3 Min Read • November 12, 2019

CDK SERVICE BOOSTS LOYALTY AND HOURS PER RO AT MERCEDES-BENZ OF CUTLER BAY

INNOVATIVE TOOLS HELP YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH CUSTOMERS

It’s one thing to attract customers to your business; yet another to retain them. To help reach its aggressive retention goals, Florida’s southernmost Mercedes-Benz dealership relies on professionalism and innovation through CDK Service.

Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay has been serving the South Florida area for 11 years. It’s part of third-generation family-owned Ussery Automotive Group, with a second Mercedes-Benz location in Coral Gables. The 10.5-acre dealership features four Service lanes, 28 Technicians, nine Advisors and five Apprentices.

“We’ve been using CDK Service (now part of the Mercedes Benz Digital Service Drive Program) successfully in our Coral Gables location for over three years now, so I wanted it here at our Cutler Bay location,” says General Manager Luis Gutierrez.

“Our customers demand professionalism. CDK Service tools enable us to have a conversation with every customer. Our Advisors can greet customers with tablets in hand. They take pictures of the mileage, fuel level and any visible warning lights. Then they do a walk-around, recording any dents or scratches the customer may not have noticed before. Reviewing this detail with our customers gives them peace of mind.

“With CDK Service, Advisors can quickly do a walk-around, get the customer out of the heat and into one of our comfortable waiting areas, and finish writing the repair order at their desktop. This enhances the overall experience.”

Conducting walk-arounds with a tablet enables Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay’s Advisors to spend more time greeting customers. It’s helped to increase customer loyalty, add more hours per repair order and boost sales.

“We’ve seen our hours per repair order for customer pay increase 16.5 percent after using CDK Service,” says Gutierrez. “Our Advisors review a customer’s previously declined Service on the tablet when writing a repair order and ask them if they’d like us to take care of it. We offer estimates from our Collision Center for damage found during our walk-arounds and many times are able to repair light damages while the customer is in for their service. Larger repairs can be taken to our body shop nearby. This saves valuable time for customers and increases our overall revenue.

“We’re also currently scheduling online appointments through CDK Service. Our Advisors have begun using ServicePricing for optimum efficiency.”

With every new Service tool, there’s always some resistance in the beginning. However, Guiterrez notes that it didn’t take long for his team to be comfortable using CDK Service.

“We all embraced it and were up to speed within 90 days. CDK Service is very efficient for running reports, and that keeps us accountable. It ensures that everyone has a stake in the dealership’s success. We’ve been using it for three years with great success.”

Guitierrez values the innovative tools and data that CDK Service provides Mercedes-Benz of Cutler Bay. Especially as it has helped the dealership achieve its retention goals and grow year over year.

“One of the best things about CDK Service is the reporting tool,” say Gutierrez. “I need data to achieve our goals. It helps us retain customers and that’s our primary focus. I’m all about efficiency and innovation. With CDK Service, there’s one platform with multiple tools — like CDK Inspection and CDK Lane — and one contact for support. That’s a big advantage for us. With 180,000 square feet of space, we have a lot of room for growth.”