| New GPS Device Increases Customer Retention |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Administrator |
| Wednesday, 14 October 2009 00:00 |
|
When industry veteran Tony Avila decided to start Innovative Aftermarket Group, a new vehicle security company, he knew he had to have a truly better mousetrap. “I realized that the only way I could succeed was to serve the needs of vehicle dealerships better than anyone else,” he says. “I also knew I needed to give consumers a product that was far more user-friendly than the market leader.” His solution? The dFenceÔ Protection & Connection system, which uses GPS technology not only to deter theft, but to increase the dealership’s customer retention.
Maintenance alerts—a breakthrough in customer retention
The dFence system has the ability alert the dealership’s service department whenever the vehicle’s check engine light is on and whenever it approaches a key mileage milestone (e.g., 10,000 miles). This allows a service manager to call the motorist, inform them of what service is required, and schedule an appointment. According to Avila, “We know that dealerships aren’t happy with their share of vehicle maintenance revenues. Our maintenance alerts are designed to give them the inside track toward increasing those revenues.” Avila also points out that a dealership that secures a customer’s service business is much more likely to sell that customer their next vehicle.
dFence never rests!
The dFence system allows the vehicle owner to use GPS technology to create a “geo-fence” around the vehicle and receive an instantaneous alert whenever the vehicle is moved. The consumer or the police can then go online to see where the vehicle is located or headed in real time.
“The leading vehicle recovery product uses antiquated radio technology that cannot discover that your vehicle is missing,” explains Avila, “which means recovery could take hours or even days.” In contrast, the dFence system watches over the vehicle on a 24/7/365 basis, and recovery can be a matter of just minutes.
An F&I department’s dream
Avila figures that a thief who sees a vehicle bearing a dFence window decal will not even think about stealing it. As he puts it, “Who in their right mind would steal a vehicle knowing that the police will be on his trail within minutes?” This allows the F&I Department to position the dFence system not merely as a vehicle recovery product, but as a theft deterrent. “It’s much easier to sell a product that will prevent a theft—or at worst recover a vehicle in minutes—than one that can take hours or days to get the vehicle back,” adds Avila.
As an extra tool to enhance F&I’s closing rate, dFence customers will not be charged a subscription fee for year one.
A deal dealerships can’t refuse?
In addition to building service revenues through maintenance alerts, Avila will share subscription fees from year two onward with the dealership. He’ll also let the dealership pre-load the dFence system and have the benefit of the technology until the vehicle is sold. On top of all that, he made sure that the dealership can hook the dFence system up to the vehicle’s OBDII connector in only minutes.
The dFence system may be a thief’s worst enemy, but it just might be a dealership’s best friend.
|
