 year old interview of me by Alex: Reader Spotlight: Joe Pistell of the Sun Auto Group (details are important, but the summary is at the bottom in red)


9. Joe, you used to be on the vendor side of the aisle, if there is one thing you can tell dealers about how to deal with vendors, what would that be?

I’ve been to Vegas at least 25 times, to SEMA, CES and NADA. I’ve worked both sides of the aisle, as a buyer and a seller. There is no one way I deal with all vendors. The most important vendors are the mission criticals' with complex items and have a lot of promise in it. And even here there are no 2 alike. Lets look at 2 & compare my web builder HomeNet(HN) and my CRM provider ReyRey.


With HN, I take on a partner mentality. They committed to my big vision and they’re killing themselves to executing it to as close as I drew it up. Flowers of gratitude to Jesse B’s team, Matt, Tammy, Chris, Mike and more. They are effort-ing above and beyond the call of duty.


With ReyRey, go ahead and try to warm up to that vendor. NOT.

Hahaha… hey! No hate mail from your R&R troopers! Seriously, ReyRey’s CRM is mission critical, yet the reps can’t help you with the day to day issues. No partnering feel here, so, the sales guys get a lil’ bit o’ Junk Yard Dog from me. Yet (I’ve said it here before) ReyRey’s tech support is world class. All that being said, why does it take 400 hours to master R&R’s CRM platform? Can any dealer be using more than 5% of its potential… oh oh… I’m rambling again.


I’d say the most valuable tool in vendor relations is knowing which vendor can help you reach your goals, then make that vendor your partner. Sell that vendor your vision with a smile and back slapping enthusiasm and you’ll find above average service and someone who gives a sh*t about you, because you need them. And in the end, tell me, who doesn’t like to be needed?

​

 

[joe.pistell]

Art,

1st, ask yourself, is the software "mission critical"? If yes, then embrace the product, roll up your sleeves and help them fix it. You'll be amazed how important your calls to them become!


QUESTION: Do you know the names of the support staff? You need to know them as best you can. Then, go up the food chain! Do you know the names of the Support Supervisors? No everyone on their end is happy with their job, you must remember names of the players that care (they always know if you care AND they know otjher caring people and they take shortcuts !


SUMMARY: Where ever you go, for as long as you live, software systems will fall short of your needs. People built that software to make you happy. Learn the names of the players that make that software hummm and help them help you.