Improving how your Shuttle department functions can increase the overall service experience and customer satisfaction at your dealership

We’ve all been there, sitting in the car dealership lounge, hoping you won’t be too late for work or an appointment. Anxiously waiting for that Shuttle driver to walk in the door and call “Who needs a Shuttle?” With today’s technologies and conveniences, isn’t it time to change that experience?

Shuttle service can be one of the most chaotic areas of a dealership. Service Advisors are all taking shuttle requests and writing them down on post it notes. Then hopefully these notes will make it into the hands of the Shuttle driver upon their return to the dealership. Shuttle drivers are left to figure out who’s waiting, who needs to be picked up and to plan the most appropriate routes. Yet, for the customer, a timely shuttle ride is supposed to be part of the services that make it easier for them to get through the inconveniences of having their vehicle serviced.

With the advantage of Shuttle services, customers aren’t bound to stay and wait for longer repairs. They don’t have to rely on friends or family for a ride. More importantly, they can get on with their daily activities as needed without too much disruption to their schedule. Since your customers rely heavily on this added service, your dealership should make sure it’s not falling short on expectations.

Is your Shuttle Department failing?

Some of the things that can go wrong or be overlooked with Shuttle processes are:

• A customer waits unnecessarily long at the dealership after dropping off their car because their shuttle request didn’t make it to the Shuttle driver in a timely manner
• A customer is misinformed on how long the driver will be until they return and becomes frustrated
• A shuttle driver goes to the wrong address to pick up a customer and is now late
• Drivers are taking customers from one end of town to the other with no planned route
• A customer isn’t updated on repair status and has to frequently call in to the dealership to find out when their vehicle may be ready and when they can expect a Shuttle
• A customer does not get notified if the Shuttle will be late, and are left waiting and wondering

Any of these situations could directly impact the overall impression of your dealership, plus drastically affect the level of customer service you provide. Even if the car repair went smoothly and the price was agreeable, the negative customer service experience could jeopardize the customer’s return for future service. Or worse yet, could turn into negative feedback online!

VenueVision’s Shuttle Solutions

Have you experiences any of these complaints? If so, you could benefit from a proper management and scheduling solution. VenueVision provides flexible Shuttle Solutions that can work for any sized dealership and that can adapt to various processes to work with your whole team. Our Shuttle Solutions provide real-time visibility for Shuttle scheduling and dispatching that all advisors and Appointment Coordinators can have access to. Using a centralized desktop dashboard, all Shuttle requests are captured and shown in one easy-to-view location. Plus, it can be integrated with your DMS to access daily appointment information and customer details to make scheduling even easier.

Shuttle drop offs and pickups can be scheduled in a few easy steps. Riders can be assigned to specific Shuttles if more than one is available. Customers can receive automated text confirmations of shuttle requests booked and notifications of departure.

In the dealership, staff and Shuttle drivers can see a full overview of destinations on the dashboard and dispatch screens. The live-view maps show marked pickups and drop offs and full customer details listed by priority and time. This visibility will help in routing to prevent overlap and help increase efficiency and productivity. Newly added Shuttle requests or completed Shuttle rides are added or removed from screen in real-time.

Shuttle requests can even be booked in advance. Appointment coordinators can schedule shuttle rides for customers when they are booking their Service Appointments. All the information will be in place on the day of their appointment, so your team can see in advance what their daily schedule will look like.

Improve you Customer Service experience

With VenueVision’s Shuttle Solutions, your drivers and staff will always see at a glance if there are new customers waiting, who’s already been assigned or completed, and what the best route should be. Customers can be informed of Shuttle departure and expected pick up times, and their information will be correctly and instantly relayed to the drivers.

By having the right tools to provide a more organized, efficient and streamlined Shuttle service, your customers will appreciate the enhanced level of customer service they experience.  It’s important to invest the time and resources into making the Shuttle service experience more convenient and memorable. This will in turn reflect on the customer’s overall appreciation and positive dealership experience. A positive customer experience will result in increased customer loyalty and retention.

Book a demo to see all that our Shuttle Solutions can offer.

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