Recent data shows that 29% of Americans are behind on oil changes and 44% are behind on tire rotations. Marketing a dealership’s service department isn’t as sexy as showing off your inventory, but it’s time has come, for more reasons than just Americans being behind on service.
There are two great reasons to ramp up the marketing of your service specials.
First, we, as a country, collectively just need a “kick in the pants” reminder to get our oil changed and tires rotated. I’m preaching to the choir here that this basic service goes a long way in maintaining the health of a vehicle. There’s a ton of opportunity here to help, and grow that bottom line while you’re at it.
Speaking of being more profitable, that’s reason #2 to put more attention on service marketing right now. As outsized gross profits on car sales have been waning, and as interest rates stay high on vehicle financing and your floor plan costs, there’s a great chance you’re making less margin on vehicle sales. It’s no secret that service departments boost margins and the bottom line, so why not put more emphasis on growing that business?
So what now? Do these two things. First, start simple. Send a plain text email to all of your customers. If you wanna get fancy, segment that list by date of last service. That plain text email should be short and to the point, and showcase your specials on oil changes and tire rotations. We’ll throw an example down below.
Important side note: make sure the prices in your email match what you’ve got on your website, social media ads, posts, about page, your Google Business profile, etc.
To help your service customers truly understand that yes, they need service or a tire rotation, or it’s time to replace them, don’t just tell them. Show them. Use video to show exactly what’s great, what’s almost worn out, and what needs to be replaced or repaired right now. Seeing is believing.
Example:
SAMPLE PLAIN TEXT EMAIL FOR DEALERS TO SEND TO SERVICE CUSTOMERS
Hey [first name goes here] – we saw recent data that much of America is behind on basic service like oil changes and tire rotations.
These two basic services will keep your car running longer and driving much safer during the holidays and into 2024.
We’re running a special through the end of the year to get both the oil change and tire rotation starting at $$.$$. Prices obviously vary based upon the type of oil and amount needed.
If you’ve got a hunch that it’s time for either of these, book some time with us here.
