It’s a dream customer for dealers — the one who not only purchases a vehicle from the dealership, but also visits the same dealership repeatedly to have that vehicle serviced, and then eventually sells the vehicle back to that dealer. A new CARFAX program helps dealerships earn more of those loyal customers.

CARFAX for Life rewards those recurring sales and service customers with benefits such as free, unlimited access to their vehicle’s CARFAX Report. In related customer loyalty news, the company announced that thousands of dealer websites powered by AutoRevo, Wayne Reaves and Dealer eProcess have improved their user experience with CARFAX History-Based Value and vehicle history filtering.

The CARFAX for Life program provides service reminders from CARFAX that send customers back to the dealership saved as their “favorite.” The company performed a pilot program with hundreds of dealers nationwide showing that CARFAX for Life raises service revenues by $62 on average per customer annually. The company says timely, accurate service reminders from CARFAX and customers’ favorite dealership make those customers 21 percent more likely to come back for service, and the reminders increase the frequency that they come back for service, as well, according to the company. 

One dealer who participated in that pilot program agreed with CARFAX’s claim that its program helps boost customer retention, service revenue and the dealership’s reputation.

“In the 90 days from when we started on the CARFAX for Life program, we went from 80 to almost 2,000 customers who favorited our service department,” Simon Fields, general sales manager at Lexus of Louisville, said in a news release. “It connects us with the customer at times when they’re not even thinking about us. As CARFAX for Life continues to grow, we’re excited to see what will come out of buying and selling cars from our service drive. The transparency of the program takes the guesswork out of all aspects of our used car operations."

Citing research, CARFAX notes that most people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, and CARFAX for Life dealers can use that trust to boost their online reputation. The company invites customers to rate and review their service experience at the dealership after each service visit. Those reviews appear in Google and on the CARFAX Report to help attract new customers.

“Dealers now can leverage our brand even further to generate potentially thousands of dollars in additional revenue and build a legion of loyal customers,” Bill Eager, vice president of CARFAX, said in a news release.

In the online shopping area, Shoppers on websites powered by AutoRevo, Wayne Reaves and Dealer eProcess now see if the vehicles they’re looking at are “Great”or “Good” value when comparing the vehicle-specific price from CARFAX with the seller’s asking price. The company says CARFAX Value badges on the search results give buyers confidence that a vehicle is priced right.

"CARFAX Value badging allows shoppers to buy knowing they are getting a great deal on a great vehicle,” Bill Berry, general manager at AutoRevo, said in a news release.

CARFAX says the AutoRevo, Wayne Reaves and Dealer eProcess dealer websites help shoppers more quickly find the vehicles they want. Vehicle history details such as CARFAX 1-Owner, no reported accidents, service records and more help visitors narrow their search results. That connects potential buyers with the most suitable vehicles for them. 

“Wayne Reaves is very excited to offer our mutual CARFAX Advantage customers these unique new capabilities,” said Wayne Reaves president Jason Reaves. “Bringing vehicle history to the forefront of your search creates more transparency and an overall better user experience for shoppers on our sites. In addition to the filters, we are also excited to offer CARFAX Value badges. These VIN-specific value indicators give buyers confidence that they are getting a deal they want."

The free, dealer-provided full CARFAX Report is available for vehicles listed on these enhanced websites.

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