On the Ground: A Look Inside Reynolds Consulting Services

When it comes to running a dealership, customer satisfaction is everything. But what about your satisfaction as our customer? I spoke with Alex Abramovich, Consulting Senior Manager, to learn more about him and the support his team provides for our dealer partners.

With over two decades of automotive experience spanning roles from general manager to business development center manager and over a decade as a Reynolds consultant, Alex offers a wealth of firsthand industry knowledge, helping dealerships reach their goals.

How have dealerships benefitted from your extensive experience in the automotive industry, particularly within dealerships?

[Alex Abramovich] We understand the job of the people we’re working with so it’s easier to put ourselves in their shoes. That insight allows us to quickly relate to dealership challenges and identify where improvements can make the biggest impact. When changes are needed, we not only understand how that person would want to see them implemented, but also how to communicate them most effectively for each person.

Reynolds Consulting Services consultants average around 17 years of automotive experience. How does that kind of background make a difference?

Our team not only knows the ins and outs of dealerships, but also how the people in a dealership work and what they want or need to see, depending on their role. Having a team with this much experience gives us a wide range of expertise and the ability to fit the right consultant with the right project.

You manage two regions of consultants with various backgrounds. How do these different backgrounds and experiences contribute to the success of our dealer partners?

It allows us to partner the right consultant with the right dealership. No two dealerships are the same, so having a variety of consultants with different backgrounds gives us opportunities to help dealerships solve a variety of challenges.

What drew you into the world of consulting?

I enjoy the uniqueness of each project. Being able to go into the dealership, look at the process, find the root of a problem, and create a solution is the type of support that’s almost unheard of. Getting to be a part of that for dealerships is very rewarding, and I truly desire to help others and see them succeed.

How do you approach a new consulting project?

The first phase is always discovery. We talk with as many internal associates as possible to make sure we have all the information before reaching out to the customer. Then, we’ll touch base with the customer to get an understanding of their current processes and challenges. This is really helpful to determine the possible scope of the project and the right time allocation to complete it.

At this stage, we also determine who from the dealership will be impacted so they can be involved from the beginning. Without the right people involved, key steps can be missed and that puts the success of the entire project at risk.

Can you share a time when you had to think creatively to develop a unique solution for a customer?

Every time! The business is the same, but each dealership is a little different; the staff is a little different; and each state has slightly different requirements. Each project needs a creative solution.

I once had a store that was struggling to convert phone leads. The sales team thought their phone process was working well, but my team sat down with the owner to listen to inbound calls. As we reviewed calls throughout the sales department, we discovered they weren’t capitalizing on their phone follow-ups. We then worked with the sales team on customized phone skills training so they could start getting more appointments and improved conversions.

How do you handle pushback when you come up against it?

We’re agents of change, and change is one of those things that not everyone’s comfortable with. The key is to start small, help them with one thing that doesn’t cause a big disruption. Let them see the impact, then continue that momentum. Once you do that, you can start earning their trust for the bigger changes.

How do you prioritize and manage multiple client projects simultaneously while ensuring high-quality service?

My team of 15 consultants has time allocated to each store. They are very conscious of setting the correct expectations from the beginning, and my team has been phenomenal in helping the customers with this.

We also utilize other teams Reynolds has to offer. We’ll rope in the RPMs, UPs, and TAC for help throughout the process as needed.

What does a typical timeline look like?

This is hard to answer as every project is unique. I’ve had some that took as little as two days to implement the adjustments needed. We’ve had much larger projects tied to our solutions that took several months to a quarter. Often times, these include virtual check-ins to measure progress. It really just depends on the dealership’s needs and goals.

How do you measure success?

How the dealership measures success is how we measure success.

It’s extremely important to set those goals in advance. During the discovery portion, we speak to the dealership to see what they want to achieve. Their goals can be as broad as increasing CSI or as specific as getting above two hours of customer pay per RO.

We are only successful when the dealership is successful.

What would this level of hands-on support mean for your dealership? Click here to learn more about the support our Customer Success Services team has to offer.

Related Articles: