Dealership Pick-up and Drop-off: Industry Insights

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A dealership shuttle service transports customers to and from the dealership while their vehicle is being serviced or repaired. This service is often provided as a convenience to customers who need to leave the dealership while their vehicle is being worked on, or who do not have a means of transportation. Dealer shuttle service can be operated by the dealership itself or by a third-party company contracted by the dealership. Some dealerships may offer this as a complimentary service to customers, while others may charge a fee.

Virtual Service Powered by Pick-up & Delivery

Most dealerships would like to give their customers the convenience of having their car fixed without leaving their couch. Send someone to pick up the car from the customer's home and bring it in for repair then drive it back to the customer when the repair is done. Does it sound simple? There are many variables involved in delivering on this level of customer convenience.

It's not unheard of in recent years for small, medium and large dealerships to abandon their internal shuttle services in favour of going with Uber or other taxi services instead. On the face of things, letting a ride-hailing taxi service like Uber take care of transporting customers or your staff to and from the dealership is an attractive proposition.

Car dealerships cost a lot of money to set up and run, and regardless of what many customers may think, profit margins can be incredibly small. Everyone knows equipment like ramps, air systems, diagnostic equipment and staff wages are expensive, but other things that eat away at those tight profit margins are perhaps less obvious. Let's be honest; how many of your customers will give any thought to the cost of transporting customers and drivers to and from your dealership? In fact, how many people in your business will give it much thought?

Customers are increasingly demanding a service experience from their dealership that mirrors the rest of their retail experiences - omnichannel, convenient, and with home delivery at the center. The primary goal of young professionals, busy parents, active retirees, and others is to spend as little time and energy as possible interacting with their dealership. To be successful in this emerging market, dealerships will need to fundamentally rethink their existing processes, workflows, technologies, and systems to meet customer expectations.