Congrats Feldman Automotive!
In our March Partner of the Month interview, we sat down with “Big” Al Gillespie, Chief Marketing Officer at Feldman Automotive. Al shared his satisfying experience working with TradePending’s Video For Service product and explained how they have significantly increased their revenue by improving dealership service.
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How many stores are currently operating under Feldman Automotive and how long have you been associated with these stores?
Al Gillespie: We currently have 20 stores under our umbrella – quite a number to manage!
I have had the pleasure to work with Feldman Automotive for 14 years now, and in total, I have been a part of the automotive industry for 27 years.
How has your experience been with your Customer Success Manager?
Al Gillespie: Our customer success manager is fantastic. She maintains excellent communication with myself and our Fixed Operations Director. For me, customer support is paramount, which is why a company that communicates effectively and regularly always wins hands down. And you guys take care of us, you communicate to us all the time. I’m a happy customer.
Can you share with us how the TradePending Video For Service platform has improved the dealership service at Feldman Automotive?
Al Gillespie: Absolutely. The Video For Service platform has brought about a significant revenue increase by focusing our marketing efforts better. Around five years ago, when Carvana marked its presence next to one of our stores, we took a significant step in our fixed ops marketing. The goal was simple: they may sell vehicles, but we’ll service them. This approach has simplified things for our customers as they can easily find the services they need, thanks to the solution. That’s over 50% of our revenue in our stores. So it’s very important to us.
How has Video For Service driven more operations revenue to your dealerships?
Al Gillespie: The platform allows us to adapt and change our specials dynamically based on different times of the year and customer requirements. Whether it’s tire rotation, front-end alignment, or anything else, we can update these specials quickly and efficiently.
Can you provide specific instances of customer engagement and conversion enhancement via the platform?
Al Gillespie: Yes, the ‘download to wallet’ feature has been quite significant. Customers can go right to the website and download it into their Apple wallet, which is very big. We see people doing this all the time when they come into our stores. And so it’s more of a user-friendly situation and it’s changed how people transact and engage.
How has the solution helped your dealerships in effectively promoting service offerings?
Al Gillespie: Well, this varies per location. The team is actually very helpful and they work with us all the time and per each location as the demands and needs vary quite a bit per region. They work with us regularly to meet the specific demands and needs of each region.
For example, front-end alignments are a major priority in our Detroit market due to harsh winters and potholes, which is not an issue in Columbus. Therefore, the promotions and customer focus are tailored differently for each market. So that’s the biggest thing right there is the support staff with the TradePending team.
Could you describe how the platform has helped your dealership outshine national quick lube chains and enhance your authority in servicing?
Al Gillespie: The platform’s ease for consumers sets us apart. We can instantly direct customers to our service offerings, which they can download promptly to their phones. This ease of shopping, as opposed to the traditional car dealership methods, gives us an edge. It makes it very, very convenient, very user friendly in the way people shop, as opposed to the way car dealerships try to make people shop.
How do you envision the future of this platform in bringing value to your dealerships?
Al Gillespie: I see ongoing innovation from the team. It’s evident they are investing in improving the technology continuously. The focus on tech development is one of the main reasons I’ve chosen to stick with TradePending and Video For Service.
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Thank you, Feldman Automotive, and congratulations on being our March Partner of the Month!