3 Ways to Make Your Used Car Department Feel New Again

Used cars remain popular among car buyers. In fact we saw a 5.6% increase in vehicles sold in the retail used market in 2015. Sticker prices are easier to swallow and customer confidence in the used vehicle department remains strong.

Since your used vehicle department is back in the spotlight, it deserves a little rejuvenation.

Here are three things you can do to make your used car department shine like new:

Guarantee you’re stocking the right cars.

Do you know what inventory you need to stock to have the quickest turnaround and to be the most profitable?

I am sure you have the knowledge of what cars you think need to be on the lot, but you need a tool that can prove to you what vehicles you need on the lot. Take risk out of the equation by going to auctions and buying vehicles you know will turn quickly. Having the right tool can also align all of your dealership locations and reduce wholesale loss by trading vehicles between sister stores on your system.

Take the guesswork out of trading and buying used vehicles. Only get vehicles that have a proven track record of selling off your lot quickly and profitably.

Mobilize your appraiser.

In today’s fast paced world, customers dread the dealership, and the appraisal process is one of the reasons. In order to speed up the sales process and to get the customer involved, your appraiser has to go mobile.

If your appraiser is doing his job right, he most likely isn’t sitting at his desk. With mobile technology, the salesperson can send an appraisal alert right to the appraiser’s phone. He’ll get the notification from anywhere on the lot and be able to jump into action.

This helps speed up the appraisal process, the sales process, and keeps the salesperson in front of the customer – no more running around tracking down the appraisal.

Maintain your inventory on the go.

Since customers are looking online before purchasing a car, it is critical that dealership websites are up-to-date, stocked with correct inventory information.

Used car customers are commonly traveling from hours away to view vehicles they have seen online. When they arrive, the vehicle isn’t there. That’s a problem. Not only is the customer experience awful, but your dealership’s reputation is now in the tank for advertising false information on your website.

Something to ask yourself, do I have a process to reserve a vehicle for a customer?

Manage what goes on your website and what vehicles are being reserved using an app on your phone. Upload images and videos, even edit vehicle descriptions from anywhere, making sure your website is accurate and up-to-date at all times from the palm of your hand.

Conclusion

Don’t forget how important the used vehicle department is to your dealership. Just like washing your vehicles, giving a well deserved facelift to your used vehicle department is well worth it for your customers.

Ask yourself, is my used vehicle department looking its best or could it use some improvement?

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