Dealership Shuttle Service: 3 Tips to Lower Costs

Overview

As a manager at a car dealership, you know the importance of providing excellent customer service. One key aspect of this is offering shuttle service to customers. But how can you offer this service efficiently and cost-effectively?

By automating and optimizing shuttle routes, bookings, and dispatching, a good shuttle software can save dealerships time and money while improving the customer experience. In this blog, we'll share three tips for using a shuttle solution such as HopDrop to lower costs in your dealership shuttle service.

Before we dive in, let's take a look at the potential savings. By optimizing shuttle routes and reducing wait times, you can cut fuel and labor costs, as well as reduce the need for additional vehicles or staff. In addition, automated booking and dispatching can save time and administrative work, freeing up staff to focus on other tasks.

Now, let's explore the three tips that can help you achieve these savings and improve your shuttle service. By the end of this blog, you'll have a better understanding of how a digital solution can help your dealership.

Tip #1: Optimize Shuttle Routes

Without a digital solution, managing shuttle routes was a time-consuming and often inefficient process. But with the help of shuttle management software, you can optimize your routes to save on fuel, labor, and time. Here's how:

Before:  Shuttle drivers might simply take the most direct route between destinations, without considering factors such as traffic, construction, or customer preferences. This could lead to wasted time and fuel, as well as customer dissatisfaction if the shuttle was frequently late or delayed.

After: With shuttle software, you can use real-time data to determine the most efficient routes and schedules for your shuttles. The software will automatically adjust routes based on traffic patterns, analyzing usage data to identify peak times and high-demand routes, and even considering customer feedback on preferred routes or destinations. By optimizing routes, you can reduce fuel and labor costs, while improving customer satisfaction and reducing wait times.

Example: One dealership in California implemented shuttle software and was able to reduce their total shuttle miles by 30%, saving $1,800 per month in fuel costs alone. In addition, their customer satisfaction ratings improved, as customers appreciated the reduced wait times and improved shuttle experience.

By using a shuttle management system to optimize your shuttle routes, you can achieve similar cost savings and improve your shuttle service for customers. 

Tip #2: Automate Booking and Dispatching

In addition to optimizing shuttle routes, shuttle software can help you automate and streamline the booking and dispatching process for your shuttles. Here's how:

Before: Without shuttle software, managing shuttle bookings and dispatching drivers was a manual process, often involving phone calls, paper logs, and coordination across multiple staff members. This could lead to errors, delays, and a lot of administrative work.

After: With shuttle optimization solution, you can automate the booking process, allowing service advisors to easily request shuttle rides on the behalf of customers through a simple web portal or mobile app. This not only saves time for staff, but also provides a better experience for customers who can also directly book rides at their convenience.

In addition, shuttle software can automate the dispatching process, assigning drivers to rides based on availability, proximity, and other factors. This reduces the need for manual coordination and ensures that shuttles are dispatched quickly and efficiently.

Example: A dealership in New York City implemented shuttle software and was able to reduce their dispatching time from an average of 30 minutes to just 5 minutes, saving over 15 hours per month in administrative work. In addition, their customers appreciated the ease of booking and the improved shuttle experience.

By automating booking and dispatching, you can reduce administrative work and provide a better experience for your customers.

Tip #3: Monitor Shuttle Performance

Shuttle management software can also help you monitor and improve the performance of your shuttle service. Here's how:

Before: Without shuttle software, it could be difficult to track key performance indicators (KPIs) for your shuttle service, such as on-time performance, shuttle usage, and customer satisfaction. This could make it challenging to identify areas for improvement and optimize your shuttle service.

After: With shuttle software, you can easily monitor KPIs for your shuttle service, such as on-time performance, shuttle usage, and customer feedback. This data can help you identify trends and areas for improvement, such as adjusting shuttle schedules, optimizing shuttle routes, or improving customer service.

In addition, shuttle software can provide real-time alerts and notifications for shuttle issues, such as maintenance needs or driver delays. This allows you to quickly address issues and minimize disruptions to your shuttle service.

Example: A dealership in Texas implemented shuttle system and was able to increase their on-time shuttle performance from 70% to 95%, resulting in a significant improvement in customer satisfaction. They were also able to identify and address maintenance issues more quickly, reducing the risk of shuttle breakdowns and delays.

By monitoring shuttle performance, you can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to optimize your shuttle service.

Conclusion

In summary, here are some of the key benefits of implementing shuttle software for your car dealership:

1. Lower costs: By optimizing shuttle routes and automating booking and dispatching, you can reduce the time and resources needed to manage your shuttle service, resulting in lower costs and improved efficiency.

2. Improved customer experience: Shuttle optimization software provides a better experience for customers, with easy booking, real-time notifications, and improved shuttle performance. This can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.

3. Data-driven decision-making: Shuttle management software provides valuable data and insights on shuttle performance, allowing you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your shuttle service and identify areas for improvement.

4. Competitive advantage: Implementing shuttle software can give your dealership a competitive advantage by providing a more efficient and customer-friendly shuttle service compared to other dealerships.

In addition, implementing a digital solution can be a valuable investment in the long-term success of your dealership, providing a scalable and sustainable solution for managing your shuttle service.

By implementing a solution such as HopDrop for your dealership, you can enjoy these benefits and more, providing a better shuttle experience for your customers and reducing costs for your dealership. 

In conclusion, optimizing your dealership's shuttle service with shuttle software can provide numerous benefits for your dealership and customers. By following these three tips, you can lower costs, improve the customer experience, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your shuttle service.