Fixed Ops Magazine - 2021 Vol18 04 - 27

customer at a Toyota dealership. A lost personal item
may become a hassle to locate. A frustrated Twitter
user wrote, " 2 weeks ago [I] had to take a @lyft to my
dealership they set up. Left my $50 sunglasses in [the]
car. Text [the] driver 30 seconds later, ignored it. Dealer
contacted #Lyft who was supposed [to] handle it...
Now, no sunglasses, no news " .
According to the New York Times, recent driver shortages
caused the costs associated with these services
to rise an average of 40% year over year. The decreased
driver availability in conjunction with changes
in dispatching caused wait times to increase as well.
As a result, dealerships utilizing Ride-Sharing as their
Shuttle Services will have to manage the increase in
variable costs by creating specific guidelines around
who is eligible for a ride, and monitor who has access
to the company's accounts.
While these services may be experiencing some headwinds
at the moment, there will always be a need for
ride-sharing at dealerships, even if it is not an exclusive
solution.
TRADITIONAL SHUTTLE /
RIDE-SHARING HYBRID
Especially for busy dealerships with a high number
of daily repair orders, a combination of all of these
services is most likely the answer. For example, local
customers can be transported to their home or office
quickly and efficiently through the use of a digitally-managed
shuttle service. Customers who have to
wait a long time or are going to an area that is not
in the dealership's PMA may be better serviced by a
quick Uber or Lyft ride. VIPs or high-paying customers
who are located farther away might feel best taken
care of by a concierge vehicle pickup and delivery appointment
from the comfort of their homes.
Dealerships will continue to adapt these offerings as
the technology evolves. But if the pandemic has borne
out anything, it is that technology must now be a key
part of the decision to manage the process of delivering
the best possible customer experience.
Kipp Lewis is a proud
Veteran of both the
US Navy and the car
industry. Following his
military service, he has
spent over 20 years
working dealerships in
Washington and Nevada,
including national
groups and single-point
locations. Kipp is an automotive sales and operations
expert who has served at nearly every level inside of a
dealership.
JULY AUGUST 2021
|| FIXED OPS MAGAZINE
27
Fixed Ops Magazine - 2021 Vol18 04

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