As a dealer, you want payment for services rendered, correct?
To help make sure that happens in the smoothest possible way for your customers and employees, CDK Global launched CDK OnePay, a dealership-wide payment solution fueled by Global Payments.
The companies highlighted that CDK OnePay is designed to help dealers create a frictionless customer experience with end-to-end seamless payment technologies and expanded payment options.
CDK OnePay can enable dealerships to request payments via text, email, or in person while allowing their customers the convenience to pay with credit, debit or digital wallets via mobile phone according to their preferences.
The solution also can help dealerships complete an integrated invoicing process from start to finish within the CDK Drive dealer management system to shorten customer wait times, reduce costly cashiering errors from data reentry and streamline end-of-day reconciliations.
“CDK OnePay is another example of how we’re driving innovation of the tools dealers use every day to improve efficiency and profitability in their operations,” CDK Global chief operating officer Joe Tautges said in a news release.
“By partnering with a leader in the payments industry like Global Payments, we are significantly enhancing the payment experience at dealerships by streamlining dealer workflows through Fortellis integrations and providing more options like virtual payments and contactless terminals. It is a true win-win for dealers and their customers,” Tautges continued.
CDK OnePay is offered to dealers with no upfront or recurring subscription fees from CDK.
Drew Conkle is chief operating officer of Brondes Auto Group and participated in a pilot program of CDK OnePay. The news release also recapped Conkle’s experiences with the tool.
“In a digital-forward world, and in a time when health and safety are top priorities, we’re seeing more customers ask for mobile payment capabilities and contactless alternatives,” Conkle said.
“Meeting our customers’ payment needs and expectations with CDK OnePay helps ensure we’re providing the best possible experience at our dealership and increases the chances of getting their repeat business and additional revenue,” he added.
Global Payments Integrated president Bob Cortopassi also offered his perspective on what this tool can do for dealerships.
“Technology has transformed payments in recent years, but many industry sectors are still catching up,” Cortopassi said. “We believe it’s our responsibility to provide businesses and consumers with state-of-the-art payment technologies and commerce-enablement solutions.
“By tightly integrating with CDK products, we have delivered a truly integrated commerce platform that brings more payment flexibility to automotive retailers and pushes them to the leading edge of payments,” he went on to say.
For more details, visit cdkglobal.com.
AAA Travel expects a significant rebound in the number of Americans planning to travel this Memorial Day holiday weekend.
And if they haven’t already visited your service drive for maintenance, customers might be coming soon since AAA said more than 37 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home, an increase of 60% from last year when only 23 million traveled, the lowest on record since AAA began recording in 2000.
But consumers already might have stretched their budgets to scratch the travel itch created by the pandemic.
To help alleviate concerns about vehicle repairs, DigniFi recently partnered with TruVideo to help service advisors explained what care might be needed — as well as a path to finance it.
AAA noted the expected traveling rebound this holiday weekend still isn’t bringing the industry back quite to what it was before COVID-19 arrived.
The organization said the expected strong increase in demand from last year’s holiday, which fell during the early phase of the pandemic, still represents 13% — or nearly 6 million — fewer travelers than in 2019. AAA urges those who choose to travel this year to exercise caution and take measures to protect themselves and others as the pandemic continues.
“As more people get the COVID-19 vaccine and consumer confidence grows, Americans are demonstrating a strong desire to travel this Memorial Day,” AAA Travel senior vice president Paula Twidale said in a news release.
“This pent-up demand will result in a significant increase in Memorial Day travel, which is a strong indicator for summer, though we must all remember to continue taking important safety precautions," Twidale continued.
Consumers wary of repairs
And certainly, part of those precautions could be making sure the vehicle is running properly.
Utires — a Chicago-based online retailer of used tires — recently surveyed 1,200 American vehicle owners to understand which tasks people are most likely to put off, how long the delay and why.
The survey found 92% of American car owners admit to putting off a car care task longer than they should.
The most commonly ignored vehicle problems include:
— Cracked windshield
— Wheels out of alignment
— Overdue oil change
— Bald or worn-out tires
— Check engine light illuminated.
The top reasons people avoid the repair shop include:
— Too busy to take the car for repairs
— Can’t afford repairs
— Repair is not urgent
— Length of repair and cannot be without the vehicle for that long
— Anxiety
— Don’t trust mechanics
DigniFi partners with TruVideo to help dealers
In an effort to address some of the concerns mentioned in the Utires survey and more, DigniFi, an automotive financing platform, this week announced a new partnership with TruVideo, a leading video and texting platform, to help service centers and dealerships close more repair orders by offering greater clarity and access to new finance options to customers with automotive repair needs.
The companies explained service advisors can explain needed repairs transparently to customers using TruVideo’s video-first texting platform and offer access to DigniFi finance options to pay for repairs.
As previously mentioned, two of the biggest obstacles service advisors face in closing orders with customers who need expensive repairs are a lack of trust and affordability. The DigniFi-TruVideo partnership is designed to address both barriers, streamlining conversations between service advisors and customers.
When service advisors show customers exactly what repairs are needed and provide a detailed explanation using the TruVideo platform, that process can address customers’ trust concerns.
When the video text includes an offer to finance the repair through the DigniFi platform, it can provide access to credit for customers which can be especially important in an uncertain economy.
DigniFi chief executive officer Richard Counihan stressed that service centers and dealerships that use these streamlined communication methods and financing options to get service done on the same day can build customer loyalty and trust. Counihan added in a news release that they can also reduce customer decline rates and increase acceptance of repair recommendations to generate more revenue.
“This is a strategic partnership that gives dealerships and service centers the power to close more deals while getting customers back on the road without worry,” Counihan said.
“TruVideo’s platform significantly improves the customer experience by making communication more direct and transparent, and by working together, we can tackle the finance side of the equation, too,” he went on to say.
Under the new partnership, service centers and dealerships that currently use the TruVideo texting platform will now be notified about new financing opportunities available to their customers through DigniFi.
Also, under the partnership, TruVideo capabilities are now available to service centers and dealerships that partner with DigniFi, increasing the potential customer base for the companies while helping service centers and dealerships close more repair orders and drive more revenue.
“We are excited about a partnership with DigniFi,” TruVideo CEO Joe Shaker said. “We’re both committed to helping service centers and dealerships increase revenue, and by giving customers an option to pay for the work overtime after the service advisor explains needed repairs, we can improve the customer experience.”
DigniFi connects consumers with finance companies to help people more easily afford auto repairs, upgrades, accessories and trade-ins with flexible payment terms.
Customers simply use their personal smartphones to apply for financing and receive an instant decision from a lender.
Automotive businesses that offer DigniFi increase annual revenue by up to 20% on average, according to the company.
For more information, visit www.dignifi.com or truvideo.com.
More potential opportunities to keep your service drive busy continue to surface as more people hit the road again for job commuting.
To cater to employers who offer vehicle benefits, CarAdvise on Tuesday launched CarPerks powered by CarAdvise, the newest employee perk platform.
The online vehicle maintenance and repair marketplace technology provider explained that CarPerks will allow companies to provide their employees discounted car care as well as free roadside assistance to help alleviate the stresses that accompany vehicle maintenance and repair.
Companies of all sizes can enroll in CarPerks and provide their employees access to CarAdvise’s online car care platform while also earning their employees’ additional discounts and roadside assistance.
With access to CarPerks by CarAdvise, employees can utilize all features of the CarAdvise technology, like online appointment scheduling, approvals, certified technician advice and even tire buying.
Additionally, employees will save 20% to 50% off all services through the CarAdvise network of 23,000 repair shops.
Furthermore, CarPerks by CarAdvise members can receive free roadside assistance all day, every day, for as long as their company is enrolled.
The company said CarPerks powered by CarAdvise was built to help employers add to their perks program in a unique way, removing some of the burdens and expenses from driving to work.
“CarAdvise has always believed in making car care more accessible to the average consumer. Now, by launching CarPerks by CarAdvise, we hope to provide convenient, trustworthy, and affordable car care to those heading back into the office,” CarAdvise founder and chief executive officer Greg Tepas said in a news release.
“Companies now more than ever have a great opportunity to provide their employees easy and simple car care at a huge discount,” Tepas continued. “We are excited to the first car care employee perk program and we are excited to help companies today with their human resources and company benefits initiatives.”
CarPerks powered by CarAdvise is a subscription-based program that provides memberships and additional benefits of the CarAdvise platform to the companies that enroll.
With many organizations moving back to in-person work, CarAdvise acknowledged many employees will facing the struggles of a commute that have been absent for the past year.
“CarAdvise wants to relieve the stressors that come with car care as many Americans head back to work and back on the road,” the company said.
For more information, visit www.caradvise.com/carperks.
With vehicle miles travel at levels not seen since the summer before the pandemic, communication within your service drive is critical, and Dealer-FX is trying to make sure managers have the tools they need to do just that.
Tony Boulos, a service consultant at McGrath Lexus of Chicago, described his experiencing using an integrated messaging tool designed to further enhance the ONE Platform from Dealer-FX.
“Chat-based communication is very important for our team in terms of communicating between the techs, service writers and anyone else who needs to be involved in a discussion regarding a specific vehicle,” Boulos said. “It allows us to instantly keep everyone informed.”
As Boulos referenced in a news release from Dealer-FX, benefits of the software service solution provider’s integrated communication tool include:
— Fully integrated within Dealer-FX’s ONE Platform
— Included at no additional cost
— Requires no external apps to download, manage or update
— Built for dealers with custom channels for repair orders, customers, or internal conversations
— Notifications ensure employees see every message
— Familiar, easy-to-use interface
Along with enabling internal collaboration amongst employees and creating efficiency through effective communication Dealer-FX highlighted its solution also can provide a better experience for vehicle owners through two-way text conversation.
“Building a healthy fixed operations department requires dealers to provide a great customer experience,” the company said. “Effective communication is a core element of that experience.
“For customers, text messages are a key contributor to their satisfaction,” Dealer-FX continued, based on a belief that 98% of text messages are opened and 95% are read and responded to within three minutes of being delivered.
With Dealer-FX’s solution, service teams can engage in one-to-one messaging, group conversations and repair order-specific discussions.
The company then explained conversations can occur within the platform, eliminating the need for add-on tools. The company said conversations are also accessible at any stage of service, allowing users to access internal and external messages easily, with no limitation to a specific role or task.
“Our goal was to develop a best-in-class messaging solution where employees can easily access internal and external conversations, regardless of what they are working on,” Dealer-FX chief executive officer Bill Lucchini said.
“We know there is a strong market demand for consumers to have two-way text conversations with businesses. Our solution helps foster improved relationships between customers and their dealership, while making communication simple and convenient for the customer,” Lucchini went on to say.
To learn more about ONE Platform by Dealer-FX, watch the video at the top of this article or visit www.dealer-fx.com.
If your service drive is getting pretty busy nowadays — and not just with completing reconditioning for your used inventory — new data compiled and shared by the Auto Care Association is perhaps a reason why.
According to data gathered by Auto Care Association director of market intelligence Mike Chung, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for March surpassed 300 million miles. It’s the first time that’s happened since the summer of 2019 when June, July and August each had readings at that level or higher.
And to show the depth of the pandemic, Chung pointed out in a post by the association that VMT came in below 150 million miles last April when lockdowns and other pandemic-triggered restrictions came into play.
Along with vehicles in use, Chung pointed to other elements that could keep the service drive at your dealership busy for the foreseeable future.
“With production delays, as well as the possibility for higher-priced new vehicles, we may continue to see elevated demand for used vehicles. As many of these vehicles are likely to be out of warranty, that could bode well for the service side of the aftermarket,” Chung said.
On Nov. 3, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly voted “yes” on question No. 1 of the state election ballot, thereby approving the initiative law to enhance, update and protect the 2013 Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Law as an amendment to the Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Act.
The initiative requires that vehicle manufacturers provide vehicle owners and independent car repair facilities with expanded access to telematic (wireless) mechanical data related to vehicle diagnostics, maintenance and repair. While the act has been in place in Massachusetts since 2013, the act only regulated diagnostic information obtained from a “non-proprietary vehicle interface device” (e.g. a port) and did not contemplate telematic data.
Automobile manufacturers, dealers, vehicle owners and independent repair shops need to consider key provisions from the Initiative in light of the new requirements.
Key provisions
Beginning with 2022 models, the Initiative requires that all vehicle manufacturers selling new telematics-equipped vehicles into Massachusetts (including passenger and heavy duty vehicles) design their systems in such a way that vehicle owners and independent third-party repair shops have access to the vehicles’ systems through an interoperable, standardized and open access telematics system.
System specifications
The initiative requires that:
• The telematics system must be accessible through a mobile-based application.
• The system must be “secure.”
• The vehicle owner must have direct access to the telematics system through the mobile-based connection.
• Access to the telematic system must include read/write capabilities, including the ability to read mechanical data and to send commands to in-vehicle components (e.g. braking, acceleration, steering controls) for the “purposes of maintenance, diagnostics and repair.”
• Upon authorization by the vehicle owner, all mechanical data must be accessible to an independent automobile repair facility for such time as is necessary to complete a repair or for such time as agreed to with the vehicle owner for the purposes of vehicle maintenance, diagnostics and repair.
• The manufacturer may not require, whether directly or indirectly, that access to the telematic system require any type of authorization, unless the system for accessing vehicle networks and their on-board diagnostic systems is made standard across all makes and models sold into Massachusetts and is administered by an entity that is independent of the manufacturer.
When selling a vehicle that contains a telematic system, a dealership must provide a notice (to be developed by the Massachusetts attorney general) to the prospective buyer, obtain his/her signature and provide him/her with a copy of the signed notice. Failure to provide this notice can be grounds for sanctions by the dealership’s licensing authority, up to and including revocation of the dealership’s relevant licenses.
If an owner of a vehicle or independent repair facility covered by the act is denied access to the mechanical data, the owner or the facility may bring a civil action against the manufacturer for any remedies available under the law, and each denial of access is subject to treble damages or $10,000, whichever is greater.
Potential cybersecurity concerns
In a July 20 letter to Massachusetts State Representative Tackey Chan and Massachusetts State Senator Paul Feeney, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration raised various cybersecurity concerns regarding the Initiative, including the following:
• Due to the accelerated timeline, manufacturers may have to remove existing cybersecurity protections to meet the new access requirements, thereby leaving systems at an increased risk of cyber-attacks, which would increase the risk to public safety.
• The implementation of universal and standardized access requirements may increase the risk of a cyber-attack being successful. The requirement that systems be “secure” is vague and undefined and does not reflect best practices.
• The Initiative may prohibit manufacturers from complying with federal motor vehicle safety protocols.
Whether these concerns are well founded remains to be seen.
Key takeaways
With the 2022 deadline for implementation of the Initiative rapidly approaching, vehicle manufacturers must begin working towards compliance now. Failing to do so can lead to substantial consequences.
Gabriel Kotch is an attorney in the Orlando, Fla. office of Baker Donelson. He assists companies with building and managing industry-leading global data privacy and security compliance programs. He can be reached at [email protected].
A total of 40 female students across the United States looking to begin a career in the vehicle-repair industry have received more than $100,000 in scholarship funding and starter tool sets this year from Women in Auto Care, a community of the Auto Care Association.
Association officials highlighted this week that what began as a $2,000 scholarship fund for the community in 2004 now has vastly expanded to more than $100,000 in funds for the third year in a row. Since 2004, Women in Auto Care has awarded more than $560,000 in scholarships.
The 2020 Women in Auto Care scholarship recipients include:
Aleana Burbank – Clearfield, Utah
Alexandrya Hankins – Minneola, Kan.
Audrie Nelson – Windsor, Ohio
Augustina Mendez-Agustin – Hendersonville, N.C.
Carisa Camarillo – Duluth, Minn.
Cayla Egle – Kewaskum, Wisc.
Cherokee Hall – Sanford, N.C.
Cleopatra Kannel – Ogden, Utah
Courtney Goldstein – Roseburg, Ore.
Ericka Ward – Leawood, Kan.
Hailey Ems – Cincinnati
Haley Kowalczyk-Cruickshank – Midland, Mich.
Janelle Lopez – San Antonio
JCamille Ragoopath – Bismarck, N.D.
Jean Hagen – Elcerrito, Calif.
Joyce Kathryn Menghamal – Commerce, Calif.
Julia Sonnleitner – Draper, Utah
Katelyn Fair – Milan, Mich.
Katherine Bothe – Linwood, Mich.
Kelsey Bruner – Leechburg, Pa.
Kirsten Williams – Oak Hill, W.Va.
Liana Castagna – Key Largo, Fla.
Lily Kussman – Lake Mills, Wisc.
Lynn Scherer – Boyertown, Pa.
Madeline Johanson – Arlington, Wash.
Madison Bromfield – Portsmouth, N.H.
Maria Lichtenberg – Helenville, Wisc.
Mary Elizabeth Bannister – Glenelg, Md.
McKayla Crabtree – Pound, Va.
Megan Owens – Fargo, N.D.
Mia Wright – Los Fresnos, Texas
Natalie Alvarado Molina – Salt Lake City, Utah
Rachel Crawford – Oak Harbor, Wash.
Roury Farnum – Valparaiso, Ind.
Samantha Barrios – Romeoville, Ill.
Shawna Mandel – Peyton, Colo.
Sydney McQueary – Ukiah, Calif.
Takeshia Carter – Chicago
Zoe Edgar – Henderson, Nev.
Zoe Wilkerson – Lubbock, Texas
“We are incredibly proud to have the opportunity to support female students and make an impact in their lives while helping them achieve their dreams,” said Nicole Brennan and Jacquie Hower, scholarship committee chairs for Women in Auto Care. “It is so important that our industry supports the next generation of technicians and leaders in the auto care industry.”
Brennan and Hower added that Women in Auto Care thanks its sponsors, membership, the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and Cornwell Tools for their contributions and continued support of the Women in Auto Care scholarship program.
For more information about Women in Auto Care, visit the Women in Auto Care webpage or contact Jessica Finnerty, staff liaison for the Auto Care Association, at [email protected].
Dealership service drives can be a beehive of activity, and keeping track of the store’s loaner vehicles can compound potential problems.
To help store managers, ARSLoaner and Dominion DMS announced a new partnership last week to provide VUE DMS customers with software to manage their rental and courtesy vehicle operations.
Through this new partnership, Dominion can offer its customers seamless integration between VUE DMS and the ARSLoaner platform in an effort to simplify the process of managing their vehicles and ensuring compliance with insurance and OEM programs.
The companies noted this integration will greatly decrease the time required to get customers in a vehicle leading to better customer experience and higher potential CSI.
“Dominion DMS desired a rental solution to support our VUE DMS dealers. Dominion identified ARSLoaner as a leader in this area. ARSLoaner committed and delivered integration in a timely manner providing more dealer functionality to Dominion’s cloud-native VUE DMS platform,” said Randy Emerick, director of DMS and third-party integration for Dominion.
Emerick continued in a news release, “ARSLoaner is also cloud-based and provides all the functionality our dealers need such as 100% mobile capability, automated cost recovery for fuel and mileage, digital signature, remote/touchless contracting and more. We greatly appreciate ARSLoaner’s support.”
With a new feature from dealership management system software provider Auto/Mate, customers can pay service repair orders and parts invoices without having to step inside the dealership.
Auto/Mate is a business unit of DealerSocket, and the company says that with the new feature, called Remote Payments, dealership personnel can now send customers emails containing a link for them to enter their credit card payment information. The customer receives a confirmation message instantly when the dealership receives the payment.
The Remote Pay feature is available immediately to dealerships currently using Auto/Mate’s new Parts Module and also currently using the Worldpay from FIS Credit Card Processing integration. Auto/Mate provides additional information about its Credit Card Processing engine powered by Worldpay from FIS.
“Our remote payment feature makes it easy for dealership employees and customers to follow social distancing guidelines, and also reduces the physical exchange of cash and credit cards,” Auto/Mate president Mike Esposito said in a news release.
Esposito continued, “Additionally, the ability to pay ROs and parts invoices remotely offers more options and flexibility to customers, and speeds up the payment process for dealers.”
Jaguar Land Rover dealerships now have another option to cater to their service-drive customers.
On Wednesday, Clutch Technologies announced a new integration with data analytics platform provider Synaptiv to help Jaguar Land Rover dealers simplify and more efficiently manage their loaner fleets and fixed operations business.
The subscription and mobility services software provider and Cox Automotive company explained that digitizing the loaner vehicle experience is a growing trend among dealers focused on increasing margin in the most profitable part of their business — fixed operations. Clutch is helping dealers in this effort to manage their loaner fleets by eliminating the need for third-party telematics devices.
The integration with Synaptiv is one of many technology suppliers Clutch is working with as part of its goal to better streamline the activation of connected cars, while driving down dealer costs to operate their fleets.
Through the Synaptiv collaboration and Clutch’s collaborations with Xtime and TSD, the companies believe the vision of a more intelligent vehicle assignment platform can be realized, offering a seamless scheduling experience for consumers and a simplified fleet management process for dealers.
“Together with Synaptiv, and in combination with Xtime and TSD, Clutch is delivering intelligent technology that addresses all phases of the value chain, giving dealers what they have been asking for to streamline the most profitable part of their business,” Clutch Technologies vice president Adam Carley said in a news release.
“While this integration marks another milestone in Clutch’s overall strategy to help dealers run a more efficient fixed ops business in the connected car future, we’ve only just begun,” Carley continued.
Synaptiv chief executive officer Matt Lewis added, “Synaptiv is focused on delivering next-generation solutions for the automotive marketplace.
“Our advanced integration with Clutch simplifies the loaner fleet process, transforming car data into actionable insights to drive the most advanced customer service solution in fixed ops,” Lewis went on to say.
