TORONTO -

Technology provider Dealer-FX says interacting in a self-serve, mobile-centric capacity is “increasingly important to vehicle owners.”

The company, stating it is designing services “with that exact approach in mind,” has enhanced its end-to-end service suite, which includes self-service for the consumer.

The company’s newest addition is “payments,” and that addition gives consumers an increased ability to choose how they interact at every step of the service process.

That can take place by text, on a mobile device, on a website, in person or over the phone.

Dealer-FX’s service technology platform allows consumers to schedule, check in, receive updates, communicate, pay and check out from their mobile device.

That, according to the company, leads to increased customer satisfaction and retention.

With payments, dealerships gain the ability to send service invoices by text or email. It provides consumers with flexible payment options that include mobile wallet choices such as like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Payments is powered by Stripe and integrates invoice data with the DMS and the Dealer-FX platform. It consolidates all charges into one invoice.

Dealer-FX payments’ check-out experience includes fraud protection.

Dealer-FX adds that dealers can also see strong financial opportunity from the self-serve approach. The company says Dealer-FX clients have experienced an average of 20% lift in dollars per RO when their customers use online scheduling to book a service appointment.

That increase occurs by an even greater amount when scheduling is combined with mobile check-in. With that combination, dealers are seeing up to $31 in additional services per RO.

Dealer-FX chief executive officer Bill Lucchini says he has seen many dealers “saddled” with software from companies that built their code in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Customers now want a modern, “mobile-centric experience,” he said.

“And when dealerships disappoint them, it results in low satisfaction and customer defection,” Lucchini said in a news release.

He continued, “As an industry, we need to provide a better experience, and if we do, customers will be more loyal and dealerships will thrive. This payments launch is a powerful new tool we’re providing to dealers to help them delight their customers.”

Stating that mobile technology has changed how people interact with the world, Dealer-FX notes that it designed its new payments product to use the convenience of mobile.

That, according to the company, can reduce what it says is one of many “friction points” consumers  commonly experience when they get their vehicle serviced.

Dennis Carson, service director at Hickory Toyota in Hickory, N.C., said that because all customers have a mobile device, they expect the dealership to provide a digital experience when they come in for service.

“It’s familiar and convenient for them,” Carson said. “Dealer-FX has helped us take advantage of mobile technology to provide a world-class level of service for our customers.”